Many people think that working at a daycare is an easy job. You get to sit around all day playing with kids, right? Wrong. I wish it were that easy. Working at a daycare comes with bumps and bruises. It comes with marker tattoos, make believe, and excessive gossip. It comes with raised voices, messy faces, and drained bodies. It comes with lessons, great lessons, that will stick with you for life.

1. Not all people will like you (including children) and that’s OK.

Working at a daycare, you learn immediately that you cannot please everyone. The parents will always have a complaint or concern, your boss will always push you for extra hours, your co-workers will talk behind your back, and the kids will ignore you when you’re talking to them. Some of these people may come to dislike you for no reason at all. But that’s OK. I’ve learned that some of my co-workers may not like a way I go about something, my boss may not like that I asked for a day off, the parents may not like that I have another complaint about their kid, and a kid may just not like me at all (most likely because they like another teacher better). There’s always a constant pressure in life to have people like you, but it’s important to understand that not everyone will and that’s OK. Be yourself, do your job, and there will be those who love you for it.

2. Our world is full of gossip. Don’t fall into it.

My daycare consists of almost all women caretakers. And for some reason, women always create drama and gossip. I have been in many situations in daycare where one second a woman can be kind to a fellow co-worker, and as soon as they step away, they are talking bad about them. Many of the head teachers come to complain about all the caretakers in the room, whether it's about their “lazy ways of working” or how they “always seem to get out early.” Rarely do I ever hear a kind word and oftentimes, it makes me wonder what they say behind my back. I’ve come to learn to not participate in this gossip as it only creates strained relationships and often flows into other areas of life. I know that no matter what workplace I end up in, there will always be gossip. People will always talk behind your back and then act nice to your face. If you avoid talking about people, people will come to respect you. Talking bad about people is in no way beneficial. Rather it emanates immaturity and shows your true colors.

3. Don’t judge a book by its cover.

The way people act around children is oftentimes (but not all the time) different than how they act in real life. In daycare, you often learn this fairly quickly. I have had many teachers that I have worked with who I, at first, believe were the nicest people in the world. But when you stay for enough nap times and talk with them on the playground, you often learn they are completely different. The first time you hear a swear out of their mouth or something completely vulgar, there is often a shock. However, there are those workers who meet up with the face they put on around the children and who meet the expectations you came in with. This is a lesson to take with you everywhere: don’t judge someone by how they act at first. Oftentimes, the first time you meet someone, they are putting on an act or not acting the way they usually do. With time, you will learn more about them and who they are. However, it’s important to not be afraid to get to know people. You may end up forming a great relationship in the long run.

4. Treat everyone equally.

One thing that all daycare workers know is that you must not treat one child better than another. This is sometimes difficult when one child acts up more than another, but you must always treat children equally. You don’t want one to feel any less than another and want to show each child the attention he or she deserves. This should come to play in life too. No matter how different someone may be from you, whether it be their morals or their looks, you should treat them as you would treat any other person. The only way we can accomplish peace and understanding is if we choose love and not judgment.

5. Sometimes inconsistency and change are good.

Since I have returned to the daycare for the summer after finishing school, I have been thrown around to every room possible. And this means I have had to deal with a variety of ages. At first, I was extremely hesitant at doing this. I wanted to be in the room I was used to and didn’t want any change. But I soon came to enjoy the inconsistency as it brought something new with each day. I’ve gotten to know almost all the children in the daycare and I’ve gotten the opportunity to interact with all the teachers. I learned that sometimes inconsistency is good. It gives the opportunity to try new things and step out of your comfort zone. I’ve come to love the inconsistency and have grown accustomed to the constant change. It’s a new adventure with each day!

6. Don’t be afraid to embrace your inner child.

This is like the golden rule at daycare, and honestly should be a great rule in life. If the kids have taught me one thing, it’s that you should never be afraid to have fun or be a little goofy. If it means putting on a tutu and dancing around the room or sitting in the middle of the floor and having a castle built around you, you’ll do it. Because what those kids will remember is the raw moments where you became like a child and had fun with them. And what you’ll remember are those raw moments too. Our world expects us to grow up so quickly and although it’s important to be an adult and be responsible, it’s also important to take time and have fun. The moments where we embrace our inner child are moments we will remember most in life.

7. It’s important to buckle up.

This may sound like a silly thing to learn from a daycare, but it’s something so vital to the safety of the children. Either they're not buckled correctly on the swing or they climb on one without permission and these instances often lead to injuries. If a child could get hurt from falling off a swing, then think of the injuries that could occur from flying through a car window. If you teach your kids to buckle up, whether it be in the car or on a swing, then you should set the example by buckling yourself. Buckles are made for a reason and are vital to everyone’s safety, not just a child’s.

8. Children are smarter than you think.

Oh my, how smart some children can be! Whether it be through their words or actions, kids really do know and take on more than we think. Don’t underestimate the ability of any child and never think they won’t copy what you do. Children learn by doing what they see and saying what they hear. So always be careful of your actions and words around children. I’ve heard enough two-year-olds swear in my time at daycare to know the parents haven’t learned this valuable lesson.

9. Screaming will not solve any problem. But “using our words” will.

Children’s tempers are quick and oftentimes, when they don’t get what they want, they lash out at a teacher or their friends. This results in crying and screaming that solves absolutely nothing. When this occurs, we oftentimes calmly ask the child to “use their words.” And oftentimes, if they listen to this simple instruction, the problem is fixed in an instant. This is something that we should follow as adults too. Getting angry with someone and lashing out at them will no way solve an issue. It will only make it worse. We must “use our words” like the children and talk things out calmly. If they can do it, so can we.

10. Politeness and honesty are keys to success.

The best way to get things in life is to be polite and to be honest. So many of the children I work with do not know any manners and often lie their way through things. They don’t understand that if they say “please” and “thank you” and if they tell the truth, life would be much easier. This is the same in adult lives as well. We will gain great respect from those around us if we are polite and honest. It’s so simple, yet seems so difficult for people nowadays. We jump to lying more often and usually forget to use manners and kind gestures. Learn from the lessons that are being taught to children.

11. Life is like a “rocket ship.”

Whenever I am on the playground with the kids, they always ask me to do the “rocket ship.” This involves putting a kid on the swing and pushing them as high as possible. As I am pushing them up to that great height, I count down slowly, “three…two…one…” and then I pause for anticipation. I then yell “BLAST OFF” as I let go and they go flying down and then up again. Up and down, up and down, feeling the fresh air blast against their cheeks. I always hear little giggles in the moments of anticipation and screams of joy as they fall. This little thing that the kids find so much excitement in holds a great lesson. Oftentimes, we are at a place in life where we are held in great anticipation. We don’t know what will happen next and are often afraid for any change to come. But if we wait in fright, we cannot experience the full enjoyment that should come with that change. We must be like a child waiting for “blast off” in the moments where fear seems like the only thing we should feel. And we must “scream with joy” when change does come because it is a great new experience that can unfold so many magnificent things. Be like a child on a “rocket ship.” Live life with great excitement and joy. Little things, like swinging on a swing, should be the big things. And change should always be welcome with a giggle and scream of joy.

It may not be the best job, but I have come to fall in love with it. Working at a daycare has only helped me to grow and find a greater care for children. And somehow, it has taught me all these great lessons that I will take with me in my next chapter of life. It’s funny…sometimes children who haven't experienced close to as much as you have experienced in life can teach you such great things in such the simplest ways. I thank each and every child I have taken care of, for you have left handprints on my heart that will never be erased.