Summarize the following:
Stick with games that don’t have very many rules. Toddlers won’t be able to follow along with complicated games, and they can get frustrated quickly.  If you’re babysitting a 1-year-old toddler, play games like peek-a-boo or hide-and-seek with their favorite stuffed animal. If the toddler is closer to 2 years old, try making patterns using blocks or rolling a ball back and forth across the floor. If you’re babysitting an older toddler, try games like Simon Says and Hot and Cold. Go in their room or wherever their toys are kept and ask them to choose something to play with. If you’re babysitting a younger toddler, you may need to choose a toy for them. Once they’ve got a toy, get on the floor and play with the toy with them. It will be easier to get them to sleep if you hang around and read them a quick story. Find a children’s book they have and hold it so they can see the pictures. Point out the different characters in the pictures as you’re reading along. Eventually, the toddler you're babysitting should drift to sleep. Find out from their parents if they have any special naptime rituals you should follow. No matter what activity you’re doing, you should constantly monitor the toddler you’re babysitting. Toddlers can easily get into something they’re not supposed to or accidentally bump into something and hurt themselves. If you're grabbing something from another room or setting up an activity, make sure they're in your line of sight.

summary: Play easy baby games if they seem calm. Have them pick out a toy to play with if they're energetic. Read to them when it’s naptime. Supervise them at all times.


Summarize the following:
Apply a few drops of mineral spirits to a clean, soft rag until the cloth feels damp. Wipe the surface of the wood door with the moistened rag, always going with the grain of the wood. This should work to help remove any dirt or grime buildup. Mineral spirits are also called paint thinner. You can purchase this product at any home improvement store. Apply some liquid furniture polish on the surface of the wooden door and use a clean dish cloth to rub it into the grain of the wood. This will help remove any existing stains and restore the wood’s natural sheen. This is especially important for use after applying mineral spirits to the wood. Get a steam cleaning machine with a hose attachment and add a tiny bit of soap to the bristles at the end. Spray the steam at the stains on the dirty wood and move it back and forth across the stained portions. The dirt should just disappear as you do this.  Make sure you rinse off any soapy residue with a clean rag when you are done. You can rent steam cleaners from most grocery stores or carpet repair stores. or varnish. If your wood door has an old paint finish or other kind of varnish that you want to remove, there are a couple of options. You can sand the old varnish off – a very time consuming task. Or you can use chemical strippers to remove the layers of paint.   Either option will work well, but remember that chemical stripping must be done in a ventilated area with proper precautions (like wearing a dust mask). There are several types of chemical strippers – liquid, brushable pastes, and wash away strippers. In any case, you apply the chemical stripper to the wooden door and let it sit until dry. Then you brush off the remnants (or rinse it off, depending on the kind of stripper you are using).  This method is particularly effective for exterior wood doors.

summary: Rub the surface with mineral spirits. Wipe on some liquid furniture polish. Use a steam cleaning machine. Remove old paint


Summarize the following:
Sometimes we can’t help someone, or at least not in the way they need. If they push back aggressively, or are taking too much from you in time, effort, etc., it may be time to step back. Even if they do accept your help, there’s only so much you as a friend can do. Sometimes therapy and medication is needed, and a friend can’t offer that.  Keep in mind that you can say no if you feel that someone is taking advantage of your kindness. If you are worried about a friend or family member’s well-being, then you might talk to someone who can help, such as a teacher or a counselor. This means neither overstepping in helping them nor allowing them to overstep in asking for help, assuming they do. This is especially important with a proud person, as helping them too much may make them feel like you pity them or that you feel sorry for them. Instead, when possible, ask how you can help, and don’t attempt to do more than is requested. For example, if the person has reassured you that he or she is okay, then you should not keep pressing the person to accept your help. You might simply say something like, “I am always here for you if you need my help. Just let me know.” As much as you want to help them, it is important to give them the space to make their own decisions. Ultimately, it is their life, and they have the choice to get help when they need it or to reject that help. It might hurt, but being a friend sometimes means stepping back and letting your friend choose their own path.
summary: Know your limitations and accept them. Maintain healthy boundaries. Respect their decisions.