Adventures in Babysitting

First of all- kudos to those who get the pop culture reference of the title. Great movie, and thankfully I never saw Leaving Las Vegas so, in my mind, Elizabeth Shue will always be a spunky little teenager in a crazy scarf...
So to elaborate on the title: since I was a freshman at good ol' NW, I have worked at an after-school program in town. I got the job through my cousin and I am grateful for it.. now. It has taken me three-and-a-half years to appreciate it. This may be interpreted the wrong way, but I am forever indebted to this place, for it was here that I decided that I didn't want to- nay could never, ever- become a teacher. Again, it sounds mean, but I am glad I discovered that kids weren't my true calling and I am glad I discovered it early.
Working with kids can be very frustrating but it is never dull. One of the biggest lessons I have learned from working there is not to sweat the small stuff, and be able to laugh at yourself. This is what I consider to be one of my greatest qualities: I have the ability to not take myself, and life, too seriously. And I owe it to the kids there.
Kids don't have that filter that we do- they will point out your biggest flaws without blinking. I came to work one time after a truly terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. I mean, this one was a doozy. Lacking in the sleep department, I opted to wear my glasses instead of fighting with my contacts. I was told multiple times that day, in various forms, that I looked grotesque and then as I was leaving someone sealed the deal by letting me know that my glasses made it worse. But you have trouble getting angry with them because they really don't know any better.
There are also many social norms on that crazy television that don't always mimic reality. This causes problems. For instance, on television all "grown-ups" have a significant other. Miss Jackie does not. Incessant questioning about why Miss Jackie can't seen to snag herself a guy loses it's charm very quickly. I even had one little girl tell me that she would pay her brother to date me. They sure know how to kick you when you're down, even if it isn't on purpose. I have a feeling she would get along swimmingly with my mom.
You also learn a huge lesson in the wardrobe department. I have a penchant for v-neck shirts and these really don't work when one is working with children. I also learned not to wear anything that has writing on it in... that area. Kids' eyes are attracted to things like that and man, do they stare! To tell one of them that it's not polite to stare at Miss Jackie's chest means explaining why it's not polite, and that goes way beyond my job description.
I have many more stories from my adventures in babysitting and I plan on sharing more, so stay tuned and thanks for reading.