My Daughter, Her College Essay, and Leadership-- She Is Going To Kill Me For This

“Ms. Sophie, Charlie’s peeing on the wall!” I heard from the other side of the house through the conflicting screams of Alex not wanting to brush his teeth and William declaring his utter starvation after just having eaten dinner. I rushed through the upstairs hallway filled on both sides with pictures of the same kids I was babysitting that night, only here they were smiling in pumpkin patches and hugging each other without trying to squeeze anyone to death. I slid into the bathroom just in time to see Charlie laughing on the floor, his brother, Michael, dragging Charlie by the feet throughout the bathroom as pee dripped down the walls and into a puddle for the boys to run and slide through.

 With factors like me functioning on very little sleep that night and the stress of exam week fast approaching, my emotions were undoubtedly running high. If this had been my first day on the job, I would have likely panicked and reacted in the way that my emotions were screaming at me to respond. This approach would have probably ended in yelling and tears from both the kids and from me. But this wasn’t my first day on the job and I was careful not to listen to the sirens going off in my head.

 Over the past five years of babysitting, I’ve learned that although I am not always able to control what happens in every situation, I am always able to control my response to those situations. After all, that’s what responsibility is – having the ability to respond, right? It has taken a lot of practice for me to not react when things go wrong, but to be kind and compassionate instead, thoughtfully taking command of a stressful situation and quickly restoring order with confidence, authority, and self-control. That’s why in the midst of a crisis I knew to stop and think deliberately about my options. Remembering this approach and drawing on the deposits of self-control I’d stored away for just such an occasion as this allowed me to stay calm, give firm, useful instructions, and achieve cooperation quickly to change the mental state of everyone involved. This all sounds simple when you’re not in the thick of it, but common sense is not always common practice.

 The skills I’ve learned through childcare have transferred well to my everyday life and have already helped me immensely in my personal growth. I have learned how to properly balance school, work, and spending time with my family and friends through planning my weeks and then working diligently to stick to that plan. My work experience has provided me with hands-on knowledge and experience of what it means to be an effective servant leader. I’m constantly learning how to serve others better and each day I look to learn something new and uplifting from everyone I meet.

 As a result of these lessons learned, I have been able to humble myself and accept the knowledge and wisdom of others more freely. I’ve also progressed in my ability to see the big picture in challenging circumstances, while simultaneously identifying the differences between big problems and small challenges. This has improved my mental well-being because I no longer waste valuable time dwelling on problems that aren’t very important. I can also better direct myself toward productive solutions and help guide others in solving the issues going on in their lives too. 

 Through the numerous hours, days, and years spent with with the brilliant, caring and delightfully challenging lives of children, I have learned the skills of efficient time management, effective leadership, how to be flexible but focused in everything I do, and I have even learned how to act when someone tells me that their brother is peeing on the wall.