What God's Been Teaching Me Series (Part 1) To Love Children

1)    To Love Children: In my family I'm the youngest of most my relatives.  If they were younger it was only by a couple years. So up until recently I had been really awkward around kids, not really knowing what I should do. I had experience being around younger kids, but my mom would always be around too, so I'd never be totally alone with them. I remember about 2 years ago, my moms cousin and her little girls were coming to visit Wisconsin while we were camping, I played with them on the playground and things and I guess they did the pick me up motion quite a lot, but back then that was sign language to me, and I didn't know that. I picked them up a couple times, and it was okay but not totally comfortable. (embarrassing I was literally 18).
          I've done a 180 since then (okay maybe not quite).  The church I go to (Living Light) is filled with young kids, so I think maybe being exposed to their cuteness on a weekly basis helped me be comfortable around kids. I totally love picking up kids now (maybe I'm obsessed ;p) But it's okay because they usually like being picked up too.
          I took a babysitting course, when I was whatever age you can legally babysit, but never got any use out of the course, because my mom didn't want me babysitting at stranger's houses and no one we knew ever needed a babysitter. So I didn't start babysitting alone until age 20.  What age am I now...20. I think you get how recent this is. God assured me it would be fun, and that it'd help serve a family at my church.  So I took the risk, and I absolutely love it. I also work with kids at a Special Needs camp, but their ages range from 5-27. I get to work with a young group of kids this week who love to be picked up. So I get to hold them and play with them multiple times a day all week. I'm pretty excited. Recently during a conference through my church, they sent out an email asking for people to help out in the infant or toddler room. I felt an inner tugging in my chest to volunteer for the toddler room, even though I really had no experience with toddlers besides for two kids in my church that I enjoy watching/playing with. (Torah  and Deuce). Arguably the cutest toddlers at my church.  I signed up though, and had a blast. Serving the church by keeping their kids safe and comfortable.
        To end this blogpost I will put pictures of the kids I've helped my mom watch, the kids mentioned from church, and the kids mentioned from work.

One of the girls I babysit Arwen!

Four kids I babysat a few weeks ago: Eve, Emerson, Jack, and Ryland. (I didn't take this picture.) ;P

Torah!










                                     

     Deuce: Probably the most talented 2 year old I've Met

 

 

 

 Two of the kids in my group this week at camp

 

Sierra and Amelia: When I first started picking up children at 18 ha ha.

 

Dayton and Addison