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[desperate_times_right]

Good morning! Is there anyone on this thing who knows anything about kids and wants to help me out?

Some jackass asked me to take care of a kid for a few days and then skipped town! I don't know what to do with her. If it helps, she's five, I think.

Comments

[desperate_times_right]

What kinds of things does a kid need at this age? I've got a couple of changes of clothes for her, but that's it.

Also, do they ever get tired? I feel like all I'm doing is pulling her out of the trees.

[theodorelasso]

Well, toothbrush and toothpaste, that's important. Hairbrush and general cleanliness stuff. She probably needs a little bit of help with that stuff - at minimum, you making sure she does it, cause she ain't gonna know to do it on her own.

Healthy meals at least three times a day, and lots of sleep, cause she's growing a lot. A few hours of physical activity might help her get some of that energy out. Tree climbing is great, if you go to the park or something, but make sure she knows that's only for that time, not for while you're out walking, buzzing up every tree you pass like a squirrel.

Kids actually respond well to structure, and mild responsibility like cleaning up after themselves. It's a need for reliability, which she probably desperately needs, from the sounds of it.

It's also an age great for creative stuff, like drawing and building.

How's she doing emotionally? She sounds like she's gone through a lot.

[desperate_times_right]

She didn't even know how to eat with a fork when she got here; we’re starting from scratch.

Like a squirrel is right! I'm getting worried I'm going to go outside and find her on the roof. We’ve been to the park a few times, but we’re still working on the "interacting with other people" thing.

It's like you said, she's not used to any kind of stability. We’re calming down a little now but I've definitely been bitten a few times. She doesn't know a lot about wherever she was before, but it doesn't seem like anyone’s looking for her.