Whether you are an aunt, uncle, babysitter or you work with children, there are a lot of things that you can learn from children without even knowing it at the time. I am an aunt to a niece and nephew and I feel what I have learned from being an aunt can relate to anyone that works with children.

Patience. You think you have patience until you have a 5-year-old toddler calling your name every five seconds. Toddlers do not understand if you are busy and cannot surrender to their every need the second they need you. My nephew calls my name every five seconds and expects me to stop whatever I am doing to surrender to his needs because he does not understand whether someone is busy or not. This has taught me a great deal of patience.

Preparing you for adulthood. Being an aunt has not only showed me, how I hope to have kids of my own one day but has given me a perspective on how I want to raise my own kids. I am not saying my siblings raise their kids the wrong way because everyone is different, and has different views on life and discipline. I take from how many siblings raise my niece and nephew and I see what I would change, and how I would raise my own children. I feel this really prepares me for the future and what to expect when I have children of my own.

Play time never ends! Playing with children is a must, especially if you are around them on a daily basis. Whether I am interested in what my nephew wants to play or not, I must play with him and seem interested in it, so it teaches me to play with toy guns, etc which I never did when I was a kid. Eventually, it brings out the kid in you because you end up having fun with it, which you can lose a play side of you as you grow up. This can also help you just relax and relief some stress if needed.

Enthusiasm. Enthusiasm has never been my strong suite in life, but when you are around children enthusiasm is a must. Anytime I am never enthusiastic towards my nephew his response to me is “Why are you so grumpy today”. This is a good thing to learn because life is not always serious and sometimes you have to be enthusiastic and not be so serious all the time.

Picture, Pictures, Pictures! Whether you think you look good or not, in today’s generation if you are around children you will more and likely be taking pictures. With all the filters out there, kids love them, especially when it comes to snap chat. So whether you like pictures or not, you will learn to.

Affection. I have always been a person who hates hugs and loves my personal space. I do not like to give hugs or receive them. Ever since I have been an aunt, I have grown to like hugs more than before and personal space is not as much as an issue anymore. Whether you like them or not, you are giving them to kids when around them, and it is not a bad thing to become more affectionate in life.

Life Perspective. Kids do not have a worry in the world, they play, watch tv, run around and live life as if there is no tomorrow. As you grow up, you lose that. You worry and stress about the future, life, fitting in, and so on. Children can teach us, life should be lived for you and no one else. You shouldn’t have a worry in the world and you shouldn’t worry about what others think about you. Everyone should live life as to if there were no tomorrow.

“Only an aunt can give hugs like a mother. Tell secrets like a sister. And share love like a friend.”