By Krystal Sieben 
Can I let you in on a secret? Yep, you, parent of a friend of my child. Maybe they met in class, on the bus, or through lacrosse. You don’t really know me. But when your child is at my house and in my care, they are going to be spoiled rotten.
Here’s the thing. I grew up in a quiet house, a super clean house, a small family house, and I longed for the chaos of houses with big families. Hosting your child is my chance for this.
So, in all fairness, I think you should know that when they are here, we are probably ordering DoorDash for dinner because they like it. If they spill ketchup on my rug, I’ll just ignore it and pretend I didn’t see. If they play baseball in the basement and break a light, I’ll laugh with them and tell them they’re just too strong. If they don’t like a kind of food, no big deal! I’ll direct them to the pantry to choose anything they want. If they sneak an extra cookie, I’ll turn the other way.
Being a kid is tough. Things break. Things spill. You are loud. You are unsure. You might feel afraid to say you don’t like tacos . . . I get it.
I also know if a kid is here, they are important to my child. I see them being kind to each other. Laughing super hard. Acting bigger than they are. Petting our dogs. Splashing in the pool. Including my other children.
If your child is here, simply by being invited, I know they are good. I know they are special. I know they are kind. Because I know my kids have good radar, and they chose your kids for a reason.
So, when they are here, they will be spoiled. They will be treasured. They will be protected. They will be loved. Because they are worth it.
by Betsy Moore 
by Beth Bacon 
by Leslie Kvasnicka 
