I didn't know I would be any good at it. I was fairly responsible at home, but there hadn't been a lot of chances for me to watch my siblings. My mom was pretty good about keeping my brothers and sisters busy with extracurricular activities. I had always been the one to take care of the family dog though, and I tried to use that to reassure myself that I could do it.
The neighbors in our cul-de-sac had if I could watch their two sons, who were ages 4 and 6. It couldn't be that bad. Neither of them were in diapers, and I was 14. All I would have to do is play with them, feed them a pre-made dinner and then put them to bed. No matter how nervous I was at the time, I knew I needed the $40 they were going to pay me. So I screwed up my courage and left my house, hopeful that things would go well.