The Adults

Sometimes I worry about the capability of the UK Government and how they are SO disorganised and can't seem to arrange anything.

This week we are on half term which means I have done my first half term as a parent helper in James's nursery. I've been going in every Thursday since they returned to school (Tuesday the first week then I changed) and I love it. The kids are great, I love being active in the creativeness that 4 year olds have, the thrill of the big wide world and covering Chinese New Year. In my odd days in I've helped the kids with their collage of the Chinese dragon, read stories, been on break duty, filled in numerous forms, prepared work for the following day, played games with the kids, overseen the creation of Valentines Cards and joined in with all sorts of singing and dancing activities as well as the less than glamorous jobs of clearing up and helping with shoes and coats etc.

However, going back to the useless Government system, I have been working in a school for 6 weeks and only just today I got my CRB (Criminal Records Beareu check) cleared.  In those 6 weeks I  could have been ANYONE. I do not have any convictions but I could have and they would still be none the wiser. I could look the average mother dropping her kids off at school but I could have been done for dealing drugs, violence, sexual offences or murder in my past and it took 6 weeks for it to be reported to the school. Of course, I am sure that if I was a prolific criminal of sorts then the school would have been informed sooner rather than later. Yet, me, I am one of those proper Virgoan/Librans at times who just likes formalities covered. I like things in order and feeling that things are unfinished irritates me. Especially when it's something like this and kids welfares are at stake.

As you may have noticed I am LOVING the classroom environment and I am already thinking of stepping up a gear when Liam begins nursery in September. I need to work in the school voluntary 15 hours a week to qualify to begin the training as a teaching assistant. I don't have to do it all in the nursery, I can move around the school helping out in areas that need the help as I earn the qualifications to become a paid professional. It will mean all 5 mornings are taken up voluntarily in the school but life is now at a point where I need to reconsider my future.

I could continue to be a non working mum with kids at school or I could actually begin to think about doing something for me. To think about helping contribute to the family finances. Wages aren't great as a T.A. but it all helps. We are comfortable now and hubbys wages will only go up with more experience and the options of promotion.

By the time I begin to train, Matthew will be approaching 11 years old. That will be that I've dedicated the last 11 years of my life solely to my kids and family and I feel that this is my way of getting something back for myself. For getting back into the working world and to give something back to society. I am at a stage I've given the best start I can to my kids and if I can help others then I would love to be part of that important stage of a childs life.

Hubbys new job started at the start of the month. He is getting on well with it. He's enjoying the new challenges of new sites to work upon and the hours aren't affecting him too badly. Last Thursday he had an assessment done on his work and he is doing just fine, his assessor was also being assessed by a manager and the manager was being assessed by senior management. So, as if having a work assessment wasn't worrying enough, he had the added pressure of being overseen by 3 people instead of 1. Because of this we didn't do too much for Valentines Day but hope to get out and do something just the two of us this weekend.

We have had a busy few weeks and what with that and balancing life with the kids it's been a lot of hard work and a lot of hard play for all.