of course patience and kindness are key----you have to be able to take anyting that is thrown at you(literally sometimes)

also you have to be selfless---one that is wrapped up in self cannot do this job

I watch kids at my house and a strong stomach is an incredible thing to have!
I had one of the younger boys one day and he had a little accident in his pants which ended up smeared all over my bathroom walls.
I don't have that strong of a stomach yet so you can imagine how many times I had to go in,clean for 30 seconds then run outside in freezing cold weather for a bit of fresh air!
You need to be incredibly patient,one of the boys I watch is so hard to understand sometimes that I will ask him to repeat himself 5-6 times before I can actually understand what he's saying.Also with patience,every kid is different some are picky eaters while others will eat ANYTHING.
You have to have a lot of kindness,some kids are overly sensitive and others aren't.The mention of a special blanket or toy and the overly sensitive child could become upset and need that object while other kids don't have security objects.

I think the best quality in a caregiver would have to be adaptibility.You need to be able to work WITH the kids and even sometimes go out of your normal routine in order to accommodate everyone.

oh yes strong stomach---if you work in a place like i do you clean up all sorts of messes---first aid stuff etc.

Understanding and compassion for their needs is so important. Make them feel they are not a burden no matter how stressed we caregivers get.

yeah agreed

Definitely patience. A good sense of humour helps. I work in a hospital/PCH so I come in contact with residents. I only work in housekeeping, but we still deal with residents with alzheimers and dementias. Because I work with seniors, I think respect is important. I was raised to respect my elders and I think it is a courtesy and something that these seniors have earned. It saddens me that our bodies seem to be outliving our minds. I see these people every day get worse. But I realize it is important to make their final days comfortable and peaceful.

Traits common to caregivers:
Firm, but kind (like Mary Poppins)
Good advocates
Decent at organizing
Sense of fairness or justice
Good communicators
Relatively level-headed
Attentive to changes in others (physical, mental, emotional, etc)
Tend to be low-maintenance type people
See the worth and potential of every person