Children are gross. They’re also pretty awesome. We adults blessed with the opportunity to work with them understand that completely. Babysitting, daycare, children’s events… all of these jobs involve taking care of some tiny people, ensuring their safety and promoting their education and entertainment. It’s a big responsibility, but nothing is as rewarding as seeing a child grow before your very eyes and knowing you’ve contributed to their lives in some way. It’s not all fun and games, but it doesn’t hold the same weight as actually being a parent, either. Here are 20 things everyone who works with kids can relate to:

1. Work is actually play.

Getting paid to be as entertained—if not more entertained—than a kid? Okay! Let me just follow this small human while they pick out toys to play with and get to go places I still find fun as an adult (i.e. the zoo, the Please Touch Museum, the town fair, etc.). Working with kids is basically an excuse to go the places you still would very much like to visit but might be embarrassed to alone, as an adult.

2. But playing that much can actually get pretty tiring, because it’s still work.

Is it naptime yet? It’s not fair that kids get to take naps but don’t appreciate them as much as grown-ass adults do. We need them just as much because life only gets harder.

3. They’re brutally honest.

Kids will be completely real with you. The have a lot of hope in the world, but they also won’t lie to you to spare your feelings. If you look bad, they’ll let you know. They’ll let you know exactly why you don’t have a boyfriend. They’ll question your life decisions just as much as you do, and not-so-gently remind you that you’re being stupid. Brace yourself.

4. They say the funniest things.

Kids have no filters whatsoever. Society hasn’t jaded them yet, so they see the world so clearly and won’t keep secret exactly what they think of it. Their aforementioned brutal honesty is so crass it’s laughable. These kids observe the very best parts about the world and usually aren’t shy enough to hold their opinions back.

5. The rules mean nothing to them.

Rules are meant to be broken. How are they supposed to learn anything if they're kept so restricted?

6. They touch everything.

There is no such thing as personal space or private property. Literally everything is theirs.

7. They’re usually a lot smarter than we give them credit for ... primarily because they're so observant.

Wisdom and age traditionally go hand in hand, yes. But are we taking that notion too seriously? Kids see a lot more than we think they will, and understand how the world works just as well as we do. They might have a different interpretation, but they’re capable of seeing way more about life than we might expect.

9. Kids are inspiringly resilient.

It's easier for kids to bounce back after getting hurt (emotionally or physically) because all they ever want is to get back out and play. That's a message for the adults who work with them: don't take everything so seriously. Everything changes, you just have to roll with it in order to have the most amount of fun and the least amount of painful setback.

10. It’s hard saying no sometimes.

Look at those faces!

11. But it’s okay to be the bad guy.

In order for anything to get done or to keep kids out of real trouble, sometimes you have to put your foot down. Sure, it may make them upset, but it's for their safety and wellbeing. You do have to help them acclimate to the adult world, which isn't fun at all, so take care to teach them how to best adapt.

12. You really have to watch your language around them.

Um, kids repeat everything.

13. It’s more likely that you’ll need a change of clothes than they will.

Expect to get dirty or injured or wildly inconvenienced in some way.

14. Kid food is just better than adult food.

Snack time is the best time. Lunchables are delicious even when you’re over 18 (especially when you’re over 18?) and macaroni and cheese is even better when it’s shaped like Spongebob.

15. You do not know pain until you have stepped on a Lego with your bare foot.

16. Working with kids is the best way to increase your patience and tolerance.

They show you that everyone makes mistakes, and that none of them mean the end of the world. Stop being so jumpy--accept problems as they happen and see that nobody is perfect and age doesn't affect that at all.

17. You'll learn a lot about yourself.

Working with kids now can indicate how you are as a friend, as a partner, and as a parent in the future. How energetic you are, how empathetic… all of this is revealed when you care for the world’s most plastic demographic.

18. One kid can make it all worth it.

A single favorite child can make your job not feel like work at all. Their smile, their proclamation of love for you... when it’s all said and done, that one can remind you why you work with kids in the first place.

19. One kid can ruin everything.

Can't deny it, won't deny it.

20. At the end of the day, they’re not yours.

It’s not your job to be a parent! When it’s all said and done, no matter how hard your day was, you can return them. You’re not expected to completely raise them, only to contribute to their health and happiness. You get to make an impact without being responsible for their entire development. Who could ask for more?