With Son #3 (my baby) starting kindergarten on August 20, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about what I should do with my time when the boys are at school. The problem is I never figured out what I want to be when I grow up. Getting pregnant in mid-2001 allowed me to defer that decision for five and a half years, but here I am – older, not so much wiser – and I’m starting to feel anxious.
Money is tight – we do okay, but we do skimp. Part of me things it would be good to contribute to our family’s income. My ideal job would:
* Be meaningful and fulfilling
* Allow me to work from 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. (so I can be home when the kids are)
* Flexible enough that I could take the day off occasionally to chaperone a field trip, volunteer in the classroom, etc.
* Pay me a nice chunk of cash (never mind that I’ve been unemployed for 5 yrs)
* Creative, not boring
* Allow me to be autonomous – in other words, not chained to the desk all day
Yep, I should keep dreaming.
My plan is to not jump into anything right away, primarily to be around while Sons #1 and #3 adjust to their new schools. Son #2 is returning to his same school, and should do just fine. I do hope to use some of alone time to take some little classes – not college courses (two degrees that I’m not using is probably an indication that higher education may not be the wisest investment. How does someone whose major has been pretty much “undecided” her entire life even get accepted into grad school? But I digress…)
Our local crafts store offers classes so my friend and I plan to take Beginning Knitting and Scrapbooking 101. I’m hyperactive – although at my age, I’m more fidgety – so it would be nice to do something with my hands. The classes are very inexpensive and probably only cover the most basic stuff, but it’s ideal for me who often gets bored and doesn’t finish what I start.
Oh, I also hope to take a stained glass class. That should be cool. My neighbor’s sister-in-law owns a stained glass making shop and last year for my birthday, my neighbor gave me a gift certificate for free lessons. I never took advantage of it because I was with Son #3 all day. However, I ran into the sister-in-law last month and she said there’s no expiration on the gift certificates. Yay.
I’d also love to take classes in painting (water color and acrylics), photography, and creative writing.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Job or Hobby?
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4 comments:
The stained glass class sounds interesting...and if you find one of the jobs you describe can you recommend me, too? I'd be willing to move! LOL!
Seriously, good luck with your job search!
What a great idea. Those classes sound like loads of fun. I would so enjoy doing that.
Hey, you've got some plans. That's definitely a step in the right direction.
I have always said that I want to train for preschool education when my kids are all in school full time. It sure as heck won't pay great, but the hours will be within school hours, and potentially flexible(ish) with summers off and a fun, creative job. Plus, I'm thinking it will cure that baby itch that will surely hit around that time...
sue, that's the problem. I don't really want a job, but it just doesn't feel right to hang around blogging, watching soaps, eating bon bons all day while the kids are at school. What's a gal to do? :-)
nadine, As long as the classes don't cut into my time with the family, it should be fun. I hope I don't run out of "mad money" before I get to take them all.
tracey, I actually considered going to school for Early Elem Ed, perhaps Special Ed, before Son #3 came along. Our local univ. offered a master's program for folks who already have a degree in another field. Problem was the so-called evening classes started at 4:20 and at the time I worked full time until 5:00. Now that I have time to take classes during they day, they've temporarily suspended the program. Go figure. They had too many people who'd get their BA in Education, then jump straight into the Master's program with little or no class time which wasn't the orig. intent of the program. They're re-vamping it, but who knows what it'll look like when they're finished (or how long it will take).
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