Sometimes being an Auntie can make me feel like a super hero. I arrive with presents, play games, have dance parties and know exactly what to do to get a laugh. I can almost feel the wind in my imaginary cape. But often enough, I’m quickly brought back to reality. I’m only human and truthfully, I totally mess up sometimes.

On Halloween, I tried to “help” my sister by changing my nephew, Aidan, into his adorable Elmo costume while she was taking care of baby Kayla. I got him to stand still for two seconds while I took off his shirt. Thinking it was like the rest of his clothes, I started to pull it over his head, not realizing that his hood was making it get stuck on his neck. Without thinking, I yanked a little bit to try and get it off, but apparently this sometime super hero doesn’t know her own strength. Aidan didn’t make a peep but when I pulled his shirt back down he looked totally confused. My sister was a little peeved at me for nearly taking her son’s head off but he quickly got over it. Eventually, I managed to get him in his costume in one piece.

About a year ago, I was trying to help my other sister get my niece Caroline to family party. I thought it would be nice if she got to walk into the party since many members of our clan hadn’t seen her take any steps by herself. What I didn’t see was the giant puddle she walked through in her brand new pink Uggs. Whoops.

Or there’s the time when I let Aidan hold a book that was too big for him. He then proceeded to break off into a run. A corner of the cover hit him face and gave him a little cut. Or the other time when I put Caroline’s shoes on backwards and didn’t realize she was walking funny for a good hour. And the list can go on…

Luckily, none of the kids have succumbed to any real bodily harm, but every time I make a mistake I kick myself for not doing the right thing. Even now, I feel like a bit of an idiot for the shirt incident. But when it comes down to it, I realize making mistakes is what I have in common with the little ones.

Just as they are learning not to blow on hot food or to run with no shoes on, I’m learning the little things about taking care of them. When my sisters were expecting, they spent hours reading up on taking care of babies. I just shopped for tiny pink and blue outfits. I guess that means I have a bit of a learning curve. And even if I do make mistakes from time to time, I just have to remember to dust off my cape and try again.

What are some of the mistakes you've made, Auntie. Share them; you'll make the rest of us feel better!