When Dr. Sanders got a call from the hospital about an emergency, she found herself in a very difficult position. She had the day off, and had a hard time finding a babysitter for her three young children.
“Now? Are you sure Dr. Morris is not available?” she asked Nurse Carey on the phone while already changing her clothes and trying to think of a solution to her problem.
“No, Dr. Sanders. Dr. Morris is currently driving across state lines trying to get here. You live close by, so I thought I would call. The interns have no idea what they’re doing. I know it’s your day off, but I didn’t know what else to do. Will you be able to come?” Nurse Carey said, doing her best not to sound worried.
Dr. Sanders was quick to call her sister for help, but she wasn’t home and couldn’t help. She then called Vicky, the woman who babysat the kids every now and then, but she said she didn’t feel fine and couldn’t step in either.
Following the passing of her husband Peter, Dr. Sanders was left to raise her three children, Johnny, 9, Christie, 7, and Lucy, alone.
Usually, she paid through the roof for the local daycare center when she was scheduled regularly at work, but she couldn’t rush them in that day. It was already noon on a Friday, and she would feel bad sending them.
In the middle of the chaos, Dr. Sanders heard her three children shouting “Uncle Bob, Uncle Bob,” as they rushed out of the house.
They didn’t have an uncle, but the local garbageman who took Dr. Sanders’ trash for over ten years was so friendly to her children that they grew fond of him throughout the years.
Watching Bob with her children, Dr. Sanders came up with an idea. Approaching him, she said, “Bob, I have a crazy request. I know you’re busy. But I was wondering if you would babysit my kids for 25 minutes. I have to check something urgent at the hospital, and I have no one else,” she begged as her kids were looking at Bob hoping for a positive answer.
“Sure, Dr. Sanders. I can watch them for a while,” he replied, nodding and smiling. The children jumped and cheered.
“They’re more than a handful, though. I’m warning you,” she said.
“Don’t worry. You go ahead. Your job is important,” Bob replied.
Dr. Sanders went to the hospital, but since the emergency case needed surgery, she was at the hospital for over three hours. She felt bad for leaving Bob attending her children, who were demanding and misbehaved, for that long.
Once home, Dr. Sanders’ jaw dropped when she saw her home perfectly tidy.
“What happened here? My house… is unrecognizable. And why aren’t the kids screaming and running around?”
“Lucy is napping, and Christie and Johnny are in their rooms, reading,” Bob answered.
“What? Are you kidding me?”
“No, go see.”
Shocked, Dr. Sanders asked, “How did you do this?”
“Oh, Dr. Sanders. I was a single father raising kids once. Mine were ten times worse than these three angels,” Bob laughed. “I taught them to pick up after themselves and narrated them fairy tales. Your kids ate that up. You might want to buy them more books.”
As Bob was leaving, Dr. Sanders apologized for being late once again and offered him money, but he refused, saying it was his pleasure to spend some time with the children.
Dr. Sanders was very grateful. That night, when she recalled how her day went, she decided to offer Bob to take care of her children instead of working as a garbageman.
She offered him a salary three times hire than what he earned at his job. The babysitting job would come with more health benefits.
After giving it some thought, Bob accepted the job and Dr. Sanders was so thankful that she gave him a Christmas bonus and plane tickets so his family could visit Disneyland in California later that year.
This mom realized that her kids needed someone who felt like family to take care of them. They hated daycare because they didn’t like being around strangers.