A New Job

It looks like I have a new job. For the past 4 years or so I've been floating. Up until that time, I'd done some form of daycare. Home daycare, working in the Vocational Department with the Child Care program, Director of a preschool program and finally being a partner in opening and running my own center. During all that time I loved my work. I loved being with kids all day, loved doing curriculum, loved every aspect of the job.

Unfortunately, the situation ended badly with the daycare I owned. 'Nuff said on that subject....I can't dwell on that. But it put me in a weird situation. I got a job immediately after as the assistant director at a large national daycare chain. I won't say the name of it, but it was the most horrendous job I've ever had. I lasted 4 months and then moved on to another daycare. Same situation. From there I started subbing in the school system, left that to try another assistant director in another daycare. I hated that, and went back to subbing. And I've come to hate the subbing as well.

There's lots of reasons why the daycares didn't work out. I've come to the conclusion though that two reasons are the most prominent.

1) They were not MY centers. After owning and running a place of my own, I couldn't work for someone else. They didn't do things the way I liked....they didn't handle the kids and the families the way I thought was right. It was too frustrating to have to sit back as the assistant and not handle situations the way I wanted to.

2) Kids are not the same as they used to be. I guess I'm "old-fashioned". I expect kids to behave, to learn manners and to respect adults. Kids don't do that anymore. Parents bend over backwards to allow children to "be themselves" and any hint of discipline is not in their vocabulary. When I was doing child care in my home, and in the center I owned as well, I treated the children as I had treated my own.....with heavy doses of both discipline and love. And most kids in my care thrived. At the other centers I worked at there was neither discipline nor love. And I can't work like that.

So all this left me in limbo. I don't want to do child care any more, but it's the only thing I've ever known. I started subbing as an interim thing and I've done it for the last four years. Two years ago I started subbing as school secretaries as well, and I found that I liked it. I never thought I'd really like working in an office, but it's okay.

I've tried for two years to get hired in the school system as a full-time secretary, but I haven't been successful. So I've decided to move on to something else. It's been hard to find another job, because I have no experience or background besides the subbing I've done as a secretary.

Lucky for me, I have a very good friend. Sylvie is the office manager at AAA and worked very hard to get me a job there. They're opening a new office right in my home town, and I've been hired to be a "MSC".....a Member Services Counselor. Basically I'll be answering phones and helping customers with travel information, signing up new members and helping people who come into the office. It's full time, full bennies, 9-5, no nights or weekends. I couldn't really ask for more.

But I'm really nervous. Because it's a huge change. And I'm not a change kind of person. I still have the same curtains up in my living room since I moved in 5 years ago, for crying out loud! I usually find what I like and I'm happy to stay with that for a long time. So switching jobs.....actually switching careers....is a huge step for me. I don't know if I'll like it....if I can adapt to NOT working with kids....if I'll be able to stand being in an office all day. But I'm going to give it my best shot.....and hope things work out for the best.