Just like many other American college girls I am a nanny. It stemmed from being a babysitter in high school and now it’s how I pay for my Chick-fil-A frosted coffee, among more important things. I’ve been a nanny for many children and I’m not above having my favorites, but the kids I nanny now are definitely at that very top of my list. I have the pleasure (most days) of waking the sweetest blonde 6 and 7-year-old girls every week day. They are sassy, but boy are they cute and, let me tell you, they keep me on my toes!

The nanny life has its ups and downs, for sure. Some days go smooth as butter, and then some days it’s more like chunky peanut butter. Those days would be the ones where you get projectile vomited on at breakfast and then spend the next three hours holding the bucket. Or when you’re pretty sure the kids have gone deaf because they can’t seem to hear you ask then to clean up and you’re at the point where counting is no longer cutting it and you have mentally gone over ripping their arm off and beating them with it and I say that in the most loving just want to throw your head through a wall.

Don’t worry I haven’t put my head through any walls, yet, because there are definitely more butterfly moments than not. The random hugs you get are worth holding the puke bucket. The smiles on their faces when you go to watch the dance they put on at camp makes up for all the moments they don’t listen. Helping raise someone else’s kids can be hard sometimes, there is actually a bit of pressure that comes with it. Like I said, they aren’t your kids and things you may think are right may not be the same views as the parents, and that can be one of the hardest parts. However, you can totally flip that around and realize how important your role as a nanny is. Not only am I a caregiver to my girls, but I’m their friend, their big sister and, most importantly, their role model.

I get to teach these kids so much and that’s so exciting, but sometimes it’s more exciting to realize what they have taught me. First off, the amount of patience I have gained is insane. If you’ve ever even been around a kid for five minutes you know how essential patience is. They have taught me to grow up a bit and be on the level of adult to take care of someone other than myself and a house plant. The thing is, though, they have taught me that I will be a pretty good mom some day. I’m basically in mommy boot camp, I’m lucky enough to get the chance to practice and I feel like that may give me an upper hand.

This may be my job, but it is really so much more. I love these girls so much and I actually look forward to waking up at 6 a.m. to see them no matter how over putting frozen waffles in the toaster every day I am. They are funny, and they remind me how great it was to be a kid! I have some tiny best friends and that’s pretty freakin’ cool!