Goddess Athenaeum
My real name is Athena
Here is my 3rd story. This one is set in Majora's Mask and focuses on Anju babysitting Romani. So be warned, the baby fluff is strong with this story! 
I feel like this is a story that mainly a female audience would enjoy, but guys I hope you like it too. This story is based on experiences babysitting, but it's also based on parenting techniques I've read about, such as Montessori. Though this story is just for fun and not a practical example of that, sometimes I wish that I could have been raised in this way, but since I wasn't, I'd like to at least raise awareness.
I hope you enjoy it. This story takes place ten years before the events of Majora's Mask. Anju and Cremia are 15, and Romani is 22 months old.
I feel like this is a story that mainly a female audience would enjoy, but guys I hope you like it too. This story is based on experiences babysitting, but it's also based on parenting techniques I've read about, such as Montessori. Though this story is just for fun and not a practical example of that, sometimes I wish that I could have been raised in this way, but since I wasn't, I'd like to at least raise awareness.
I hope you enjoy it. This story takes place ten years before the events of Majora's Mask. Anju and Cremia are 15, and Romani is 22 months old.
"You think you're ready for it?" Her mother asked.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure!" Anju responded confidently.
Anju was preparing for her trip to Romani Ranch. It would be the first time she had visited in over a year. Throughout the 15 years of their lives, she and Cremia spent many days in those fields. Likewise, Cremia had visited Clock Town on multiple occasions.
Despite the distance, the families remained very close, and both agreed it was good for the girls to get a glimpse of a different lifestyle. In this way, both girls embraced aspects of rural and urban life.
But things were different now. Some 22 months prior, Cremia had been blessed with a baby sister who was given the name of the Ranch.
"Baby Romani!" Anju giggled to herself. Still thinking of how sweet and helpless she seemed as a newborn.
Anju was a very resourceful and dutiful daughter. She had long assisted her mother with running in the Inn. Losing her father at a young age instilled a sense of urgency in her. She never once questioned the chores she was given; she knew they were important and that one day she would manage the Inn just as her mother did.
Around the time Anju turned 12, she asked her mom for permission to get a second job outside of the Inn. Along with taking care of the household tasks, Anju also received education from her mother and grandmother on the basic bookkeeping and logistics of the business, as well as basic history and lots of reading.
Convinced that she was taking both efforts seriously, Anju's mother allowed her to seek an outside job.
This was how Anju began finding work as a babysitter. Many parents hired her and were very satisfied with her work. Anju was great with kids and was very happy to be making her own money.
Unlike Hyrule, Termina was slightly more advanced industrially and technologically. This could be seen in the electricity present in the Milk Bar and various other shops.
Many stories have been told of the bathroom in the Stock Pot Inn (sometimes verging on the horrific with talk of hands), so indoor plumbing had long existed.
Anju's job as a babysitter was made easier by the presence of disposable diapers and wet wipes.
Though not as plentiful as in a modern world, the money that Anju made allowed her to purchase these luxury items, and as a result, made her more sought after as a babysitter. She quickly learned how to streamline her work in this way.
Anju was by no means wealthy. Her family was middle class, at best. But she happily invested in supplies, as it got her more work.
And now, her biggest opportunity to date had arrived. She was going to stay at Romani Ranch for three days to take care of baby Romani while Cremia traveled into town. Essentially, the girls would trade places.
"I still don't understand it." Anju's mother began. "It would be easier for Cremia to stay with us. We could look after her and Romani."
"Well in her letter she said she thinks it would be best if Romani didn't travel until she was two." Anju explained, not wanting to pass up a payment.
"Hmm." Anju's mother said thoughtfully. "I wonder."
"Oh, she's probably just being overprotective!" Anju responded "She's so worried about little Romani"
Anju's mother couldn't help but chuckle. Normally, Anju was not as confident. She was overly apologetic, constantly second-guessed herself, and beat herself up for mistakes.
Yet the role she took on as a babysitter filled her with confidence. She was so proud of her daughter that she didn't want to dissuade her.
"Well, just take care, I know you will. Still….where is their father in all of this?" her mother asked.
"From what Cremia said, he's traveling in the countryside trading before the summer ends. They've had Grog and Yan and the other ranch hands attending to all the ranch duties, so it's basically just been Cremia taking care of Romani all summer." Anju explained.
"Probably for the best." Anju's mother responded. "Those poor girls have been through so much, losing their mother in childbirth. Cremia's having to learn fast how to be a mom for both of them."
Anju looked up from the bag she was packing. It was her usual bag containing diapers, wipes, changes of clothes, and other essential items for her work. "Well, I sure am glad she'll have me here to help."
Her mother smiled back.
"Go get 'em, tiger!" She responded with pride. It made Anju laugh, reminding her of the image on the back of her grandmother's wheelchair.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure!" Anju responded confidently.
Anju was preparing for her trip to Romani Ranch. It would be the first time she had visited in over a year. Throughout the 15 years of their lives, she and Cremia spent many days in those fields. Likewise, Cremia had visited Clock Town on multiple occasions.
Despite the distance, the families remained very close, and both agreed it was good for the girls to get a glimpse of a different lifestyle. In this way, both girls embraced aspects of rural and urban life.
But things were different now. Some 22 months prior, Cremia had been blessed with a baby sister who was given the name of the Ranch.
"Baby Romani!" Anju giggled to herself. Still thinking of how sweet and helpless she seemed as a newborn.
Anju was a very resourceful and dutiful daughter. She had long assisted her mother with running in the Inn. Losing her father at a young age instilled a sense of urgency in her. She never once questioned the chores she was given; she knew they were important and that one day she would manage the Inn just as her mother did.
Around the time Anju turned 12, she asked her mom for permission to get a second job outside of the Inn. Along with taking care of the household tasks, Anju also received education from her mother and grandmother on the basic bookkeeping and logistics of the business, as well as basic history and lots of reading.
Convinced that she was taking both efforts seriously, Anju's mother allowed her to seek an outside job.
This was how Anju began finding work as a babysitter. Many parents hired her and were very satisfied with her work. Anju was great with kids and was very happy to be making her own money.
Unlike Hyrule, Termina was slightly more advanced industrially and technologically. This could be seen in the electricity present in the Milk Bar and various other shops.
Many stories have been told of the bathroom in the Stock Pot Inn (sometimes verging on the horrific with talk of hands), so indoor plumbing had long existed.
Anju's job as a babysitter was made easier by the presence of disposable diapers and wet wipes.
Though not as plentiful as in a modern world, the money that Anju made allowed her to purchase these luxury items, and as a result, made her more sought after as a babysitter. She quickly learned how to streamline her work in this way.
Anju was by no means wealthy. Her family was middle class, at best. But she happily invested in supplies, as it got her more work.
And now, her biggest opportunity to date had arrived. She was going to stay at Romani Ranch for three days to take care of baby Romani while Cremia traveled into town. Essentially, the girls would trade places.
"I still don't understand it." Anju's mother began. "It would be easier for Cremia to stay with us. We could look after her and Romani."
"Well in her letter she said she thinks it would be best if Romani didn't travel until she was two." Anju explained, not wanting to pass up a payment.
"Hmm." Anju's mother said thoughtfully. "I wonder."
"Oh, she's probably just being overprotective!" Anju responded "She's so worried about little Romani"
Anju's mother couldn't help but chuckle. Normally, Anju was not as confident. She was overly apologetic, constantly second-guessed herself, and beat herself up for mistakes.
Yet the role she took on as a babysitter filled her with confidence. She was so proud of her daughter that she didn't want to dissuade her.
"Well, just take care, I know you will. Still….where is their father in all of this?" her mother asked.
"From what Cremia said, he's traveling in the countryside trading before the summer ends. They've had Grog and Yan and the other ranch hands attending to all the ranch duties, so it's basically just been Cremia taking care of Romani all summer." Anju explained.
"Probably for the best." Anju's mother responded. "Those poor girls have been through so much, losing their mother in childbirth. Cremia's having to learn fast how to be a mom for both of them."
Anju looked up from the bag she was packing. It was her usual bag containing diapers, wipes, changes of clothes, and other essential items for her work. "Well, I sure am glad she'll have me here to help."
Her mother smiled back.
"Go get 'em, tiger!" She responded with pride. It made Anju laugh, reminding her of the image on the back of her grandmother's wheelchair.
"Thank the Gods, I'm so happy you're here!" Cremia exclaimed, gripping Anju in a tight hug. Anju had just arrived by carriage and was dropped off with her luggage. "I can't believe they paid for you to take a carriage all the way out here, that had to be expensive."
"It wasn't too bad." Anju said, trying to be modest. "I saved up a lot this summer, so I was happy to do it."
"You paid for it yourself?!" Cremia shouted.
"Don't worry about that." Anju quickly replied, suddenly starting to feel uncomfortable. "This was important to me, so I'm here. Just take me inside and you can get going…..and by the way, the carriage is paid for to take you to town as well so you won't have to walk it."
"Anju!" Cremia began to shout. "You're always…..you're always doing too much for others." She was on the verge of tears. Not knowing what else to do, she hugged Anju again and buried her face in her shoulder. All Anju could do was comfort her.
"I won't lie. It's been so hard since mom died. And this whole summer…..but I've been doing my best. I'll explain when we get inside. It hasn't been easy, but I've been doing what we must do. I've read every book I could get my hands on. I'm trying to be the best mom to her I can be."
"And I know you are." Anju responded softly. "And I'm here to help in any way I can."
Once the two girls had found themselves, Cremia invited Anju inside. Romani was sleeping at this hour, so it would mostly be a tour of their current life.
Cremia took a deep breath and prepared to show Anju what she hadn't shown anyone else:
The way she had been raising Romani.
But before Cremia realized it, Anju was unpacking her bags on the table, displaying everything she purchased. She had stacked the diapers high, placed two boxes of wipes, and arranged the baby bottles as well.
"I wanted to have everything ready for these next three days, I don't want you to worry about anything, I've got it taken care of."
"Anju, I…." Cremia began, not wanting to sound ungrateful. "I….I don't know how to tell you this but…..you won't need any of this."
"I don't plan on using your supplies, Cremia." She responded.
"And you won't, because I don't have any." Cremia replied, blankly.
Anju stared at her completely perplexed.
"Anju…..there's just no way to explain it. I'll show you."
Standing in the living room, Cremia pulled a small pink curtain back, concealing a small space across the table against the wall where the staircase was. Cremia revealed a small table complete with tiny cutlery, including a toddler knife kept neatly in this little space.
Next to it, close to the ground, was a small rack containing toddler clothes, all hung up neatly. It was close enough to the ground that a toddler could reach these clothes as well as hang them back up. A mirror of the same size was next to this, as was a small table containing the proper-sized comb and brush. Cremia opened the drawer, which had several colorful pairs of tiny undies inside. Anju said nothing and just stared.
Cremia gestured for Anju to follow her, and she led her into the next room. In the bathroom, a small pink potty chair was on the floor. The potty was etched with little images of ponies. Next to it was a basket containing a roll of toilet paper, a tiny picture book, and spare undies. There were no diapers or wipes to be seen.
And on the big toilet itself was a soft plush toilet seat that was clearly Romani's size. It had little tiger cubs printed on it, reminding Anju again of the "go get 'em tiger!" encouragement. The entire bathroom was devoted to potty training, and the colorful items with their animal designs were clearly meant to be motivating and encouraging.
A small step stool stood before the sink, where Anju noticed a tiny bright blue toothbrush with a soft grip. Cremia pointed back into the kitchen, where Anju noticed a similar stool in front of the kitchen sink.
"She was…. helping me with the dishes tonight," Cremia said softly, almost as if it was a secret. "Come on, one last thing to see."
Cremia made her way up the stairs before Anju had time to respond. Anju followed her into the bedroom. And there, in deep sleep, was little Romani, but not in a crib or a bassinet; Romani was sleeping soundly in her very own floor bed.
Across from the floor bed against the wall sat another potty with its own basket, just in case of a nighttime potty trip. This potty chair was red and etched with little pictures of puppies.
Up here, Anju did spot wipes, but not in the potty basket, but rather sitting on the shelf next to it. Since there was no sink up here, they would do for a quick nighttime hand wash so Romani could fall back to sleep.
A cup of milk sat on a nightstand next to her bed. There was no bottle or even a sippy top to be seen; little Romani got the same cup her sister would use. At only 22 months old, Romani was getting the big kid treatment.
"I promise…." Cremia whispered softly. "I promise I'll pay you back for what you spent." She had waited until they were in the bedroom to discuss it, hoping it would prevent an argument.
"Cremia…." Anju began slowly, keeping her voice down as well. "It's not about the money…..she's not even two yet."
"But she's got to start learning how to do things for herself," Cremia replied simply. "It's a harsh world, and all she's got is me to raise her. Our parents were so busy I had to figure things out for myself…..
…if I'm the one to guide her, I will help her get a better start…. you'd be amazed how much toddlers can do for themselves." Cremia concluded.
"But Cremia this is too much! I take care of a lot of kids and….." Anju began.
"And this is exactly why I didn't want to bring her to town."
Anju stopped talking and began to listen again.
"Look….you're the only one I trust with her. We've made so much progress. Maybe after her second birthday, she'll be ready to take all of this outside the house…..but for now, I can't risk her losing any of these skills."
Anju stayed silent.
"I know it's a lot." Cremia began again. "But I've left you a list of our daily routines. It's not hard, I promise, and she's used to a lot of it. Anyway, with as many kids as you've watched, I'm sure it won't be hard…."
Cremia trailed off as she spoke, almost as if she felt guilty Romani couldn't have the luxury of life that other children had.
"But Cremia…." Anju began, almost sounding emotional. "She's just a baby…..she needs a chance to be a kid. You only have so long….."
"Anju." Cremia cut her off suddenly, "When you're a kid, Time is Eternal. She has her entire childhood to enjoy. This is a sensitive period in her life. I'm not going to let it slip by. Now you have my notes on the table. Please follow them as best you can."
She walked over and kissed Romani on the forehead as she slept. With that, Cremia picked up her luggage and prepared to leave. "And you better not use any of those diapers while I'm gone." Cremia added, trying to bring home the point. Anju scowled as she said this.
Before walking downstairs, she held Anju's hand tightly. "Anju….I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you in the letter, but there was no way to explain this. Please do this, if not for me…..please do this to help her."
Anju stared, equally confused. Cremia hugged her again and went downstairs to leave. Anju sat by Romani's side for the rest of the night, trying to understand what she had just been told. Slowly, Anju's doubtful and overthinking nature began to take over.
"Kids this young can't be expected to be that self-sufficient. This is asking too much." She thought to herself. And in this way, Anju fell asleep next to Romani, her head still full of questions.
"It wasn't too bad." Anju said, trying to be modest. "I saved up a lot this summer, so I was happy to do it."
"You paid for it yourself?!" Cremia shouted.
"Don't worry about that." Anju quickly replied, suddenly starting to feel uncomfortable. "This was important to me, so I'm here. Just take me inside and you can get going…..and by the way, the carriage is paid for to take you to town as well so you won't have to walk it."
"Anju!" Cremia began to shout. "You're always…..you're always doing too much for others." She was on the verge of tears. Not knowing what else to do, she hugged Anju again and buried her face in her shoulder. All Anju could do was comfort her.
"I won't lie. It's been so hard since mom died. And this whole summer…..but I've been doing my best. I'll explain when we get inside. It hasn't been easy, but I've been doing what we must do. I've read every book I could get my hands on. I'm trying to be the best mom to her I can be."
"And I know you are." Anju responded softly. "And I'm here to help in any way I can."
Once the two girls had found themselves, Cremia invited Anju inside. Romani was sleeping at this hour, so it would mostly be a tour of their current life.
Cremia took a deep breath and prepared to show Anju what she hadn't shown anyone else:
The way she had been raising Romani.
But before Cremia realized it, Anju was unpacking her bags on the table, displaying everything she purchased. She had stacked the diapers high, placed two boxes of wipes, and arranged the baby bottles as well.
"I wanted to have everything ready for these next three days, I don't want you to worry about anything, I've got it taken care of."
"Anju, I…." Cremia began, not wanting to sound ungrateful. "I….I don't know how to tell you this but…..you won't need any of this."
"I don't plan on using your supplies, Cremia." She responded.
"And you won't, because I don't have any." Cremia replied, blankly.
Anju stared at her completely perplexed.
"Anju…..there's just no way to explain it. I'll show you."
Standing in the living room, Cremia pulled a small pink curtain back, concealing a small space across the table against the wall where the staircase was. Cremia revealed a small table complete with tiny cutlery, including a toddler knife kept neatly in this little space.
Next to it, close to the ground, was a small rack containing toddler clothes, all hung up neatly. It was close enough to the ground that a toddler could reach these clothes as well as hang them back up. A mirror of the same size was next to this, as was a small table containing the proper-sized comb and brush. Cremia opened the drawer, which had several colorful pairs of tiny undies inside. Anju said nothing and just stared.
Cremia gestured for Anju to follow her, and she led her into the next room. In the bathroom, a small pink potty chair was on the floor. The potty was etched with little images of ponies. Next to it was a basket containing a roll of toilet paper, a tiny picture book, and spare undies. There were no diapers or wipes to be seen.
And on the big toilet itself was a soft plush toilet seat that was clearly Romani's size. It had little tiger cubs printed on it, reminding Anju again of the "go get 'em tiger!" encouragement. The entire bathroom was devoted to potty training, and the colorful items with their animal designs were clearly meant to be motivating and encouraging.
A small step stool stood before the sink, where Anju noticed a tiny bright blue toothbrush with a soft grip. Cremia pointed back into the kitchen, where Anju noticed a similar stool in front of the kitchen sink.
"She was…. helping me with the dishes tonight," Cremia said softly, almost as if it was a secret. "Come on, one last thing to see."
Cremia made her way up the stairs before Anju had time to respond. Anju followed her into the bedroom. And there, in deep sleep, was little Romani, but not in a crib or a bassinet; Romani was sleeping soundly in her very own floor bed.
Across from the floor bed against the wall sat another potty with its own basket, just in case of a nighttime potty trip. This potty chair was red and etched with little pictures of puppies.
Up here, Anju did spot wipes, but not in the potty basket, but rather sitting on the shelf next to it. Since there was no sink up here, they would do for a quick nighttime hand wash so Romani could fall back to sleep.
A cup of milk sat on a nightstand next to her bed. There was no bottle or even a sippy top to be seen; little Romani got the same cup her sister would use. At only 22 months old, Romani was getting the big kid treatment.
"I promise…." Cremia whispered softly. "I promise I'll pay you back for what you spent." She had waited until they were in the bedroom to discuss it, hoping it would prevent an argument.
"Cremia…." Anju began slowly, keeping her voice down as well. "It's not about the money…..she's not even two yet."
"But she's got to start learning how to do things for herself," Cremia replied simply. "It's a harsh world, and all she's got is me to raise her. Our parents were so busy I had to figure things out for myself…..
…if I'm the one to guide her, I will help her get a better start…. you'd be amazed how much toddlers can do for themselves." Cremia concluded.
"But Cremia this is too much! I take care of a lot of kids and….." Anju began.
"And this is exactly why I didn't want to bring her to town."
Anju stopped talking and began to listen again.
"Look….you're the only one I trust with her. We've made so much progress. Maybe after her second birthday, she'll be ready to take all of this outside the house…..but for now, I can't risk her losing any of these skills."
Anju stayed silent.
"I know it's a lot." Cremia began again. "But I've left you a list of our daily routines. It's not hard, I promise, and she's used to a lot of it. Anyway, with as many kids as you've watched, I'm sure it won't be hard…."
Cremia trailed off as she spoke, almost as if she felt guilty Romani couldn't have the luxury of life that other children had.
"But Cremia…." Anju began, almost sounding emotional. "She's just a baby…..she needs a chance to be a kid. You only have so long….."
"Anju." Cremia cut her off suddenly, "When you're a kid, Time is Eternal. She has her entire childhood to enjoy. This is a sensitive period in her life. I'm not going to let it slip by. Now you have my notes on the table. Please follow them as best you can."
She walked over and kissed Romani on the forehead as she slept. With that, Cremia picked up her luggage and prepared to leave. "And you better not use any of those diapers while I'm gone." Cremia added, trying to bring home the point. Anju scowled as she said this.
Before walking downstairs, she held Anju's hand tightly. "Anju….I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't tell you in the letter, but there was no way to explain this. Please do this, if not for me…..please do this to help her."
Anju stared, equally confused. Cremia hugged her again and went downstairs to leave. Anju sat by Romani's side for the rest of the night, trying to understand what she had just been told. Slowly, Anju's doubtful and overthinking nature began to take over.
"Kids this young can't be expected to be that self-sufficient. This is asking too much." She thought to herself. And in this way, Anju fell asleep next to Romani, her head still full of questions.
When morning came, Anju awoke to Romani smiling up at her. She had risen before Anju did. Romani wasn't crying or even noticed that Cremia was gone; she seemed quite content.
"Hi!" Romani exclaimed as Anju awoke.
Anju laughed at the cute sight. "Good morning, little one." She smiled. She noticed that Romani was wearing a white nightgown cut short at the end, and from there, Anju could see that little Romani was wearing a pair of pink undies. They had little cows stitched on them.
Anju frowned, the memories of last night's conversation coming back. How silly. This was just too much to ask for a toddler.
"Come on, kiddo." Anju began. "Let's get you changed." Romani turned her head in question, looking up at Anju.
Before too long, Anju brought Romani downstairs and changed her out of her nightgown and those silly baby undies.
"Don't worry, no more of these for now. I've got something more your size."
She changed Romani into one of the white puffy diapers she had bought. Romani squirmed and was fussy, but Anju knew this wasn't uncommon among babies.
Anju picked a blue shirt with a little yellow sun stitched on it from the clothes rack. It also came with a pair of shorts, but Anju pulled the shirt down over Romani, leaving her in just the shirt and diaper. The drab white diaper looked dull compared to her bright blue shirt, not to mention bulky.
Anju noticed that Cremia still had a highchair in the kitchen. It looked like it hadn't been used in a while, but she placed Romani inside it.
She certainly seemed to fit properly. Romani just stared back, completely clueless. Why was she suddenly trapped in this chair?
Anju then walked over to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. She found some bananas that Cremia had stored, a perfect breakfast for summertime. Anju mashed them up in a bowl and brought them over to Romani.
"No rush, kiddo. Take your time." She fully expected Romani to start mashing her hands in the bananas, but Romani continued looking around, still very confused.
Anju began getting things ready for the day in the kitchen. But before too long, she suddenly heard Romani cry out.
"Down! Down!" she turned around and found Romani shaking the entire highchair, trying to escape.
Anju laughed again, chalking it up to typical toddler behavior. "Okay, okay. No breakfast right now, you can go and play first."
She let Romani down from the highchair and placed her on the floor. Romani looked around for a few minutes and began toddling off behind her curtain. Anju figured she was off to play, so she might be hungry later.
Anju continued to work in the kitchen. Putting supplies together, finishing the remaining dishes in the sink, and preparing for the day. She noticed Cremia's notes but didn't bother reading them. Why would she need that? She knew how to take care of a kid.
"Poor Cremia is so overwhelmed. She's trying her best but pushing her too hard too early. I guess it's good I got here when I did, if not for someone intervening, who knows….."
Suddenly, Anju could hear giggling from the other room. And that's when she realized it. She had taken her eyes off Romani!
How long had it been? It couldn't have been more than a few seconds, maybe two minutes at most. This was a day-one babysitter rule: You don't lose track of them. Anju pulled back the curtain, hoping to find Romani, but she instead found something else.
Romani's little baby diaper was sitting on the floor, thrown away...
Anju's eyes got big. Anytime this sort of thing happened to her, it always meant accidents. Kids sure didn't seem to like wearing them.
Acting instinctually, Anju began to dash across the room, terrified of what she might find. As she ran, she tried to figure out where Romani could have gotten off to; it wasn't that big of a house.
And that's when it happened.
"Hee hee hee," she could hear Romani laughing.
That's when Anju finally found her. But it took her a moment to realize what was going on.
Standing in the hallway, she realized Romani's laughter echoed from the bathroom. Stepping into the bathroom, Anju could not believe her eyes.
Sitting there in just her blue shirt was little Romani. But she was not seated on the floor. Romani had climbed up all on her own onto the big girl potty.
"Pee pee….hee hee hee!" Romani squealed in laughter. And before too long, tinkling echoed out as well.
Anju could not believe it. Sitting there on the toilet, Romani was going to the bathroom all by herself, not even two years old. Romani grabbed a piece of toilet paper and finished up. She then pulled the flusher and waved bye-bye.
Without prompting, Romani walked over to the stepstool. She stood up and turned on the sink all by herself. Taking the soap bar, she washed her hands and sang to herself. After turning off the water, she used her small towel, which was set near the sink for easy access.
Before Anju could react, Romani ran back into her little play space and towards her clothes. Romani opened the small drawer next to the clothes rack and pulled out a fresh pair of undies. She pulled them up all by herself.
This pair was blue with little green and yellow birds, matching her shirt perfectly. Romani looked at herself in her mirror and smiled proudly.
"All done!" she exclaimed, smiling at Anju and throwing her hands in the air.
Suddenly, Anju smiled.
"Now I get it." Anju said sweetly. "You really are ready. You ARE a big girl!"
Romani squealed again, laughing happily at this positive reinforcement.
Before long, Romani got dressed, and the two ran outside to play. Romani put on her bunny hood mask, and the two kicked a ball around outside. Cremia's notes said this was good for developing motor skills, and Romani was quite familiar with it.
The next three days went much differently than Anju had anticipated. She stuck to Cremia's notes as closely as she could.
She had Romani use her toddler knife with her meals, assist in food preparation, and help with cleaning, ultimately letting Romani take the lead instead of babying her.
It took some getting used to, but after a while, Anju began to see how beneficial this was for Romani. And yet, something still ate at her in the back of her mind. Anju had been so quarrelsome with Cremia and close-minded about this whole thing.
Now that Anju saw how great this was for Romani, she felt she needed to do something to give back. But what could she do? Well…. they had three whole days….
"Hi!" Romani exclaimed as Anju awoke.
Anju laughed at the cute sight. "Good morning, little one." She smiled. She noticed that Romani was wearing a white nightgown cut short at the end, and from there, Anju could see that little Romani was wearing a pair of pink undies. They had little cows stitched on them.
Anju frowned, the memories of last night's conversation coming back. How silly. This was just too much to ask for a toddler.
"Come on, kiddo." Anju began. "Let's get you changed." Romani turned her head in question, looking up at Anju.
Before too long, Anju brought Romani downstairs and changed her out of her nightgown and those silly baby undies.
"Don't worry, no more of these for now. I've got something more your size."
She changed Romani into one of the white puffy diapers she had bought. Romani squirmed and was fussy, but Anju knew this wasn't uncommon among babies.
Anju picked a blue shirt with a little yellow sun stitched on it from the clothes rack. It also came with a pair of shorts, but Anju pulled the shirt down over Romani, leaving her in just the shirt and diaper. The drab white diaper looked dull compared to her bright blue shirt, not to mention bulky.
Anju noticed that Cremia still had a highchair in the kitchen. It looked like it hadn't been used in a while, but she placed Romani inside it.
She certainly seemed to fit properly. Romani just stared back, completely clueless. Why was she suddenly trapped in this chair?
Anju then walked over to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. She found some bananas that Cremia had stored, a perfect breakfast for summertime. Anju mashed them up in a bowl and brought them over to Romani.
"No rush, kiddo. Take your time." She fully expected Romani to start mashing her hands in the bananas, but Romani continued looking around, still very confused.
Anju began getting things ready for the day in the kitchen. But before too long, she suddenly heard Romani cry out.
"Down! Down!" she turned around and found Romani shaking the entire highchair, trying to escape.
Anju laughed again, chalking it up to typical toddler behavior. "Okay, okay. No breakfast right now, you can go and play first."
She let Romani down from the highchair and placed her on the floor. Romani looked around for a few minutes and began toddling off behind her curtain. Anju figured she was off to play, so she might be hungry later.
Anju continued to work in the kitchen. Putting supplies together, finishing the remaining dishes in the sink, and preparing for the day. She noticed Cremia's notes but didn't bother reading them. Why would she need that? She knew how to take care of a kid.
"Poor Cremia is so overwhelmed. She's trying her best but pushing her too hard too early. I guess it's good I got here when I did, if not for someone intervening, who knows….."
Suddenly, Anju could hear giggling from the other room. And that's when she realized it. She had taken her eyes off Romani!
How long had it been? It couldn't have been more than a few seconds, maybe two minutes at most. This was a day-one babysitter rule: You don't lose track of them. Anju pulled back the curtain, hoping to find Romani, but she instead found something else.
Romani's little baby diaper was sitting on the floor, thrown away...
Anju's eyes got big. Anytime this sort of thing happened to her, it always meant accidents. Kids sure didn't seem to like wearing them.
Acting instinctually, Anju began to dash across the room, terrified of what she might find. As she ran, she tried to figure out where Romani could have gotten off to; it wasn't that big of a house.
And that's when it happened.
"Hee hee hee," she could hear Romani laughing.
That's when Anju finally found her. But it took her a moment to realize what was going on.
Standing in the hallway, she realized Romani's laughter echoed from the bathroom. Stepping into the bathroom, Anju could not believe her eyes.
Sitting there in just her blue shirt was little Romani. But she was not seated on the floor. Romani had climbed up all on her own onto the big girl potty.
"Pee pee….hee hee hee!" Romani squealed in laughter. And before too long, tinkling echoed out as well.
Anju could not believe it. Sitting there on the toilet, Romani was going to the bathroom all by herself, not even two years old. Romani grabbed a piece of toilet paper and finished up. She then pulled the flusher and waved bye-bye.
Without prompting, Romani walked over to the stepstool. She stood up and turned on the sink all by herself. Taking the soap bar, she washed her hands and sang to herself. After turning off the water, she used her small towel, which was set near the sink for easy access.
Before Anju could react, Romani ran back into her little play space and towards her clothes. Romani opened the small drawer next to the clothes rack and pulled out a fresh pair of undies. She pulled them up all by herself.
This pair was blue with little green and yellow birds, matching her shirt perfectly. Romani looked at herself in her mirror and smiled proudly.
"All done!" she exclaimed, smiling at Anju and throwing her hands in the air.
Suddenly, Anju smiled.
"Now I get it." Anju said sweetly. "You really are ready. You ARE a big girl!"
Romani squealed again, laughing happily at this positive reinforcement.
Before long, Romani got dressed, and the two ran outside to play. Romani put on her bunny hood mask, and the two kicked a ball around outside. Cremia's notes said this was good for developing motor skills, and Romani was quite familiar with it.
The next three days went much differently than Anju had anticipated. She stuck to Cremia's notes as closely as she could.
She had Romani use her toddler knife with her meals, assist in food preparation, and help with cleaning, ultimately letting Romani take the lead instead of babying her.
It took some getting used to, but after a while, Anju began to see how beneficial this was for Romani. And yet, something still ate at her in the back of her mind. Anju had been so quarrelsome with Cremia and close-minded about this whole thing.
Now that Anju saw how great this was for Romani, she felt she needed to do something to give back. But what could she do? Well…. they had three whole days….
"I swear I'm going to pay you back. I'll get you back for everything you spent." Cremia said as she rushed back inside to put her things down. After 3 days, she had returned home.
"Don't worry about it." Anju said smiling. "Just what we agreed on is fine. I already had all this stuff for the other kids I watch anyway."
Cremia smiled back. "Thanks, " she said, sighing with relief. Well….how did it go? If you didn't stick to the notes, it's okay; I get that it's different…."
"Actually," Anju began "I think it went pretty well, in fact Romani has something to show you."
"She does? Romani! I'm home; come see me!"
Romani slowly walked into the room carrying two small bright yellow shoes with her. Cremia noticed that the shoelaces had been replaced with larger strings, which made them much easier for her to grasp. Romani plopped the shoes on the floor and stuck her feet inside.
Cremia's eyes got big, and a huge smile formed on her face.
As Romani happily sang to herself, she began to take the strings and slowly knot them together, just as she and Anju had practiced each day. They did this as soon as they woke up, anytime they came inside or went outside, and right before bed.
It took a while, but Romani tied her shoes all by herself.
"Not bad for a kid who's not even two yet!" Anju said, laughing as she did.
Cremia hugged Anju tightly and squealed with pride. She sounded just like her little sister.
"Romani! I'm so proud of you! You can tie your shoes! You're just a one-year-old and you tied your shoes all by yourself! Everything I read said we couldn't start this till you were nearly three or four!"
"Hey, come on," Anju replied. "She's 22 months old. She'll be two in less than a month." Evidently, Anju had learned and grown from this as well.
"Anju…." Cremia began, emotional again. "Thank you."
"No Cremia, thank you. This whole thing really taught me something about privilege. You're right, she deserves the best start she can get. Clearly, she's happy and healthy, I think all of this is really good for her."
Cremia smiled back, tears rolling down her face. "It's never too early." She replied
"Because Time is Eternal when you're a kid," Anju replied, knowing her best friend so well.
Romani sat on the floor kicking her feet up, laughing as she did, still very proud of her accomplishment. The two sat down to join her in her celebration, ready to help build all the confidence in the world in Romani.
Some kids learn fast; they just do. It's different for everyone, but when kids show determination, it's always great to have encouraging role models to help them along in their journey.
Was there magic at hand in this tale? It's true what Cremia said. The average age for that development is much later. A lot of Romani's tendencies were those of an older toddler.
Some say that time magic exists in Termina and slows down the flow of time. While only three days went by, Romani and Anju spent much more time practicing together.
Whether this is true or not remains a mystery. What is known for sure is that Romani had the best role models she could ask for.
As the next ten years went by, Romani grew up to be a capable and confident girl, taking on whatever responsibilities came her way, some otherworldly things Cremia could have never imagined.
In this way, Romani was always very thankful for her early start. When those tough challenges came, she would have no clue how to take care of things independently without the skills she had developed very early on.
But she didn't get there alone. She got there through the care and support of two people who loved her dearly. And both of them, in their own way, were older sisters to her.
"Don't worry about it." Anju said smiling. "Just what we agreed on is fine. I already had all this stuff for the other kids I watch anyway."
Cremia smiled back. "Thanks, " she said, sighing with relief. Well….how did it go? If you didn't stick to the notes, it's okay; I get that it's different…."
"Actually," Anju began "I think it went pretty well, in fact Romani has something to show you."
"She does? Romani! I'm home; come see me!"
Romani slowly walked into the room carrying two small bright yellow shoes with her. Cremia noticed that the shoelaces had been replaced with larger strings, which made them much easier for her to grasp. Romani plopped the shoes on the floor and stuck her feet inside.
Cremia's eyes got big, and a huge smile formed on her face.
As Romani happily sang to herself, she began to take the strings and slowly knot them together, just as she and Anju had practiced each day. They did this as soon as they woke up, anytime they came inside or went outside, and right before bed.
It took a while, but Romani tied her shoes all by herself.
"Not bad for a kid who's not even two yet!" Anju said, laughing as she did.
Cremia hugged Anju tightly and squealed with pride. She sounded just like her little sister.
"Romani! I'm so proud of you! You can tie your shoes! You're just a one-year-old and you tied your shoes all by yourself! Everything I read said we couldn't start this till you were nearly three or four!"
"Hey, come on," Anju replied. "She's 22 months old. She'll be two in less than a month." Evidently, Anju had learned and grown from this as well.
"Anju…." Cremia began, emotional again. "Thank you."
"No Cremia, thank you. This whole thing really taught me something about privilege. You're right, she deserves the best start she can get. Clearly, she's happy and healthy, I think all of this is really good for her."
Cremia smiled back, tears rolling down her face. "It's never too early." She replied
"Because Time is Eternal when you're a kid," Anju replied, knowing her best friend so well.
Romani sat on the floor kicking her feet up, laughing as she did, still very proud of her accomplishment. The two sat down to join her in her celebration, ready to help build all the confidence in the world in Romani.
Some kids learn fast; they just do. It's different for everyone, but when kids show determination, it's always great to have encouraging role models to help them along in their journey.
Was there magic at hand in this tale? It's true what Cremia said. The average age for that development is much later. A lot of Romani's tendencies were those of an older toddler.
Some say that time magic exists in Termina and slows down the flow of time. While only three days went by, Romani and Anju spent much more time practicing together.
Whether this is true or not remains a mystery. What is known for sure is that Romani had the best role models she could ask for.
As the next ten years went by, Romani grew up to be a capable and confident girl, taking on whatever responsibilities came her way, some otherworldly things Cremia could have never imagined.
In this way, Romani was always very thankful for her early start. When those tough challenges came, she would have no clue how to take care of things independently without the skills she had developed very early on.
But she didn't get there alone. She got there through the care and support of two people who loved her dearly. And both of them, in their own way, were older sisters to her.
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