I’ve been babysitting since 17 for various families. At 18 I moved to Brussels to au pair. Although demanding, caring for four children aged 0 to 6 years, it was so rewarding. This job taught me a lot about patience and gave me great experience with small children. I learned important skills such as balancing my attention to ensure all kids felt taken care of. I'm so grateful I had such beautiful relationships with the kids. I think about them often and have even been back to visit. I then moved to Den Haag, I found a family with three wonderful kids aged 5, 7 and 10. This job involved housework such as laundry, changing sheets, cleaning and cooking meals for the family. Sadly as time went on I was unhappy and did not feel completely comfortable at home. I shared my feelings and discussed a convenient time to leave. Although it was only four months I learnt a lot and it gave me more experience with older children and housekeeping. Since being back in Australia I've begun babysitting for three little monkeys 5 months, 3 and 5. It has reunited me with my passion for childcare. It’s so rewarding to create a safe space for children to flourish in. Every smile and warm hug makes up for the dirty nappies and temper tantrums.