Any aspie women work in childcare/daycare?
I'd be very interested to hear how you handled it. Did you like it? Hate it?
I've done this job before part time in a small pre-school. It was good in some ways, some of the children were really sweet and I like the arts & crafts, paint, glitter etc However............the noise almost drove me insane and the constant interaction EXHAUSTED me!! !! !
I need another job and I am very right brain dominant, I cannot do math/science/anything techie, cannot operate a cash register, I've either tried everything or have no chance. Cannot go to college as cannot do math (probable dyscalculia) so my best bet is to try childcare again. I do love special needs kids and am really into psychology and anything arty........BUT...............the childcare jobs clash with my need for solitude I'm so introverted I'd love a job where I could work alone or one on one but it's just not going to happen. Does anyone else relate or have any advice on how to cope?
curlyfry
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If you want to go to college then go. I can do math but am not fast. I had to take one semester of math class because I could not test out of them. I worked at a small daycare but even though it was not loud the hours dragged and some of the kids were really undisciplined. My first time cashiering I was off by a lot but they had me start on the busiest day, so they let it slide. I got better. Dealing with b*tchy customers, faulty card machines is something else. I was terrible at phone messages too. If your into crafts have you thought of making things and selling them at a boutique or on the internet. I used to do crafts for extra money and sell to shops or craft fairs.
Thanks Curlyfry I don't want particularly want to go to college, I just want to get a job I can tolerate. Daycare seems the best bet for me, my main problem being sound sensitivity. I have thought about selling crafts but there's no money in it, thousands of people are doing it and the competition is so stiff. You've got to be at the top of your game to sell much, I know a few people who make gorgeous jewellry/clothes etc but they can't make a living from it. I plan to do it as a sideline though
daydreamer84
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I worked in daycare for a long time. It was too loud and exhausting (although there were aspects of it that I really liked such as reading stories and singing songs with the children). Even worse the other women that I worked with were really mean to me.......they were adult bullies. I'm studying psychology and I love it! It seems like you might really like it too.You can do an arts psychology rather than a science psychology degree and then there is no math (only one stats course and its early high school level math...you'll get through it) and you can still take biological psych courses if you want to (it became a special interest for me) without taking math. I'm a lot like you by the way.........math and technical stuff=bad! I think you mean left-brained though......the more dominant hemisphere for all things verbal and logical/analytical. Understanding spatial relations has a bigger right than left hemisphere component......so does social/emotional understanding...........although both hemispheres contribute to everything we do of-course. Maybe I'm making assumptions here......I'm bad at math and tech stuff because of terrible spatial ability. Anyways..........good luck my kindred spirit!
Thanks Daydreamer Yes, I LOVE psychology I really do not want to spend years at college though, I'm in my 30s now and it costs way too much, I'm not academic enough and have discovered I do have Dyscalculia. I'm definitely a right brain dominant aspie, very arty/creative and not good verbally, I'm also a real ditz I also found daycare loud and exhausting but really liked other aspects of it, like you I want to work part-time, that way i can handle it
I worked with kids for ten years in my 20s. I loved it. I preferred a private nanny role to the family daycare I worked in. I could still work in a family daycare or childcare situation, but I sincerely doubt I could work in a daycare centre with a large volume of children for reasons others have mentioned.
Regarding dyscalculia....I have it and it held me back for ages. I am now giving university another try. I need to pass a statistics course. In addition I home education my child. I found a great website that is meant for folks with dyscalculia @ dyscalculia.org called Math Upgrade. It's meant for people much younger than I am but I did the "sample" on fractions and am going to subscribe for six months at $50 to attempt to retrain myself so that I can teach my child and also pass stats. It allows you to start where you need assistance and I found the repetitive and sing-songy instruction very helpful. http://www.learningupgrade.com/html/muhome.htm
daydreamer84
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I think working part-time is a good idea then............I did find it easier when the shifts were shorter. Children in small doses.........
dooneybourkegrl
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What about community college? Its cheap, ANYONE can attend (regardless of how old you are), plus they have learning centers and services for people with all sorts of disabilities. I went to one and had help when and where I needed it.
I use to volunteer in a daycare center and the director loved me. She actually wants me back now, but I'm not so sure I wanna go back....yet. I'm still waiting to hear back about doing a little nanny-ish job for an 11 month old girl.
Anyways, shortly after my dad passed in 2007, my mom and I moved back to be closer to my grandma who wasn't doing so well then. I started as a volunteer first at my old daycare where I went as a preschooler and then it turned into a job. However when the owner director was on vacation, an incident happended to one of the little boys and I got blamed for it, though the parents didn't think it was that big of a deal. I explained in detail what happened and everything. The thing is the director didn't UNDERSTAND autism/aspergers at all especially in adults, though she had one student in her care who I believed was on the specturm. Oh well, it was her loss.
Otherwise, I loved it! Poopy diapers and all I love kids, especially those with special needs, ever since I was young I felt we had a special connection. I adore preschoolers though. If I weren't such a germaphobe, I'd probably be more hands on with them. Haha!
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I worked in a daycare as part of a practicum for my degree. It was only one afternoon per week, but I was drained for sure! Of course, that was pre-dx and pre-zoloft I had to learn how to interact with the kids as it didn't come naturally, but once I was familiar with the attachment research and knew how to interact, I really liked it.
Currently I volunteer as a lead teacher in the preschool room at my church on Sundays. I like thinking up the hands-on part of the lesson and how I can break down a concept to teach these kids. I also like playing with the kids and reading to them. I still think I interact first with a cognitive / clinical standpoint rather than from a purely emotional standpoint, but I really do enjoy and care about these kids
It's funny how many people seem to connect with children with special needs I work in a group home for adults with special needs, and we get along Once my co-worker walked by when a client and I were both humming and rocking to the music she was listening to. I just feel like I can be myself, and when they have meltdowns, I can talk to them and truly say, "I feel you. I really do."
Definitely I think having that balance between being by myself and being out there helping children or my clients is ideal. I have to have enough time to recharge in my own way so I can be there for them.
I loved working in daycare, there was a lot to do and a lot to learn, but it was all so intuitive that it wasn't really like working at all. I always worked in small groups with kids, so the noise was never really uncomfortable to me. I left childcare when my student loans mounted and I realized I needed a higher paying job in order to survive. I still miss it, and hope to return to it one day.
daydreamer84
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Currently I volunteer as a lead teacher in the preschool room at my church on Sundays. I like thinking up the hands-on part of the lesson and how I can break down a concept to teach these kids. I also like playing with the kids and reading to them. I still think I interact first with a cognitive / clinical standpoint rather than from a purely emotional standpoint, but I really do enjoy and care about these kids
It's funny how many people seem to connect with children with special needs I work in a group home for adults with special needs, and we get along Once my co-worker walked by when a client and I were both humming and rocking to the music she was listening to. I just feel like I can be myself, and when they have meltdowns, I can talk to them and truly say, "I feel you. I really do."
Definitely I think having that balance between being by myself and being out there helping children or my clients is ideal. I have to have enough time to recharge in my own way so I can be there for them.
I had to learn to interact with children too! My (fake exaggerated ) smile used to scare babies and make them cry..............it was apparently quite manic looking. I read a little a bit about non verbal communication online.................but basically I just learned through extensive practice and observation/imitation of the other workers.
I actually couldn't stand the meltdowns of special needs kids though............. the meltdowns and tantrums (of other children) overwhelmed me ...................I felt like putting my hands over my ears and screaming and I could not think in that state.
It's great that you're able to work with these children .............you probably understand them a lot better than the other workers. I wish I was actually good with children..............but I don't think I am (I'm good at reading and singing with them when they are attentive and engaged ...that's about it). I think I just liked working with children because I am a child! I'm listening to Raffi music right now and spent most of this evening watching children's cartoon.
Thanks everyone, all great replies I think this is the only kind of work I can actually do, I just wish I had more energy!! Interesting too how some of you say interacting doesn't come naturally........that's me also, I observed how the other workers did it and learnt that way. Oddly enough though, I am WAYYYYYY more intuitive than most NTs are with children, and I think I am a lot more sensitive to them.
I want to do meaningful work too, that's suited to my personality and I'm an idealist
poopylungstuffing
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I use to volunteer in a daycare center and the director loved me. She actually wants me back now, but I'm not so sure I wanna go back....yet. I'm still waiting to hear back about doing a little nanny-ish job for an 11 month old girl.
Anyways, shortly after my dad passed in 2007, my mom and I moved back to be closer to my grandma who wasn't doing so well then. I started as a volunteer first at my old daycare where I went as a preschooler and then it turned into a job. However when the owner director was on vacation, an incident happended to one of the little boys and I got blamed for it, though the parents didn't think it was that big of a deal. I explained in detail what happened and everything. The thing is the director didn't UNDERSTAND autism/aspergers at all especially in adults, though she had one student in her care who I believed was on the specturm. Oh well, it was her loss.
Otherwise, I loved it! Poopy diapers and all I love kids, especially those with special needs, ever since I was young I felt we had a special connection. I adore preschoolers though. If I weren't such a germaphobe, I'd probably be more hands on with them. Haha!
I found community college to be tedious and depressing, and there were no resources for people like me..it was not cheap for my budget..it was very frustrating.
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I found working with kids to be exhausting, but in a much different way than dealing with adults. Working with kids is physically draining, but the interactions are a lot more...honest somehow. Working with an office full of adults is emotionally and intellectually draining, it's tough to dodge the politics and preconceived ideas that seem to lurk behind every innocuous comment.
It took me about 6 years to get through community college, one night class at a time (plus all the practical work), but it was fun. I worked at bookstores and factories to put myself through school. It was hard work, and it turns out that I'm not working in childcare now, but it was a great experience in general, and helped socialize me in a way that grown up interactions didn't.
I've tried working in preschool/day care settings and found it to be a major sensory overload. I found it classroom management way too difficult as I lack the "firm voice" and body language to keep control over the class. I also got too involved with playing with a small group of children and couldn't keep tabs on the entire class. Good teachers have eyes in the back of their head while I barely have eyes in the front! Although the children loved me as a "playmate" I could not get them to take me seriously when it was time to take charge in transitions (clean up time, nap time, etc). I think I'd do okay as an aide if the head teacher would handle the discipline and transition issues as well as communicating with the parents but that pays minimum wage and would require full days. I also prefer more solitude and time alone.
I have had success working as a mother's helper and baby-sitter in private settings (just 1 or 2 children at a time). The kids love me and I CAN handle discipline and setting limits in home settings. I also get a nice, long break to read and surf the net when the child is taking a nap and then am replenished to play with them again when they wake up. I have taken extensive first aid training so I know I'm well prepared to deal with any emergency that may arise so that puts parents at ease.
Have you thought about becoming a nanny or an assistant for a stay at home mom with special needs children?
What about working in the children's section of a library?
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