Peace Corps has taught me that I don't want kids.

So this 3 year old is living with us now.  I'm not sure what happened, there are like 4 adults in his home in town but no one to watch him.  And in keeping with African Time, where everything is delayed, he's going through his Terrible Threes.  :(

I'm keeping my burglar bars locked so he can't come in my room, and he hates it.  Resego will hang on the bars and beg me to "bula bula open open" but I turn a deaf ear.  I had Lebo explain to him that there is nothing in my room for him, he only gets in trouble by touching my computer or climbing on the bed with his shoes on, so it's better to just stay out.  What 3 year old wants to hear that? 

Most of the time he's sweet and cute, he pretends to read to me and wants to play "vroom vroom" with his trucks.  Then something flips a switch and he bites and hits people.  I wish I could teach him to be better behaved, but I'm not his mother and his grandmother (my host mom) would just undermine me.  She actually laughed when I suggested a time out chair, and told me just to beat him.  I feel like I can't spank or hit his hand at home if I'm trying to discourage beating learners at school.  I don't want to send mixed signals. 

He's the baby of the family, and super spoiled.  He always has a runny nose and sticks his fingers in his mouth then wants you to shake his hand, I'm too OCD for grimy baby hands.  He's grumpy in the mornings and his grandmother caters everything to him.  This morning she didn't say anything when he bit his brother, and later told him that he's too good a boy and she'd have to beat Lebo and me instead of him.  What the heck kind of parenting is that?  I'd hate for our relationship to be ruined because of a 3 year old, but I'm not gonna let him or her walk all over me. 

In short, I was always on the fence about kids, but this is showing me that I really don't want any of my own.