Supervised behaviour is tiring

Ever been in charge of watching a toddler? It can be tiring - not just emotionally - but also physically.

I have been thinking about what causes the physical exhaustion and I might have an answer. Being in charge of a toddler effectively puts us in charge of their safety and well-being; which in turn means that it is our job to ensure that he or she does not get hurt.

The child, unfortunately, does not seem to be similarly concerned; and will try out all sorts of new experiences in life, like pulling on the cord hanging over the table, blissfully unaware that the cord is attached to an appliance that is going to follow the cord down.

As we watch the toddler, we move into a heightened state of alertness that causes us to use more resources. While we might believe that the stress is only in our head, I have noticed that even our muscles are primed for action during these periods of time.

We are at the edge of the seat - ready to pounce to deflect a falling object, or ready to whisk the child out of the path of danger. Our muscles are wound up - ready to release when we jump. Very often, the jump never comes. There is no immediate danger that requires physical intervention and therefore our muscles stay wound. Therein lies the cause of our fatigue.

Whenever we are being supervised, it is always taxing. We do not like working conditions when a boss is watching over our soldier. We do not always appreciate that it is tiring even when we are our own supervisors.