At the ripe age of 16, I got my first gig as a babysitter. Technically, you could count it as the first job I had ever gotten period. It started out pretty easy, I mean by the time I showed up, it was bedtime for the little rugrat, which left me getting paid to sit around, watch tv and eat pizza. Dream job right? The summer before I left for college, I took on my first ever nanny job for a little six month old. I was so excited, I finally got to spend my entire day doing what I loved doing with an additional baby added into the mix. After about a week into it, I was exhausted. I was only working about four to five hours a day, but I was not prepared for all the energy that was going to go into it. (Mom’s, I now understand what you guys go through, and I still don’t know how all of you do it). Between the fingers in the electrical outlets and curiosity of drawers, I knew I would be in trouble if I turned my back for more than a few seconds. My entire attention span was focused on one small little human, and if this wasn’t the perfect form of birth control then I don’t know what would be.

My ideal job had turned into a full time workout, and if I wasn’t chasing around a baby I was sleeping. Now, before you report me to CPS and start hiding away your kids, let me get to the good part. I don’t regret it. Through the chaos, I learned more from the children I’ve babysat than any teacher through out my learning career. Was it stressful? Of course, but what I got in return was worth more than any dollar I had earned.

I consider myself a better person because of it, and here’s why:

Patience: Up until now, I didn’t have a lick of it and if you were to ask my mom, she would say I still don’t have enough. Between the “no’s” and screams when they weren’t getting their way, I learned how to block it out the anger or frustration and think clear enough to make rational decisions (Something I failed at doing before this knowledge which usually led me into rougher patches with friends or family that I later regretted.)

Positivity: Something I struggled with a lot in high school that I wish I had figured out a long time ago. The simple key to happiness that most still struggle with today and boy, am I glad that I’m no longer apart of that crowd. Finding the silver lining was something I didn’t even know the definition to and because of that I found myself making problems worse than they were to begin with. Regardless if I was tired or in a bad mood, I forced myself to throw a smile on because I knew I had someone looking up to me as an example and what better way to show the meaning of life than with a simple smile and some laughter?

Discipline: Babies are on a strict routine. They don’t care if you went to bed an hour or two later than usual, if it’s breakfast time than food must be served immediately. This made me on a strict routine as well and now that I’m off at college it’s something that I’m grateful for learning before I left home. Without having a mom as a walking alarm clock I am now responsible for myself, which means I hold myself accountable for all of my mistakes and lessons learned. I’ve learned the pros to a good sleeping habit that I found 100 percent useful when having an 8 a.m.

Responsibility: Not only did I have a tiny human being at the palm of my hands, but I was also now responsible for a very small part of their childhood and that’s kind of a big deal. It taught me to be loyal to my word and if I promised graham crackers after naptime then there better have been a napkin with a handful waiting for them at the kitchen table. It taught me that no matter how small or big the task was, if I promised something, I was to keep it.

Maturity: Lastly, they taught me maturity. That somebody was looking to me for an illustration as to how they should act and think. Like they say, “monkey see, monkey do”. Not only was good character a must for the job but it managed to stick to me. If I spent the day teaching good manners and character, I found that it would rub off on me and I began practicing these traits outside my babysitting hours as well.

These blessings in disguise have no idea the impact they have on us and while we’re trying to figure out how to teach them through our wisdom about life, they’re showing us the deeper meanings to what life is all about and how to be the person we hope they turn out to be.