More on working

After being offered 9 days work over 4 weeks and then being asked to work every day one week as I mentioned in my previous work post, I have been asked to work everyday since. I’m very grateful for the work and I feel as though I’m making a difference in the classes I’m working with but I’m a little tired. I gave myself a day off this week as I had an appointment. Turns out that Girl Child was not feeling well so I kept her home from school and dragged her out to my appointment.

Because I'm working out of home now, Girl Child has been dropped at school early and is being picked up around 30 minutes later than normal. Prior to this I've been very available to her and I feel that she is struggling a little. She doesn't like school sometimes and until recently would complain of a headache and / or a sore tummy (her symptoms of anxiety) at least once a week before school. On the plus side the day I took off this week is the close to the only one where she complained of feeling unwell in the last few weeks. Maybe there is some maturity that occurs in Year 4 or maybe it’s the fact she knows I’m no longer working at home and therefore am no longer at her beck and call. Whatever it is I am very grateful but I worry that she might feel abandoned by me. But then I'm a perpetual worrier.

Anyway, work is going well. So well in fact that I'm going to be getting a name tag so I won't need to wear a generic School Assistant badge. That feels like acceptance to me. I've been booked for the rest of this school term. I've also heard that I may be offered a contract for next term. I'm struggling a little with tiredness and despite managing to get my headache fairly well under control, it has flared up a bit. I'm not yet taking the migraine med but I'm back caffeine a few times a week and on pain relief at least once a day which I had stopped needing in about November.

I'm wondering how long it will take for my body to adjust to working. Working in a classroom with Kindy kids is so different to a desk job. I'm hoping I adjust to it soon.

It's Easter so I thought I'd leave you with some eggs. I hope you and yours have a lovely weekend whatever you celebrate.

 

Work is going well

Last post I was talking about my thoughts and feelings about work.  I had been offered some work at Murrumbidgee (an assigned name for the school where I did my prac).  It was 10 days work over 4 weeks in the Kindergarten building. Because of a public holiday I’m actually booked for 9 days. One week I work 2 days and the next I work 3. Last week was a 3 day work week and I was asked to come in for the 2 additional days to help out elsewhere in the school.  As it turned out, I ended up staying in Kindy. The first day I went to fill in for someone who was away due to family issues and on the second I was working on a class helping with a particular student. It’s possible that this student may be getting some LSA time and if that happens, I may get the work.  I’m not holding my breath because these things take time but so far I seem to have a good rapport with that child and their teacher.

I feel as though I am making a difference to the students and teachers.  Better yet, people keep thanking me. They have thanked me for being working the additional days and for being flexible. I think they like me.  And I’m feeling all warm and fuzzy.

Work...

Image from Microsoft office clipart

It's funny how life is. A week and a half ago I was out handing out my résumé and wondering whether I had done the right thing by changing career. Then there was the added hiccup of my 'real job' (the business admin role which I do from home) will probably no longer exist in the near future. While it's not full time (it’s about 15 hours a week depending on the time of year / month etc) it’s employment. . While it sometimes it drives me insane because things have to be done at certain times and I often have to work while I’m interstate  (people need to be paid), I still like the fact that I have a job. It’s a very flexible job at that. I’m proud that I work.  Goodness knows, I’m not proud of my lack of house keeping skills.

A fair chunk of my self esteem is connected to the fact that I work. I found this out when I stopped working for the government many moons ago and starting just doing the business admin role. I felt as though I had lost myself and rarely felt validated as a person. But I have managed to claw some self esteem back by being fairly good at what I do.

However, when we started discussing the demise of my job I may have just lost the plot majorly a little. Suddenly, I was saying aloud things I didn't consciously realise I thought. I'm proud of the fact that I have always worked. That is obviously very important to me.  I have been employed consistently since I before finished Year 12.  Prior to that I was retrenched from my casual weekend job at Grace Brothers (back when it was Grace Brothers and not Myer) but apart from that little glitch I have been always been employed in at least one job or other. 

I’ve been aware that my business admin role was a little tenuous as it doesn't make the company (me and the Mr’s company) money and the less staff there are, the less I’m needed.  So we will be back down to 3 staff in a few weeks and then it will be reduced to 2 not long after.  It doesn't make financial sense to keep that part running. But I was still cut up about it.

Then on Thursday I got a phone call about Learning Support Assistant (LSA) work. Yesterday I had a meeting and I have work. I'm happy, excited and nervous all at the same time. It's at the school I did my prac hours at and while it’s only a few days of work for four weeks, its a great start. They think they may have more work for me after that. Maybe I will be able to make a go of my new career choice.

In this case it seems there is something true about the saying when one door closes, another one opens.