With kids coming in from various local and non-local areas, there are a lot of people and personalities that you meet when you work at a family fun center. Each day not only brings new kids, but new parents, grandparents, friends, and the like. Working in such a setting is not only enjoyable for the kids, but us employees have more human interaction throughout the day than we could ever ask for.
1. Your tolerance for noise is higher than the average.
When you first started, you realized the slide was a big megaphone. The joyous (or sometimes scared) screaming that kids let out as they slid down was amplified and many times you thought you might go deaf. After time, however, your ears (thankfully) adjusted, and you could put your order of earplugs on hold.
2. You're always up to date with the latest pop songs.
Have you ever listened to Radio Disney for more than five hours at a time? Well, let me tell you that they have about ten songs that they like, and even better is that they play them on repeat. Luckily, they play many catchy songs, but good luck hearing them again and not thinking of work.
3. You interact with more people than there are at Walmart (at least so it seems).
The days where there are 11 birthday parties and seven groups of 32 kids and six chaperones per group aren't always your favorite, but they're typically exciting. There's always something to do, someone to talk to, someone who needs something -- it keeps you on your toes. Plus, since camps usually wear color-coordinated shirts, it's like a rainbow made of people running around.
4. Getting a wristband on is quite a feat.
A favorite of fun centers, carnivals, and music concerts alike is the good old wristband. Not only do they become your best friend for seeing who paid and who didn't, but they can sometimes turn into your worst nightmare. Everyone has different wrists, some kids don't like things on their wrists, and hardest of all are those with hairy arms. Getting it to stay on and not having any part of the sticky end touch their skin is seriously a magic trick.
5. You're always looking at the ground.
When you work in a place where some children only go up to your hips, it's quite the necessity to always have your head facing downwards. I cannot tell you how many times I have been walking around and a kid has walked right in front of me (or right into me) and they're no more than two feet tall. Looking ahead isn't even an option, if you aren't looking down you are bound to run into a little person.
6. Keeping the balls in the ball pit is impossible.
You know kids are having fun and enjoying their time, but you'll never understand how so many balls end up outside of the play structure when it takes up almost half of the entire building. There are only two entrances to the thing and somehow kids bring enough balls out to change the entire building into the ball bit.
7. Birthday parties are always exciting, especially when the parents are DIY experts.
Not only are the kids excited that it's their birthday (having the birthday boy or girl come up to you and excitedly say 'It's my birthday!' never gets old), but you also get to see how different parents cater to their child's parties. Some families make their own cakes and decorations, others purchase things from the store, and some do combinations of each. One time a party even hired someone to play Elsa from "Frozen" for their daughter's birthday party. The possibilities are endless!
8. You truly enjoy your co-workers and the customers.
At the end of the day, you know that you couldn't have gotten through it if it weren't for your co-workers. They're there to help you with things such as clean a spill or assist a customer, and they're always there to talk to during your off-time. They become your friends and companions, and you know you wouldn't have been able to do it without them.
