People tell me I’m crazy. Including me. Working with kids can be fun, energetic, and rewarding. But there’s a downside—the crying, the screaming, the annoyance. Like a mosquito bite.

When I realize I get bit, my face becomes red with anger. I know what’s coming. But after time, I forget that it happened. My day drags along, and then the itch kicks in. It’s painful. It’s that bratty kid who mouths off and doesn’t listen to my instructions. It’s that parent who won’t leave me alone and insists on telling me how to do my job. It’s the time I feel like I’m wasting. I begin to question my sanity. Why did I accept this job?

Then the itch stops. I can enjoy my time. The kids play and I hear laughter. I feel the energy from the kids around the room. When a kid screams with excitement at something I just taught them, then I know it’s worth it. This is the best job, no wonder I applied for this. My mosquito bite seems to be gone. But there’s that moment of suspense. Will I get bit again? When will it itch again? People tell me I’m crazy. Including me. But do people not go camping just because there are bugs? No, so why shouldn’t I go camping either.