Imagine you are Aunt Pegg. After one week of looking after the children, you write a letter to their parents

On the first day, the kids had a fight. I gave them the exactly punishment that our dad did to us when we were bad, “hands on the heads”, and they didn’t take it seriously so I had to snarl at them to make them scared and will pay attention. The kids think I’m evil, creepy and scary because I don’t smile; I’m strict; I’m stealthy, and I don’t give them what they want, but I have to be harder on them ‘cause you’re so easygoing on them, and nobody keeps smiling at you when you’re in the military.

I also gave them our dad’s speech about “philosophy of life” that we learned it by heart, and of course, they were not enthusiastic at all. We did a bunch of housework, and I realized they’re all clumsy at housework, so I had to make them “practice” by giving them chores to do everyday since. In order to put them into militaristic manner, I use whistle to make orders: breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just to call them. We have sugarless oat cereal for breakfast, the kind of breakfast that we always hoped for when we were kids. They don’t eat it. They hate it. I don’t let them dump the whole meal to the trash-can, they must not waste food like that, they are given extra chores to do if they keep whining without eating!

On the second day, they seemed to miss you a lot. They don’t talk much anymore, they walk slowly, spiritless like little zombies. They behave better, they don’t insult each other, they’re quiet while doing their tasks, and I’m really pleased because of that. They’re uncommunicative as though they’re in jail. They got better anyways, but I’m not satisfied yet, they still need lots more training to do.

On the third day of the progress, we did some educational lectures. I taught them how to solve some arithmetic sums and add a little speed into it, I showed them the way that our dad taught us when we were in sixth grade, I still remember it as it was yesterday. I gave them ‘Reading Improvement’ plus ‘Practical Farmwork’, which is the weeds identification and eradication. They didn’t focus so I had to pull out a criteria, they can go inside the house once they can tell me the name of the weeds. They’re slow.

This is the thing that surprised me the most, they were about to run away from me, but they can’t. I already had a plan in my head just in case that they wanted to run away, that was the way that dad did you when you ran away from him once when you were seven. I don’t want to hurt them, I want to make them scared so they won’t do it again. When we reached home, I gave them a stern lecture on ‘philosophy’ and ‘morals’, then we ate dinner with bread, cheese, and lettuce. They hate lettuce. I force them to eat their meal, it’s good enough for a dinner. Dad’s philosophy was especially connected to diet and health, I hated at first like the kids do right now, but they will soon realize it’s for their own benefit, I won’t tell, they have to realize it themselves.

That was pretty much what we did on the first week. The kids were naughty and mischievous at the first few days, but they’re getting better. I can’t imagine how happy they will be when you’re back. Honestly, they really need more routines and discipline before the rot set in. I know my way of taking care of them is inconsistent, but that was exactly what dad did to the both of us so we can be who we are right now. As I planned, on next week, you will try and get them to the farm near your house so they can learn to do some farming. They could tidy the barn and the animals. I will still keep my theory of discipline and promptness. Besides, we could go to the river and study about some creatures around there… But chores are still going to be the ground rules, they will have to do chores with no excuses. I will make them get better and better everyday based on dad’s militaristic manner.

Sincerely,

Aunt Pegg