Starting my sophomore summer of High School, I was a nanny for a little less than three years. My kids, as I now call them, consisted of three boys, all of varying elementary school-age and one, the youngest one, in preschool. Every Tuesday and Thursday after school, I would drive to the next town over and pick them up from school or wait for them to get off the bus, then it was straight home or to the swimming pool or lacrosse field we'd go. In the summer our schedule was more free and we'd frequent to the ice cream shop or to the small park a little ways down the hill. It was a task easier said than done and one that included more tears and "I don't wanna!" 's than I was prepared for, but nonetheless, those three years proved to be some of the best years of my life, and those three boys quickly became part of my family.

Over the course of those three years and all the hours that I spent with those boys, I learned a few vital lessons that I've put to use here, at college. Who knew you could learn so much from someone who still sucks their thumb.

1. Sometimes it's okay to be the one left out

Three is not always, in fact, a magic number. I quickly learned that in a group of three people, two are quick to buddy up, leaving the third to his/her own devices. In the case of my boys, the older two would usually band together to play whatever sort of game they could think of, leaving the youngest one to either hang out with me or play a game by himself. This phenomenon would occur time after time. When the homework was done, the older two would join almost immediately in their own world while the third, for a while, would desperately attempt to join, but do so unsuccessfully. He might get upset, sit on the ground and wonder why he was always left out, but in the end everything always turned out okay. Him and I had a lot of heart-to-hearts that he won't remember when he is older, but I always will. Sometimes it's okay to be the one left out because then there are no rules to your world, no clouding perception, and the train always runs better on the tracks when someone isn't building a brick wall in it's way (that was an allusion to the youngest's favorite game to play: trains.)

2. Criticism is tough to take, but it's essential to try

I heard the words "I hate you!" a lot over those three years. The middle one and I clashed heads quite a bit and I think it's because both of us are middle kids and we understand one another on a whole knew, kind of freakish level that we both weren't comfortable with. Many of the problems he faced being the middle child, I related to, and I think we were both in denial of being even a little bit like one another. So, we clashed quite a bit. Whether it be his not wanting to finish his homework, or being left out (you see, this is particularly frustrating as a middle child because being a middle child means you usually band together with the youngest or the oldest, but very infrequently do the youngest and the oldest band together, leaving the middle child out. It's an uncomfortable feeling), but I, being the nanny, was usually the brunt of his frustration. And he was usually very honest with how he felt about me. Whether it was he hated me, or that my face looked weird that day, or maybe I was the worst person who ever walked the planet. For a long time this criticism was hard to take, but after three years, I learned to take it. Everyone needs someone honest in their life, and it makes the times you get along even sweeter, and don't get me wrong, there were a lot of sweet moments between the middle boy and I.

3. Patience is, in fact, a virtue

This one is pretty self explanatory. If there is one thing you need when dealing with three boys all at once, it is patience. Patience is the key to everything in being a nanny, you need to be patient all the time. You can't get mad too quick, or be quick to hand over the answer. And with patience comes understanding. You can't be quick to deal out punishments or be hasty in your refusal to listen to a tantrum. There are reasons behind every action and every decision that a kid makes, and it is the nanny's job to see and understand that. Being patient is essential for being a successful caregiver.

4. The little things matter

The best thing about kids is how the littlest thing can give them joy. I spent many hours collection flowers with the youngest one for his mom just so he could see the look on her face when he gave them to her. The oldest is an avid bug collector, and there is no better way to spend time than overturning rocks in search of roly poly bugs. The middle one loved the few minutes you'd have to spend listening to him read a book. As we grow older, we begin to overlook the subtle joys of life, but the child can remind you to slow down and smell the roses. My boys taught me to smile when the sun comes out and run through the sprinkler once more, even with scary adult problems are looming. Here and again, as I'm walking to class a grasshopper will catch my eye and for a moment I wish I had a cup to catch it with so I could show it to my boys and see the joy on their faces.

5. Family does not solely consist of blood-relatives

Like I said before, these boys quickly became part of my family. Although we are not related in any way, shape, or form (spare those awkward moments when the dad at school thought that I, at the age of 17, was actually a mom to these three boys), we were family. I think I've seen enough tears, blood, and sweat to say so. Even more so, I include the mom and the dad and the grandparents as part of my family. I cannot imagine a life without them, and I know they'll always be there to cheer me on. By being a nanny, I made the some of the most valuable relationships of my life, and the best part about that is in the near future, when I'm a starving, wanna-be novelist, I have a feeling they'll let me crash on their couch for a while. In a way, I feel like the proud big sister of the boys I nannied, and I can't wait to see where they go in life. I think about how one day I'll be at their High School graduation just as they were at mine. I can't wait.