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I started a new job today!
7 months ago
I am officially an early years educator!
Believe me the irony of ME working in a nursery has slipped no one LOL. It definitely came about as this strange surge of “ooh maybe that would be fun”. A lot of encouragement from friends and one wicked interview later here I am!
It’s been… hectic for sure. That’s to be expected I guess. So much energy in the room at any given point and after a while you really struggle to keep up with everything. I broke a freakin chair and fell on my butt in front of everyone which I can’t wait to be able to laugh about. Got attacked by flour wielding menaces and oh my gosh is it difficult to understand what they’re saying at times… Especially when so many are tryna grab your attention at once! It’s an adjustment period though. I’m like this shiny new toy that’s just walked in and everybody wants a turn playing with it! Thankfully the staff are all super welcoming and supportive. All my new colleagues have been super friendly and have made sure I know that right now, there are no expectations. I just need to be present, learn the routine, and eventually I’ll find my footing.
One big worry was that I’m ASD, and sensory overloads can really hit you out of nowhere. I’m trying to figure out how to speak up for myself more. To communicate when things are getting too much rather than assuming I can just tough it out. That wasn’t much of an issue in my last school job because I primarily worked with my family (I was a bit of a nepo baby LOL), and they were pretty good at recognising when I needed to take five. I just feel guilty I guess, and with so many people wanting me to do well, friends family and colleagues, I don’t want to let anyone down. I know realistically two or three ten minute breaks a day won’t do that, but in an environment with so much chaos it’s difficult to just tap out and leave someone else holding the bag.
I’ve mentioned before how I’m a super anxious and neurotic person, but I’ve not really talked about how good I am at masking it. This is my first proper shift based job, and everything is so new and there’s so much to learn and to deal with. There are things I need to adjust to on top of everything that comes with taking care of kids so small, and that’s honestly worrying me more than the kids themselves. I’ve been told it’s okay to ask for help if I need it, but how frequently is it acceptable to ask? I don’t want to make myself look helpless or incompetent, but I also know how easy it is for me to get burnt out.
It’s not been all bad though! I had a lot of fun doing the simple things. Messing about with playdough, helping get people dressed in their coats and shoes for outdoor play, storytime on the mats. I’m gonna try and procure myself a sketchbook to take in and see who I can get to join me for doodles! That’s for sure gonna be where my strengths lie. One of the most rewarding things today was this sweet kiddo who kinda took me under her wing. Showing me around, introducing me to everyone. Hearing her excitedly call my name to show me something new was super sweet! And since I find real comfort in kidcore aesthetics the nursery itself feels like a really homely environment, even at the most chaotic of times! I’ve definitely come up with a few adorable drawing ideas for little Broker!
So yeah! It’s been a crazy day. I ache all over and I’m freakin exhausted. Gonna go sleep and get ready to do it all over again tomorrow!
Believe me the irony of ME working in a nursery has slipped no one LOL. It definitely came about as this strange surge of “ooh maybe that would be fun”. A lot of encouragement from friends and one wicked interview later here I am!
It’s been… hectic for sure. That’s to be expected I guess. So much energy in the room at any given point and after a while you really struggle to keep up with everything. I broke a freakin chair and fell on my butt in front of everyone which I can’t wait to be able to laugh about. Got attacked by flour wielding menaces and oh my gosh is it difficult to understand what they’re saying at times… Especially when so many are tryna grab your attention at once! It’s an adjustment period though. I’m like this shiny new toy that’s just walked in and everybody wants a turn playing with it! Thankfully the staff are all super welcoming and supportive. All my new colleagues have been super friendly and have made sure I know that right now, there are no expectations. I just need to be present, learn the routine, and eventually I’ll find my footing.
One big worry was that I’m ASD, and sensory overloads can really hit you out of nowhere. I’m trying to figure out how to speak up for myself more. To communicate when things are getting too much rather than assuming I can just tough it out. That wasn’t much of an issue in my last school job because I primarily worked with my family (I was a bit of a nepo baby LOL), and they were pretty good at recognising when I needed to take five. I just feel guilty I guess, and with so many people wanting me to do well, friends family and colleagues, I don’t want to let anyone down. I know realistically two or three ten minute breaks a day won’t do that, but in an environment with so much chaos it’s difficult to just tap out and leave someone else holding the bag.
I’ve mentioned before how I’m a super anxious and neurotic person, but I’ve not really talked about how good I am at masking it. This is my first proper shift based job, and everything is so new and there’s so much to learn and to deal with. There are things I need to adjust to on top of everything that comes with taking care of kids so small, and that’s honestly worrying me more than the kids themselves. I’ve been told it’s okay to ask for help if I need it, but how frequently is it acceptable to ask? I don’t want to make myself look helpless or incompetent, but I also know how easy it is for me to get burnt out.
It’s not been all bad though! I had a lot of fun doing the simple things. Messing about with playdough, helping get people dressed in their coats and shoes for outdoor play, storytime on the mats. I’m gonna try and procure myself a sketchbook to take in and see who I can get to join me for doodles! That’s for sure gonna be where my strengths lie. One of the most rewarding things today was this sweet kiddo who kinda took me under her wing. Showing me around, introducing me to everyone. Hearing her excitedly call my name to show me something new was super sweet! And since I find real comfort in kidcore aesthetics the nursery itself feels like a really homely environment, even at the most chaotic of times! I’ve definitely come up with a few adorable drawing ideas for little Broker!
So yeah! It’s been a crazy day. I ache all over and I’m freakin exhausted. Gonna go sleep and get ready to do it all over again tomorrow!
anothershyguy
~anothershyguy
That sounds exciting, I hope you can thrive!
