TEACHER TAKES CHARGE (Private for LittleJai)

[likes to be babysat]

Neil felt like his little heart had been ripped in two as he heard what Nanny said. He was glad that she wasn't mad, but in many ways what she had said was worse! Nanny wasn't "angry"... she was "disappointed", and that made Neil feel sad... very, very, sad. Wiping at the tears that had now sprung unbidden to his eyes, the little boy responded quietly saying, "Yes, Nana...." He then picked up "Snowy" and "Growler" and clutching them comfortingly to his chest, shuffled slowly out of the room and down the stairs. Arriving there, he sat himself forlornly upon the couch and waited for Miss Bethany to come to him. Knowing that she was "disappointed" in him, he half expected that she wouldn't.....

[LittleJai]

Bethany made short work of finding and cleaning up the mess, before grabbing her quilted bag and heading down the stairs to the living room. She sat down net to Neil. "What's the matter, baby?" she asked worriedly, noting the tears. She took out a handkerchief and wiped gently at his eyes.

[likes to be babysat]

Poor little Neil felt truly overwhelmed and awash with mixed emotions, as not five minutes later Miss Bethy thankfully reappeared and sat comfortingly beside him. As he noted the genuine care and true concern emanating from her kind voice and soft sympathetic eyes, the little boy couldn't help but feel suffused with a love he had heretofore never experienced. Sobbing speechlessly, he burrowed himself against her, and prayed she would never let him go....

He felt her dry his tears, and as his crying slowly subsided into soft, hiccuping, shudders he said, "Befthy I no wan' you go 'way.... I know you difappoint in me. Mommy say dat all de time too, an' now she go 'way.... I no wan' you go 'way wike mama. Pwease stay...." Lifting his head then from off of her warm and gentle bosom, Neil stared soulfully into Nanny's tender, deep brown eyes, and waited to see what she would say. As he did so, he couldn't help but once again notice the pretty but mysterious, quilted, babyblue bag sitting closely next to her on the armrest by her side.

[LittleJai]

Bethy was shocked to say the least. "Oh, Neily..." she cooed, rubbing the boy's back. "Honey, I'm not going to leave you. Not ever-ever. Your Mommy didn't leave because she was disappointed with you, she left for her new job and she'll be back before you know it. She loves you very much, sweetie, and so do I. That doesn't mean I'll never get disappointed in you, and it doesn't mean there won't be punishments when you are naughty, but it does mean that you could never make me leave you." She snuggled the boy close.

[likes to be babysat]

Neily gently nodded his head "YES" into his nanny's bosom in order to show he'd understood while at the same time he gratefully returned her loving hug. Her words had been exactly what he had needed to hear, and he had been overjoyed to hear every one of them. Well, almost everyone of them.... The part he hadn't liked to hear about was her warning regarding future "punishments" for being "naughty", especially since he now knew that Miss Bethy's "punishments" could include that horrible thing that she had called a "spanking"! Just the thought of it alone, caused Neil to unconsciously reach back and gingerly rub his little fanny....

With his crying now under contol, Neily lifted his head from Nana's breast, and while staring quite curiously at her quilted blue bag said sincerely, "I wuv you Miss Befthy, an', an' don' worwy, you not gonna need punish me, 'ecause I not gonna be naughty. 'Kay?"

[LittleJai]

"I hope not, Neil." said Bethany. "Now, there will still be a consequence for lying to me about your accident." she said, looking Neil in the eyes. "Your Mommy said you were having a hard time with using the potty like a big boy, right?"

(A quick question: Cloth or disposable?)

[likes to be babysat]

Beginning to fret and squirm in Nanny's lap, Neily grew increasingly panic stricken as he listened carefully to the unwelcome and new direction their conversation had now taken. Never a good liar, the naughty preschooler unconsciously nodded his head "YES" in response to Miss Bethy's question regarding having difficulty using the potty, while simultaneously he fibbed, "Nuh unh. Dat not twue, Nana. I a big boy...."

During the conversation Neily heard Bethany say "consequence". Being a new word for the inquisitive child, he decided to ask Nanny to explain it. Additionally, he hoped that if he changed the subject in this way, his former teacher would just forget about the current unpleasant topic she had so recently brought up. Little did he know that his next question was probably only making things worse. "Befthy?", he asked coyly "What a consequent? I neber heard dat word 'efore...."

[LittleJai]

Bethany fixed him with a cold eye. "A consequence, Neily, is a punishment. Something not-so-nice that happens when you do something bad. Like lying to me about having problems with the potty." She brought the quilted baby bag closer and took a soft, padded changing mat out of it. "Now, I want you to take off your little undies and lay down on this mat for me, sweetie." Her tone left no room whatsoever for argument.

[likes to be babysat]

Inching slowly away from her in the direction of the stairs, Neily looked down at his childish, cartoon print, undies which for the first time he noticed he'd put on both inside out and backwards, and said, "Why Nana? What you gonna do? Nana, dese panties cwean...."

[LittleJai]

"Now, Neil." said Bethany firmly. "I promise this won't hurt you, but if you run away you're in for a long time-out." She took the child's wrist and guided him towards the mat, pulling down his underwear.