The Manny Diaries pt. 4

Around this time last year, my life changed for the better.  I was hired as a sitter for a family with three awesome boys.  But I don't tell people that I am a babysitter.  I tell them that I am a manny.  The youngest boy just turned 6-years old.  No babies here!  (Though I do sit on him from time to time.)

When I hear the word 'babysitter', I think of the cliché teenage girl who is on the phone with her boyfriend while the kids are running around the house causing mayhem.  That's not me.  I'm with these boys five days a week.  These boys are my walking advertisements, if you will.

I began babysitting around the age of fourteen.  I played with the kids, made sure they didn't hurt each other, put them to bed if needed, and cleaned up after them.  This usually occurred on Friday or Saturday nights.  Looking back, I feel like I was just a supervisor.  Make sure the kids are safe:  check.  Put the kids to bed:  check.  Clean up the toys before the parents get home:  check.  It was the perfect job for a teenage boy who wasn't old enough for a part-time job.  There was a point in my life where I was babysitting just about every weekend.  But that was it.  Just weekends.  I wasn't a daily part of the children's lives.

Now, twelve years later, I have three boys who are a part of my daily life, and I am a part of theirs.  For this reason, I am more than just a supervisor.  I am a friend, a big brother, a mentor.  I am whatever the boys need me to be.  Because I see these boys five days a week, I feel as though I share the important role of raising them.  And let me tell you, I'm not about to raise some ruffian hooligans!  As I said before, these boys are my advertisements.  By teaching them to do right, to make good choices and respect others, I am showcasing my role as a manny.  I am more than just a presence in the house.  I am helping these boys shape their futures.  Ten years from now, I hope to see successful, kind, and compassionate young men.  I want to see that my short time with them paid off.  I love my job as a manny.  I truly care for these boys and only want what is best for them.  This past year has been amazing.  Some days are a struggle.  And some days are perfect.  Either way, I wouldn't change a thing.