The middle class that gets to exist in the Ramona books is still like a union job that pays okay, but there is real financial crisis. She's describing here how because her mom is working, she now has to go after school to stay with this family, the camps and then play with this little kid, will a gene. And it is not just for like a Morpheus kid, good behavior reasons. Just because the like financial future of my family is dependent on my ability to get along with this obnoxious kindergartner.