I was about 7 years old when I knew what I wanted to do when I grew up - a nurse minding babies was what I wanted to do. As I got older I learned the name of the profession - midwifery.
Unfortunately, I performed poorly in school and science was one of my poor subjects so studying nursing was out of the question.
After school, I did do a course for about two years. In my 20s, I drifted in and out from different jobs. I had work in a shop, I worked in hotels and a factory at one stage. I wasn't ever happy with my jobs. Not because it wasn't nursing, there was always something wrong with the jobs. For example, working in hotels, I worked in the accommodation department serving rooms. It was work that I liked and I helped one hotel gain extra stars due to perfectionism in my work. I didn't like it because so many guests had so little respect - walking into rooms that were trashed at times, walking into rooms where bins were never used, even going into one room where the toilet wasn't used and someone used the bath instead. Weddings were always the worst. The guests would be hungover and stuck in their rooms where you can't get in to service them and there would be a lot of pressure from management.
Them days are behind me. I always enjoyed babysitting and I babysat for many different families. In my mid 20s, I decided to do a child care course. It was something that I very much enjoyed.
I've been working in a private role for many years and It was something that I very much I enjoyed for a long time. However, it's not working out for me anymore. I always enjoyed helping the family I work for, but it's gone beyond what I ever signed up to do. The days are long and hard with too much of a load on my back - look after the kids, help their development, cook the meals, do laundry (even the parents laundry), do a general tidy up. It's the amount of hours that I'm putting in - I'm neglecting myself and my own personal life and relationships. I'm not getting paid properly either. It was always like this. It's extortion really - trying to get as much out from me for as little as possible. I used to like the parents I work for too but not I see a lot of greed and selfishness with them. They are placing more of an emphasis on their social life's now too. It isn't a few hours down in the local pub on a Saturday night, it's complete weekends away and not even once in a blue moon. There's something going on nearly every weekend for them. Which means I'm the one left holding the baby so to speak. I could go on an on and on and on.
I need to leave this job and find something better I need to start looking out for myself. I will never be able to afford my own mortgage or to have a baby of my own if I continue on like this.
I need a job where I can clock in, in the morning, don't he work and hours, clock back out and go home and do my own laundry instead of someone elses and get paid a proper wage appropriate to the work and I hours that I put in.
I have no idea where to start and what to do. Going back to college to study full time is out of the question. That's not going to pay the bills. I need something that will pay me a decent wage. I want to get out from childcare altogether. I wouldn't mind trying my hand at office or secretary work.