Step 10: Look at the World Through the Eyes of a Child

This summer I've been working as a nanny for a 2 and 5 year old (Franny & Milo). Despite usually leaving work exhausted and covered with hand prints of various substances, I am also constantly amazed by the creativity and optimism of a child's world view. Here are a few nannying-inspired lessons I think we could all benefit from:

1. Set your goals high- No, I will not buy you Culver's ice cream and a kitten for taking a nap, but bless your little heart for thinking I'd agree to that "compromise."

2. Know what and who is most important- Today Milo, while completely disregarding all my good advice, shimmied under his deck looking for toads. After becoming stuck he implored me, "Hannah, if I die here can you tell my toads I love them... and tell my parents that Milo's under the deck and he doesn't need any help."

3. Laugh as much as you can- Especially when your babysitter tells hilarious jokes like
"poop" and "Don't put that in your mouth!"

4. Show enthusiasm- If I ask if you want to go to the park, I expect you to shriek with excitement and follow me around yelling "Park! Park! Park! Park! Park!" for at least 3 minutes. Anything less and we're not going.

5. Always be prepared- Do we really need 3 pairs of sunglasses, a broken camera, a notepad, crayons, a stuffed kitty, batteries, Hello Kitty stickers, a book about turtles, and dental floss for a trip to the aforementioned park? Probably not... but how can we know for sure?

XOXO Hannah