When you think of a babysitter, it is very easy to think of the cliche 1990 movie scene of some 14-year-old girl talking to her boyfriend on the phone while the kids seem to conveniently be sleeping. Coming from someone who has babysat kids since she was 12 years old, it is certainly far from that. Don't get me wrong, once they are asleep it is nice to kick back and binge watch your favorite show on Netflix until you hear the keys jingling at the door, but there's definitely more to it than most can see.
Six years, about nine kids, countless times of being mistaken as a mom, a lot of sleepovers and homemade forts later, I have not once hated my job. Not only have I never hated it, but there was not a day in sight that I didn't want to go.
Babysitting can be rewarding for many reasons, of course. Let's not forget that you're getting paid so that's always a plus. But looking at the bigger picture, being 18 years old with no children of my own, I can honestly say I have felt unconditional love in some of the truest forms while being a babysitter.
Someone, whether it's your aunt, your cousin, family friend or even a stranger, is trusting you with their greatest gift in this life: their baby. Of all the people in the world they could've trusted with that life, the life they created, they chose you. Not only are they trusting you, but their baby, who very well might not be a baby, is trusting you, too. They're trusting you to keep them safe and be for them what their parents are every single day.
Just like there's no handbook on how to be a good parent, there is certainly no handbook on how to be a good babysitter. Every kid and every family is very different. With that being said, every job calls for a tweaked version of you. Maybe you need to be a little more affectionate on some days while on others you may have to lay low. It all depends on the kid — but on the bright side, you learn so much more about yourself that way.
I never knew how much a tiny human being had to teach me until I sat down and listened. They won't always be babies, which only means they won't always need a babysitter. I dread this day for more reasons than a paycheck. I dread it because somehow, after all, the homemade forts, soccer games, backyard baseball and gun fights, these kids gained what seems to be the biggest part of my heart I have to offer. When they don't need me anymore, I can't help but think they're going to take that part with them. If that's the case, I don't mind. Because if I walked away from it today, I would have walked away with so much more than I could ever type into an article. The impact, the bond and the unconditional love will always be there.
