Additional Needs

Special needs parenting: Running into Spring

Posted by Rochelle Followes on 24th May 2021 Additional Needs, Advice & Support, Disabilities

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In my previous blog, I spoke about how March was the month for me to start a fresh chapter, a time for me to really dig deep and do what I want to do.

I must say, things are moving rather quickly and I love it!

Over the past year, with all the home-schooling and virtual learning, I have been able to get an insight of Zachariah school life, and get a real good feel of how his day looks when at school.

I have also had much deeper conversations with his teachers around his development, and how best to help him push further and achieve new goals.

Over that period of time, there were also conversations around me possibly looking into teaching/working in the school myself.

Like I had touched on in my previous blog, I have put my all into Zachariah, home schooling included, I’m pretty sure I came across as a teacher's pet, haha!

The thing is, I really enjoyed it, I loved preparing the lessons, and enjoyed seeing them come to life.

I learnt so much about Special Education, learning through play and exploring the senses. 

It was a once in a lifetime opportunity I feel, to get an insight into what Zachariah gets up to at school and work with the teachers, a lot different from notes in the home diary at the end of the day.

I now really know what sensology is, and why it is used. And I see the importance of repeating activities, although this was probably the part I struggled with the most. 

All this got me thinking.

I did once have the dream to be a teacher, I went to College and University with this in mind, I have qualifications. I have the passion for children and giving them the best opportunities in life. 

But…

Do I have the capacity mentally? 

Am I able to commit to helping other children?

This isn’t a job that you take lightly, nor is it something you can just walk into, and or walk away from. We joked about it, but is there something in this. 

I had spoken to Tim about going back to work a few times, and about starting a career, but we had always gone round in circles, coming back to the fact that Zachariah needed me to be available, and the constant jobs, appointments etc would be too hard to juggle. 

I guess there's an element of fear too, I haven't worked in a structured job for 7 years, as I started Maternity leave in March 2014, and never returned as Zachariah needed full time care. 

Then one day I just so happened to be looking on the council jobs website and came across a Midday job at my son's school!

It made sense!

With very little confidence, I went for it.

I only went and got the job!. 

Eeeeek! 

I have no idea if now is the right time, do we ever truly know?

However, I feel ready to commit, and start a career, and this job seemed the perfect place to start as the commitment was only a few hours a day, term time only.

With this I have also started a Diploma in SEND. It feels so good to be doing something again.

I had started to feel deflated and almost given up on the idea of working again, being a full-time carer is an incredibly huge thing to do, but it doesn't have to be your everything.

There needs to be space for YOU too, whether it be a career or something completely different, YOU are enough to achieve outside the box you may have put yourself in.

Much love,

Rochelle