I’ve known my whole life that I want a job that revolves around working with children. Whether it was a dance teacher, a pediatrician, an elementary school teacher, or a school librarian, I wanted to do it as long as I could be around kids. Now, I’m a human development and family science major, which leads to an enormous amount of opportunities to work with kids.
I love being around kids because they have high energy levels. They can bring the mood up in situations and like having a good time. I always enjoy being around this type of energy and I like having fun with kids.
I also love it when kids ask questions. For them, nothing is off-limits and there is no such thing as too many questions. Their curiosity about the world and desire to understand their surroundings is awesome.
There have been too many times where kids have asked me questions that have made me laugh out loud. One time, a kid who was probably about four or five years old asked me where my kids were (I was about 14 at the time). That same day, another kid asked me if I was married and I think I broke that little girl’s heart a little bit when I told her that I was in fact not married.
One of my favorite questions I have gotten is “Miss Sarah, why did you wear that outfit today?” Another personal favorite of mine was when a boy who was probably about seven asked at my summer job if I was forced to be there. The more general questions fill me with just as much glee though. I love the predictability of knowing that after I give out a set of directions, without missing a beat, one of those kids is going to ask “But why?”
The ways that kids use their imagination really inspires me, as well.
This expression is most embodied by answers to the question that adults tend to ask every single child they encounter: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Of course, you get the typical answers of a teacher or a doctor (which, don’t get me wrong, are fabulous answers and definitely what I’d said as a kid), but then there’s always some who answer that they want to be an astronaut princess dragon fairy who is also a vet. To children, the world is limitless and they can be anything they want and this career path is tangible to them.
Along with that, I love watching kids use their imagination when they’re playing. Seeing kids make up their own rules for games, making up random storylines when playing with their toys is such a magical thing to watch. Kids are so creative and it’s so much fun to watch them use that creativity in different ways.
Many kids are also kinder than most adults. Don’t get me wrong, some kids are absolutely cruel—especially when they start to hit their pre-teen years—but they can also be absolute sweethearts. Younger kids don’t care about superficial things when making friends. They just want to play with each other. Kids can be really great at sharing and including each other in activities. Many adults could take notes.
Finally, being able to watch children grow and knowing that I have been a part of their lives is really special to me. Recently, I saw a picture of a girl who was a student in a dance class that I helped teach a few years back and it was such a surreal moment for me. Honestly, seeing this picture made me feel very old because I was an assistant in her dance class when she was about five years old and so to see her as a preteen was unbelievable. At the same time though, I love seeing her grow up and continue dancing.
It’s a good feeling to know that I’ve been a part of many kids’ lives, even if it was a small part. At least I could be the smiling face they saw once a week at their dance class or the kind assistant at their summer camp who helped them paint their galaxy picture. Knowing that I can be a friend to these kids is really special to me.
Children inspire me a lot. I think people could learn a lot from them and tend to underestimate the power children truly have. I have a passion for being around kids and I want to continue being a role model, friend and advocate for them.