So you have to invent something to earn some decent money- and by decent I mean still a misery as, as a single parent, you work part-time and you don't have the luxury of a partner who can take over occasionally. It all you you you and childcare costs are hefthy.
Then I had the stroke of genius. Well, to be honest, it did happen organically and because Kid 2 desperately wanted a dog.
'We can't buy a dog darling, they stink and you have to look after them properly...I need to work, you know that...'
'But you can take the dog to work with you and after school I can walk him!' would reply Kid 2, who as a 7 year old doesn't understand that there are only 24 hours in the day, and that dogs do need a whole lot of them dedicated to their care.
'But mum! I'll walk him, I promise!'
Given that I am a big softie at heart and that I had a few spare hours, I took up dog sitting, in order to give Kid 2 at least a partial opportunity to experience a dog.
Our first charge was a dachshund, pretty to die for, and proportionately nasty and with a penchant to pee territorially. At least it was a dog, albeit one who pissed in every possible room and corner and bed of a house I fortunately left a few months after.
The worse was that you couldn't even get too angry, as, when the crime had been discovered, the little rascal would stand right next to the pee and look at you expectantly. What were his owners doing at home? What kind of household condones such behaviour?
We did manage to curbe his aggressive tendencies, purely I think because he got tired of chasing children and he became very fond of us. Even Kid 1 started liking him and when for several reasons I could not look after him anymore, he was really missed. His owenrs promptly found a new sitter, more local to them than me, and things were well for everyone.
After this mildly traumatic experience, I was rather sensitive to the plight of the 'left-at-home-dog' but rather wary too.
Maybe, it was just better altogether to go back to my complementary therapy work and forget about dogs for the moment.
As I gave notice to the dachshund owners, a new perspective client called, the owner of two terriers. As I felt sorry for Kid 2, I thought that we could still be involved with dogs and accepted the two new charges. Both irresistible.
(to be continued)