Thursday, May 29, 2008

Work history and changes

Hi! I thought I would post about the numerous jobs I have had in my life. At 11 I started babysitting. I remember being 12 and babysitting for this family with my friend Lauren, we got $20 total for about 5 hours babysitting and we cleaned the house too (this family had a snake and we thought once a dead hamster in the cabinet-lol.) We thought we were rich with our $10 each.
My first real job I was 14, I worked at Fun City USA on the Keansburg boardwalk. I worked there for many summers and took quiet a leadership role, actually taking a fun teenage job too seriously.
I also worked at Rag Shop where I worked 14 months and received employee of the month like 3 months in a row, but never a raise (although 3 male employees made more than me-go figure.) I loved working here though as I love crafting.
When I started college I worked as a nanny 6:30am-1:00pm. They were such cute little red headed kids. I got pregnant while working there and for some reason I quit. After I had Jason I went back to work there. I took him with me, this worked for about five months and then they moved.
Next in my home I watched a little girl Jason's age and then a year later watched her sister as well.
When Jason was almost two I started nannying for an awesome family with one child, a boy two years older than Jason. It was 12:00-6:00. It was a great time. Jason & I had our mornings to relax and we did projects and lots of reading together. I was living on my own for the first time (with little Jason of course.) I worked for this incredible family up until I got married. I was also able to obtain my AA in education during this time taking morning classes (my mom babysat.)
I got married Sept. 1, 2002 and then I worked for this family until end of Oct. when we moved to Kentucky. I did not work in KY as I was newly married, newly moved, caring for Jason, and newly pregnant. This was a very calm time for Jason and I as we got to take long walks and do school everyday.
When I moved back to NJ in April 2003 I was almost due with Joshua, so I could not work. Thankfully my mom took care of us until Josh was 6 months old I took a part time job in a preschool. I worked aftercare 2:30-5:30. Sometimes Jason came with me and my mom watched Joshua.
In Sept. 2004 I started another nanny job. I took Joshua to work with me, and Jason was at school. I would occasionally pick Jason up from school or my mom would. I did this for a year.
Then in July 2005 I started my in home daycare. I have been doing that ever since. This is the hardest I have ever worked and the longest hours as well. I have had as many as five kids besides my own and as little as one child. I have had three sets of twins, two were special needs. I have LOVED doing this job, but come a few weeks my in home daycare will be closing. It is bittersweet. I am sad to end something, yet exciting to start something new.
I will be working in an office two days a week (Mon. & Wed.), doing homeschool co-op two days a week (Tues. & Thur.), and homeschooling Jason Fridays. I am not sure how I will handle all this but as I look back I can say how did I handle some of the things in the past? God and my family and friends, hard work, and one baby step at a time. That is the best I can do. This is all any of us can do.
At least at co-op I will be doing a preschool, this is the age group I feel most gifted in, so I am excited about that.

So that is my job history (oh I left out last summer teaching social skills to Autistic kids, that was amazing, and that is the office I will now be working in, isn't it amazing how God weaves all we do to grow us?!!!)

So I will add office employee to my resume, but more importantly I want to be an ambassador for Christ in all I do. I want to glorify Him in all I do and share Him in all the jobs I do. What an exciting opportunity I will have to share Him with families whose children have autism and severe physical handicaps (the office I will be working out.) I look forward to the changes and opportunities, yet still am taking time to grieve the loss of my daycare and all the children who have passed through my doors. I love them all. They became part of our family, that is not so easy to let go of. I am so grateful to have had that time though. I also am grateful that for TEN plus years I have been with my kids for a majority of the time, and if they were not with me they were with friends and family, people who really care about them. That has meant the world to me!

That's my job history, and my job future as well.
Tell me a little about your past or present job in the comment section! -Becky

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow - that is quite a job history. I never really sat back and thought about all of the jobs I have, I'd probably have a long list too.

Just wanted to stop by your blog and say hi!

S.B.

Salzwedel Family said...

Looks like we are changing roles...I believe I am about to quit my office job to do in-home daycare. I've always wanted to be home with the kids & now the opportunity has presented itself. Best wishes in all you do.

Anita said...

I grew up on a farm so I milked the cows. Later I worked for another dairy farmer and milked his cows for 6 years. Then I got married, settled at home, and took care odf my kids.