As a 20-year-old, there are many options for a summer job; I chose to be a nanny. I spent eight hours a day, five days a week with a 7-month-old baby boy named Luca for the summer. The first thing most people say when they find out I'm a nanny is, "Wow, that must be great birth control" or "Don't you get tired of changing diapers?" Yes, those are both true, but I wouldn't have changed my job choice for the world.
I have been babysitting since I was about 13 and worked in a daycare last summer, but this summer spent as a nanny gave me a new perspective on some things. First of all, Luca could not be any cuter, but let me tell you, no one has a cute crying face, especially when they're screaming their heads off. That being said, I learned to always appreciate the silence. I didn't come around too often, but when it did, I soaked it up.
Nap time for the baby meant a lot of things for me. At the beginning of the summer, I was taking an online class, so whenever Luca was napping, I was working on school work. Whether it was reading, studying or taking a quiz I always had something to get done. Sometimes, I would take a nap, too because -- damn, babies make you tired. Being with Luca all day really opened my eyes to how much time a baby really occupies. You have no time for yourself, whatsoever, at all. You have to plan everything you want to get done around their nap time. No matter how bad you want to get something done, if the kid wakes up, you are done with whatever you were doing.
Being a nanny is definitely a great form of birth control. After I spent a summer working at a daycare, taking care of kids was a breeze. Depending on the age group, I was in charge of anywhere from three kids to nine on my own. I have no plan, at all, of having a kid anytime soon, but after that, I knew I would be ready. After this summer, I am so much more prepared to be a mom. Having said that, after this summer I can also say, very confidently, that I do not want to be a mom anytime soon. Babies are a lot of work. The require all of your attention all the time, there are no breaks. Whether it's making bottles, getting food ready while they're still sleeping, or laying on the floor playing with them, they are the center of your life.
Another thing I learned was that no matter how small the bottle was that they drink, the poop never stops. Babies defy physics with the amount they can poop. I had to get very creative with how to distract Luca when I was trying to change him so he wouldn't squirm away. And, yes, I've been peed and pooped on, there is no avoiding it. As gross as it is, it happens. I would bow down to anyone who raised a baby without being peed or pooped on.
I had to be on top of my game all the time because babies get bored. Luca has all the toys a baby could want but by far his favorite one was my phone. Whenever he was fussy or bored, we would get on Snapchat. Luca absolutely loved seeing himself on the phone screen with all the different filters on; the puppy one was his favorite. Snapchat could keep him occupied for almost an hour.
Aside from my phone, the stroller was his other best friend. I walked more this summer than I probably did in my last semester at school. Luca loves to be outside. He can sit and watch the cars go by all day. I didn't think at six and seven months old that he would be as observant as he is, but he impressed me. The bigger the vehicle the more excited he would get. It put a smile on my face every time he would see a bus because he would start squealing and look at me like, "Did you see it? Did you see that bus?"
It wasn't always happy times with him, but it's never all happy times with anyone. I learned to be patient on a totally different level. He can't express himself in words, so I quickly learned what he wanted, whether a bottle, a nap, to be picked up, or what have you, but it took some time. Sometimes, I would have to take a step back and tell myself not to get frustrated with him because he's just a baby. Having said that, the second he stopped crying and gave me a flirty little smile and would win my heart back right away every time.
The biggest thing I learned being a nanny is how quickly a tiny little person, that doesn't even belong to me, can take up such a huge place in my heart. As much as I'm looking forward to going to school and not working full time, I will miss Luca so much. I watched him grow every day for three months. I watched him figure out how to play with new toys, how to hold the bottle on his own, how to crawl, and walked with him when he used a toy to walk for the first time. Those are memories that I will never forget. I am so thankful to his family that they let me share those memories with them. Luca will always have a special place in my heart and I cannot wait to visit my new best friend when I come home from college. Never underestimate how much someone can touch your heart.
