Who needs an internship when you can babysit? Honestly, babysitting teaches you a variety of skills and not to mention that it pays better than most internships. Here are just a few things that babysitting has taught me:
1. Patience
Patience is a virtue, but it can really be put to the test when one of your kids is throwing toys at their sibling’s head, or when they proceed to sulk for an hour after you’ve admonished them. You learn to keep a level head and not blow a gasket every time something goes wrong. Or lose it, whatever floats your boat.
2. Problem Solving
What do you do when one of your kids has an accident, another one stubs their toe, and another is jumping on the couch and screaming? You have to decide which mess is the most important and dire and go from there. Or if you’re me, you crawl into a small hole and wait for it all to be over.
3. Creativity
When your kids are bored out of their minds and are whining and groaning and you feel like you might just stick some duck tape over their mouths, make up a game. I personally recommend having them run around the house and every time they pass your comfy spot on the couch, chuck a ball at them (or some rolled up socks). They get a kick out of it (and it tires those suckers out).
4. Being The Boss
You are their master, their queen, their god even though some times it doesn’t feel like it, particularly when they are calling you a Poop Face or even Giant Scary Monster. Let them know that you are in fact a Giant Scary Monster and you will not be putting up with their shenanigans. Be the ruler, anything you say, goes.
5. Communication
Talking to children is like talking to your drunken friend that doesn’t want to leave the bar. The key is to speak to them clearly and kindly like you are talking to a non-English speaker, but also firmly so they know you aren’t taking their crap. Although they will still probably think you are just fooling around.
6. Team Work
The best way to get a job done is to do it together, especially when it comes time to clean up. Assign each of your kids a different task to make things go quicker and reduce the probability of a fight. Or you can just continually follow them around and pick up whatever they fling aside and throw it in the closest toy bin.
7. Self Reliance
You are the adult whilst babysitting. There is no one to rely on but you. You can’t ask a six year old what to do when the toilet is overflowing and you’re in panic mode. You just have to figure it out and hope for the best. Isn’t that what being an adult is really all about?
So, you see, you don’t even really need an internship. Babysitting teaches you all the same things that sitting in an office will, but with more snacks.
