When people ask me what I mainly do for work, I tell them I babysit. I’m used to the eye rolls and the “But what do you really do?” comments. I really do babysit, and it’s tough work.

Maybe it’s because I like to make the time I have with the kids as special as possible. I like to think of babysitting as a treat for them: a time when they get to have a friend come over, have some fun and receive some undivided attention for a few hours.

Just because babysitting can be a lot of fun for the kids doesn’t mean it’s always that way for the babysitter. Again, babysitting is hard work.

Kids have way more energy than you could ever think possible. Especially when mom shells out a couple bucks for ice cream—Lord help us babysitters then.

It amazes me how kids think running around playing tag in the hot summertime is fun. It is exhausting. Going to the pool for a few hours each day is just as bad. Even playing 50 rounds of hide and seek gets to be tiring in a way. Babysitting almost always leaves me drained.

Another part that leaves me drained? Always being on my best behavior and keeping a smile on my face. When you babysit, you’re pretty much getting paid to be fun, so bad attitudes aren’t going to fly. It’s also not fair to the kids.

You aren’t always going to be in the best mood or having the best day, but you have to put all else aside when it comes to babysitting. This can really be a challenge.

Despite trying to be as fun and happy as you can be, you still have to be prepared to lay out some discipline and I think this is the hardest part.

As a babysitter, you always walk the thin line between being a friend and being just another adult who tells the kids what to do. It’s tough to find a balance. Some days it’s easier than others. I find that it helps to be as patient and understanding as possible but don’t let the kids push your buttons.

Siblings can really complicate this. When there’s just one child, it’s fairly easy to avoid conflict. But when there are more, it’s harder to compromise. It’s more difficult to find middle ground and keep things fair.

There’s also a lot of pressure that goes along with being a babysitter. Parents are trusting you with their child, their pride and joy. It’s a pretty big deal and it needs to be treated as such.

I guess I always had the option to be one of those babysitters that just sits around on their phone and lets the kids play by themselves, but my babysitters never did that and I am grateful for that. Plus, I make a mean cup of invisible tea and I’m pretty killer at Legos and it’s not like my friends are into that kind of stuff.

Despite all the hard work that goes into babysitting, it is also incredibly rewarding. If you spend enough time with the children, they can almost become like younger siblings. You start to realize the impact you have on their lives and their impact on yours.

Despite having to run around like an idiot and make a fool of myself sometimes, I wouldn’t trade my years of babysitting for anything. I’ve loved getting to be a little kid again.

Children have the ability to bring so much joy into your life and when you get to experience that all while working, it’s hard not to love what you do.

I’m a babysitter. I work hard, but I love every second of it.