Today the kids weren't the only ones heading off to school, starting a new Term. Today their mama joined them.
Today I went to school - to start my new job.
Yes, you heard me.
I got a job.
ME!
The last time I had a proper job I could hardly fit behind the wheel of my car with my giant pregnant belly full of Dash. That was 2002, which makes it TWELVE YEARS since I've been in paid employment.
I've always rather envied my friends who have actual careers, a qualification, a proper profession they can go back to. Teachers, nurses, accountants, journalists. People with the right bits of paper.
Me, I knew I could never return to the job I was doing pre-kids. Working with at-risk youth (whether running courses or hunting down truants) is something which requires immense amounts of energy and time; it's not something you can do half-heartedly or part time. It's not something I could ever see myself returning to.
When I've thought about going out and getting a "proper job" I'd start to feel slightly nauseous. I imagined myself rocking up to an interview (if I could even get one) at age forty-four with a 12-year gap in my CV and trying to compete with younger, better qualified, more energetic, more experienced people...Plus, I couldn't even imagine what kind of job I might be able to apply for, let alone what job I could do that would also fit in with the kids.
I mean, what WOULD I do? What COULD I do?
I'm a very impulsive person, I do things on a whim. When I get an idea or inspiration, I tend to leap without looking (it drives my husband batty).
Which is how I came to get a job.
It was Scrag's birthday last term and I was heading to school for his cross country. I was thinking about a friend of mine who had been teacher-aiding at our school but who was finishing at the end of the term, and I found myself wondering if they had found someone for her position yet...
So what did impulsive Simoney do? She walked into the guidance counsellor's office and asked about the job. She didn't stop to think, didn't tell hubby she was thinking of doing it, just did it.
"Hey I was wondering if you'd found anyone for Mel's job yet?"
And the lovely guidance counsellor (who knows me from *ahem* dealings with certain members of our tribe) said, "No, we haven't, why - are you interested?"
The answer of course was a very impulsive "YES!" and I walked out of her office with a job and instructions to come in on the first day of term to begin work ("and bring your IRD number").
It was that easy. Right, place, right time, right job. No scary interview, no gappy CV required.
The job is just Monday to Thursday, 9-11am, which is perfect for me. Enough hours to get me out of the house, but still leave me time to work on my other projects: my Etsy shop, my writing for Parenting magazine, my beloved blog, book club - oh and I suppose a bit of housework, gah!
And since it's only during Term-time, we still get our lovely long school holidays. It couldn't be more perfect. (I'm helping a little boy with special needs in the classroom.)
Today was my first day - and I LOVED it.
L O V E D it.
I love my new job. I love that I have a job. I love that it's at my kids lovely school. I love that some of my friends work there. I love the hours. I love classroom I'm working in, and the teacher I'm with. I love the little boy I'm helping. I feel so blessed.
Just had to share with you all that I'm a working girl now. I'm a teacher aide at my kids' school.
I'm all signed up on Novopay (haha, let's cross our fingers and hope that works).
My mummy skills - that twelve year gap in my CV - are all coming to the fore. I can actually do this!
So yay for me, the working girl. With a paycheck (which will be saved up and used to buy us some new couches.) Woop.
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