While in college, my parents asked me to get a job to pay for things so that I can be more independent and learn how to save money. The struggle of fighting myself about whether to spend money on a fancy 4 dollar coffee everyday is still a thing, but I can say that my urge to blow my money on food and clothes has definitely decreased.

After awhile of searching for jobs that would fit my school schedule, not be too demanding, and doesn't distract me from my studies, I finally found a weekly babysitting job.

When you first babysit for a family who you don't know, it can be a bit nerve-wracking because you don't know what to expect. You don't know if the kids are really bad, or if you'll be able to connect with them. In my situation, I was able to feel comfortable and connected fast.

Being an Early Education major and having a babysitting job in college is honestly such a connivance because you're learning things all the time, even when you don't realize it. You get to be a role model for kids- just like a teacher is for their students. Of course a teaching setting is much different than being at a child's home, but having the chance to be an adult figure in a child's life has taught me a lot. Being a babysitter, kids look up to you and put a lot of trust in you. The kids I babysit for are in kindergarten and third grade. The difference in age and how both think/act differently is interesting for me to learn more about to see what ages I connect more with and can see myself teaching.

Learning how creative kids can be and how their minds work is interesting and reminds me of why I chose the major I did. I'm excited as a future teacher to be able to influence my students and push them to be the best version of themselves. I'm happy to be a college student with a job that also involves working with kids close and expanding my knowledge of what goes on outside the classroom.