I can say with certainty that working with children has made me the person I am today. Anyone who knows me knows that I spend my weeknights and weekends working with children. I am constantly talking about "my kids." I just have a love for little children who just make life feel whole.

Being an only child, I found myself wanting to have other kids, younger kids, look up to me. This is about the time I figured out that childcare would be my calling. I've babysat for years for family and friends. I've even been working in childcare for over 3 years. I love every minute of the time I spend with children. Being in college, I have not been able to spend as much time babysitting as I would like, but every time that I see them it makes me the happiest person alive at that moment.

I can become a 5-year-old in a matter of seconds. To most people that would not be appealing, but it makes kids feel comfortable around me. The time I spend with children, takes me to a "not so serious" place in life. There are no professors, no tests, no car payments, etc... I can be silly when I'm watching children. The kids love this, and when the kids love me, the parents appreciate me. They know their children are in good hands. I love their kids and their kids love me. It's a win, win situation.

Children teach me to be a better person and I owe all of that to those beautiful, crazy, lovable little beings that have all come into my life. I am one of the happiest people on earth when I see my kids running over to me to give me a hug or tell me some sort of exciting news. I come home from college on weekends just to see my babies. I've even had older kids that I babysit call me for advice to just to tell me about their day. I love that I can be a role model for the next generation.

Another thing that working with children has confirmed to me is that I know I am going to be a wonderful mother one day. It may be years from now, but I can just see myself with a minivan full of laughing kids in the back riding along.

I can't even imagine not being around these kids. I have been around most of them since they were either born or like really young. If I wasn't around them, I would not be the same person that I am today. Kids allow me to be myself. I feel that I can be myself more around kids than I can be around anybody else. I can't wait to see all of my babies again.

BTW If a little kid likes you, that should be the only person that matters because they are some of the toughest crittics.