Monday, July 30, 2012

How I Make That Money Honey

 
 
While I'm recovering from my weekend illness and taking the day off of work, I think it's the perfect time to link up with The Bargain Blonde and share with all you lovelies how I make that money.
 
I know I talk about it a lot, so many of you may have an idea of what I do for a living, but I'll get into some details to let you know a little bit more about the working life of moi! 
 
I graduated in May 2011 with a degree in Social Work. Instead of going on to get my Masters, I decided to dive head first into the field. I was waaaayyyy over school at this point! I had spent the last semester of my senior year as an intern at Child Protective Services and had thought that was where I wanted to work. So I made my way through the intense interview process and waited....and waited....and waited. I was devastated when I found out that my classmate, whom I had interned with, was offered a position in our office and I was put on the "wait list". I was certain that CPS was where I was supposed to be, but God had different plans for me. Doesn't He always?
 
Fast forward a few months...
 
After applying to numerous agencies in my county, I finally received a phone call from my current employer. I interviewed for and was offered a position as a "Child Care Teacher" at an agency that services homeless families. I was honestly pretty shocked that they wanted to hire me as one of two lead teachers since I don't have an Early Childhood Degree, but they insisted that my Social Work background would be a great addition to the team.

So what do I do? In short, I take care of toddlers all day long. But there is so much more to it. You have to remember, most of these children come from pretty bad backgrounds. Not only are they homeless, but most of them come from single-parent homes. Most of the parents are without jobs or an education, have a history of substance abuse or mental illness, and/or have been a victim of domestic violence. It surprises me that many of our parents do not realize that their children are affected greatly by their actions. Therefore, most of my children are developmentally delayed, have severe behavioral issues, and have gone through significant trauma in their few years.

For example, one of my toddlers acts out physical and sexual abuse on a daily basis that this child has seen between his parents. It's awful to watch.
 
We also evaluate every child every three months to track their developmental and social-emotional health. Based on these results, we are able to focus on the specific needs of each child and can refer them to special services as needed. 
 
While it all seems pretty intense and really sad, it's actually an amazing job. I love spending the day with my kiddos. When they're not beating each other up (one toddler gave another toddler a black eye the other day...no joke) or swearing at each other (I have a two and a half year old that calls everyone a mother effer) they are the sweetest kids on earth. They always know how to put a smile on my face and remind me to enjoy the little things in life. I have days I leave work and cry, both from sadness and frustration, and I have my certain kids who I wish more than anything I could adopt and save them from the terribly hard life they will have to endure, but I wouldn't trade all that heartache for anything. Plus, it's pretty fun to act like a kid all day long.

So, that's what I do! Link up with The Bargain Blonde and share how you make that money!

21 comments:

Alisa Marie said...

I love this! Sounds like you have a very difficult, but very rewarding job! I'm sure it's really hard to see the pain that these kids suffer on a daily basis, it just seems like it isn't fair! I'm glad you get to spend time with them every day and help them!

Jenna said...

That is amazing. I can only imagine how difficult this job would be. Kids need positive influences in their lives and it sounds like where you work is just what they need. You are amazing! :)

Chelsea said...

So neat to here what you do and what a rewarding job! :)

Kodi ODay said...

That is such an amazing job! Good luck with everything because I know somedays you really need to hear that!:)

Lindsey Nicole said...

That is definitely a job that not everyone could do! You are a great person for stepping in and helping those little ones when no one else is!

Jamie said...

What a great job. You get to make a difference. I love that!

Brittany said...

Nice work! What a wonderful job where you get to see the benefits of what you do and make a difference in each little childs life. I work as an addiction counselor so I can definitely understand the challenge of this field.. but it is so worth it, too.

Katie said...

What an amazing job! I went to school for Social Work as well, but I dropped out to get married (three+ years ago...) and still have one year left to complete. Maybe one day!

You seem to have such a big heart and I love that! :)

anika♥Lee said...

Wow, this sounds like an amazing job. Good for you!!! It takes a special person to hold a position like you do. I'm sure you are making a grave impression on these little lives and that is so great!!!! PROPS!!!!

Eliza said...

I love what you do, so giving and caring. It must be such a rewarding job to know you are helping others, especially little children. :)
xo
lovelyaddictions.blogspot.com

Jana Faith said...

I loved reading this. I can relate to days that you go home and cry from sadness and frustration. I teach in a lower SES school in our district and so many of my kids have similar struggle. Kudos to you for loving those kids! Thanks for sharing!

Amber said...

It truly takes amazing people to do what you do. I absolutely hate that so many children are put in that situation. You have to be a strong and caring person to be able to see all the emotional and physical pain these children go through. What a great job to have knowing you are being such a positive role model on these kids.

Alyssa said...

Wow! Sounds like such a rewarding job!

Taylor @ Pink Heels Pink Truck said...

Huge kuddos!! You are an amazing lady!!

Sara said...

Your job sounds so rewarding.

Aimee L said...

Anyone that makes a difference in the lives of children gets major points in my book! :)

xo kAr said...

OMG STOP, you are such an inspiration!!! you're the kind of friend i would brag about. f'real.

katmcd said...

Great job. Thanks for sharing. I would never have thought about how important it is but you are definitely a role model!

Lindsey said...

SHUT UP! "I have a two and a half year old that calls everyone a mother effer)" ... it's so sad, but this made me chuckle a bit

I once took my neph to the playground and this little 2 year old was saying every cuss word in the book and esp the eff word. It broke my heart for him because what kind of parent would allow an environment like that for a child to hear those words? It's truly sickening. I can't imagine what you see but what an amazing job! Seriously, I admire you and I am thankful we have people like you who are taking care of these underprivileged children whose parents cannot. One of my passions and i need to get involved in charity work.

Thank you so much for sharing! XOXO

Arielle said...

Such an awesome job! :))

Maura said...

Sounds like a tough job but a rewarding one. My mom is a social worker and she loves her job but she says there are some days she just wants to cry because there's only so much she can do! glad you're there helping those kids something to be proud of!