Three years ago I began to nanny a curious 5 year old, a comical 3 year old, and a spunky 1 year old. Flash forward to now and not only have I continued to watch all 3 of those amazing children, but also their now 10 month old baby sister. I have had the privilege to watch them grow and take on this ever changing world. As I take a step back, I have noticed all 4 children are not the only ones who have grown.

I started watching the original three children with some babysitting experience under my belt. Watching them three days a week for four-five hours a day ended up being a whole new ballgame for me. Add on also working a full time job, I was going to have to learn how to properly balance my time. Time management has never been one of my specialties, making this one life lesson I was going to have to learn and fast.

Nothing was going to stand in my way of being there for these kids. I quickly learned just how much each of them meant to me and saw how much I affected them. Over the last 3 years I have proven to myself that I can be on time and be able to prioritize what really is the most important. The most important, being these 4 wonderful children.

Thanks to these children I have been reminded of my own childhood. So much of myself when I was a kid, I see in all four of them. To watch the now 4 year old play with her dollhouse brings me back to simpler times when my imagination flourished. They recently have become obsessed with "Fuller House". Thanks to them I have seen every episode at least four times and it has made me wonder, was this how my parents felt when all I wanted to do was watch the original "Full House"?

By far the biggest take away from nannying, has been my new outlook I have on life. I have struggled with depression and anxiety for many years now. Happiness has always seemed like an elusive dream and over-thinking has always come second nature to me.

These four children have blessed me with learning how to not worry about the smallest things.

I could be having one of the worst days ever, and by simply watching a silly video of them I would be reminded that life is so much more than any worrying thought that was plaguing me. Their smiles and laughter have shown me that this is what life is about.

I have had many a disagreement with people who did not understand why taking care of these kids was so important for me. When I was going through turmoil with my previous full time job at Target and looking for a new one, it was baffling to some why I settled for a part time job instead of telling the family that I could not keep watching their children.

I knew in my heart that without watching these bright eyed, sweet kids three times a week my mental state would crash. The one thing keeping me sane throughout all the struggles I was going through at Target was knowing that I would be able to leave there and spend the next four hours with these children. Their laughter and love was helping me get through it all. While I felt like I could do nothing right at Target, I knew I was helping and being trusted to care for these children. That feeling, alone made all the difference in how I was handling that situation and the depression that went along with it.

I have grown and learned so much about myself in the past three years all thanks to these wonderful children and their parents who entrusted me with their care. From looking at the world through their eyes to being reminded that life does not have to be that complicated. I have so much love and feel blessed to have had this incredible opportunity placed in my life. I thank the parents for raising such talented caring children, as well as for trusting me to watch over their four blessings.

To the four children, I will always be grateful for their smiles and lessons they have taught me about life and myself.