My job title for this summer is somewhere between a glorified babysitter and a nanny. There’s a lot more to the realm of babysitting than changing dirty diapers and rocking a crying baby to sleep. I’ve been babysitting for the past eight years, and I have worked with kids of all ages, from infants to preteens. I am many years away from being a parent myself, but there are still quite a few things I’ve learned from these kids (and hopefully you will, too).

1. You can kiss your clean car goodbye.

I have spent many days with a carload of girls driving to and from soccer, softball, field hockey and lacrosse (these kids do everything). I could spend an entire day vacuuming their leftover crumbs, month-old apple slices and—this is not a joke—melted string cheese. I can’t go a week without someone forgetting their water bottle, cleats or beach towel.

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2. "No” is not a word in their vocabulary.

Shhhhh! “No” is the equivalent of a swear word in the mind of a child; you had better not let them hear you! The number of blank stares and hissy fits I have received at the mere utterance of the word could set a record. However, I have learned that when “no” doesn’t work, children are highly distractible. I am a professional at giving kids my handy dandy list of activities that don’t involve a screen—those kinds of activities still exist, I promise—and when that doesn’t work, another list of chores they can work on instead.

3. How to win an unwinnable argument.

I have become a master of compromise (or at least what the children believe is a compromise). When I know the kids have to be in bed by 8, I’ll tell them 7:30. That way, when they beg to stay up later, I can be the “cool” babysitter by letting them stay up an extra 30 minutes.

4. The bathroom becomes the break room.

This was the first trick I ever learned about babysitting. When your fingers are itching to check your phone or you need a few minutes of peace and quiet, the bathroom is the place to be. Kids know and understand the need to pee, so when you have to interrupt your game of tag for a “bathroom break,” they won’t think twice about questioning your motives.

5. You live in constant fear that they’ll ask you that question leads to the “talk.”

Sometimes you need to have a quick “oh you should ask your parents that later” statement available, or make use of one of those handy dandy bathroom breaks I mentioned. This is probably one of the scariest babysitting situations to be in. Just last week, I had a girl call her sister into the bathroom, and I could hear them whispering and freaking out about “all of the blood.” It was only a nose bleed, phew.

6. Their gossip becomes your gossip.

I’ve become so immersed in the lives of these kids and who has a crush on who that it is better than a soap opera. Lottie has a crush on Patrick, Patrick has a crush on Lottie, but boys are gross. Also, can you believe she wore that shirt today? Can you believe she didn't make the Premier soccer team?

7. You begin to realize just how much they look up to you.

One day you turn around and notice that they are reading the books you recommended to them at the library. Or, they ask you to do their hair like yours. Or, they ask “how was college today?” after you ask “how was school?” You realize that just as they have begun to imprint on your life, you, too, have imprinted on theirs.

8. They become “your kids.”

After a particularly rough sibling fight recently, one of my girls and I had a heart to heart. It was a “you are gorgeous no matter what you think, but that’s not even what truly matters because you have an amazing heart” kind of talk. I have become protective of the kids I babysit, even referring to them as “my kids.” I go to their choir or band concerts when I can, and I cheer them on at their sporting events. They have invited me into their lives, and I work hard to show them how much I care.

Children have a lot of influences and role models to look up to throughout their lives. I am glad I have been one of those people in many kids’ lives throughout these past few years.

My kids have shaped who I am; they bring joy and laughter into my life on days when I want nothing more than to lie in bed and sulk all day. They have taught me that sometimes it’s OK to eat nothing but ice cream for lunch or that it is OK to spend an entire afternoon out in the pouring rain counting how many puddles we can jump through.

We all need to learn from the lessons children can teach us and learn to embrace the careless laughter and freedom of the children who surround us.