Outside of school, students participate in various events and work at different jobs to gain experience. These experiences can help us learn valuable skill sets that we aren’t able to gain elsewhere. This includes sophomore Abby Reeves, who works with kids on a daily basis.

“I’m a babysitter and I also volunteer at my synagogue every Sunday to help teach in the pre-kindergarten classroom,” Reeves said. “This year, I’m [also] part of a training called ‘Sasone’ at the Jewish Community Center—It helps educate teens on knowing how to best assist kids who have disabilities in educational settings.”

Reeves started babysitting for numerous reasons, many of which include her love for working with kids.

“I got into babysitting because I loved being with kids and it was a job that didn’t have a minimum hiring age,” she said. “My mom currently teaches 2-year-olds at her preschool, so that’s been a great way for me to get to know lots of families that need babysitters.”

Babysitting requires heavy responsibility and organization, but sometimes it creates unique and special situations.

“When I’m babysitting, I love getting to know the kids and figure out what they like to do for fun,” Reeves said. “There’s this one family I help out and they have two little boys who are super competitive. I set up little tournaments for them like obstacle courses, balloon tennis, or really just whatever they’re in the mood for.”

Though Reeves babysits about once a week during the school year—and more over the summer—she still stays busy throughout the week.

“At Sunday School, I’m what they call a madricha, which is basically just a classroom helper,” she said. “I get the activities set up for the kids, read them stories, and play with them during free time.”

Reeves has always looked forward to being a part of the Sunday School, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

“I got involved at our Sunday School because it’s the same one I went to when I was younger. I always really looked up to the madrichim and once I was old enough, I was really excited to be one for the incoming classes,” she said.

Though having a busy schedule, she still loves spending time with and helping children. This plays a huge role in her life as well, since Reeves is planning to incorporate this experience into her future plans.

“I’ve always loved working with kids and I love the feeling of being a safe place for them,” Reeves said. “I also really want to do something with kids when I’m older, so all of the things I’m doing now are a good experience.”

Her abilities definitely highlight the amount of expertise she’s acquired. 

“I’ve definitely learned new strategies that are more helpful when interacting with them. [For example,] I’ve learned that when there’s something they need to do but don’t want to, using the ‘If-Then’ method can be really useful,” she said. “I’ve also gotten a lot better at calming kids down when they are upset—I babysit a family whose first language is Hebrew, so I’ve learned some basic Hebrew phrases as well, which has been super cool.”

Her favorite memory stems from her babysitting as well.

“Two summers ago, I would come to take care of this little girl for 12 hours per week all summer, and we got really close and had lots of fun together. We went on walks to the park, made homemade cookies, went swimming, and just did all of the fun summertime activities together,” Reeves said. “I also loved when, at camp last summer, these two kids had a competition to see who could give me the most hugs throughout the day. It was really funny and sweet.”

All three of these activities have let Reeves become more confident in her skills and gain invaluable experience. 

“It’s so special to have someone be comfortable enough to come to you when they’re sad or excited to share new things in their life. Just last week, I had a little girl in my Sunday School ask her mom if I could come to babysit her once Sunday School ends because she would miss me too much, and that was really sweet and special to hear,” Reeves said. “I don’t have a least favorite part, except for maybe changing diapers—but I guess that just comes with the job.”