If you work with children but are not a teacher or paediatrician, what do you do?!

[mrsmaggiemistletoe]

Just that really. After 5 years as a SAHM
it is time for me to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. I know I want to work with children, and I’m sure there are heaps of jobs I haven’t thought about/perhaps don’t know about... so hit me

I'm a SALT-in-training and am hoping to work with under-5s once I've qualified.

Short breaks service for children with various disabilities. It's a mix of nursing-type care and ensuring the children have a lovely stay doing interesting stuff. Plus paperwork, of course. I love it but I need to earn more really so looking to retrain in the next few years (my youngest child is currently only 1)

Speech and language therapy.

(But I still want to work with children...)

SALT working with under 5's (waves to Foxy).

OP what are your views on retraining? Physio, OT etc are options but would need a degree or post grad course.

Childminder

Very happy to retrain. Have been thinking about a psychology conversion as psych is a long long held interest, dating from my uni days. But I know that the path into any form of child psych is long and highly competitive - which I don’t mind at all, but I am also sure that there are many roles I haven’t even thought of.

SALT seems popular!

ladybirds that sounds like a lovely and very fulfilling job (paperwork aside...)

I'm a health visitor but we are trained as nurses first. I love working with children and families, supporting other services to ensure children having the best start in life. Working with children is rewarding but hard going for many reasons.

Training to be an occupational therapist, hoping to work in paediatrics when I’m done :)

I should add that OTs work in mental health if that’s an interest, although obviously job opportunities will be more limited if you specifically want to work in CAMHS

Dr in child psychology

Do it !! Love my job
Good salary too

We are crying out for Psychologists right now

What about play therapist op? I am a paediatric nurse. If you have a children’s hospital near you there will be lots of options there. Radiographer?

looondonn would you mind telling me a bit more about how you got into it?!

Play therapist is a good shout!

Social worker

I’m interested in becoming a SALT with under 5s.
Any info on where to get started? I have no clue!!

I'm a paediatric nurse, working on a ward in a children's hospital.

Yes sure

It's doctoral level training now

My undergrad psychology
Teacher for ten years
Masters in Ireland
Doctoral training then
More places are now available due to demand
Great job I say go for it
You will love it and lots of scope to work in many different ways
Many of my friends now working by themselves and loving it

I have a mixed role.
I'm a play therapist with a hand in child home safety, early intervention for speech and language for under 4s and community nursery nursing working with mums who have mental health.
Love my job.

Thanks looondonn

BlacknWhitePanda that sounds so interesting. Do you mind telling me your career pathway?

I'm a mental health nurse and a family therapist. I currently work in a secure children's home.

I started off as a nursery nurse after completing my level 3 in childcare, I worked in nursery for 8 years and worked up to room leader. I then went on to do my degree in early childhood studies (the degree isn't important for my role now just gave me an advantage when applying for the job).
I then moved to community nursery nursing and expressed interest in extending my skills to benefit the area we worked within (huge poverty area).
I started working under a speech and language therapist to undertake early intervention for speech to cut down the wait lists along side my work. I then also volunteered to work under the child safety officer in our department.
With the play therapist route it started becoming move of a role with the families we had in our cachement.
I have been very lucky in being able to develop myself. Once I became a community nursery nurse I was very open to undertaking training and even finding loads of courses to do myself which were free of I did them through work.

Another SALT here!

Social worker with Looked After children (teens more often but also younger children). We focus on offering a long term role to them once def staying in foster care - I have been social worker for some kids for 6 years and watched them grow up. A real parental role whilst also being professional; I love it.