When did you know...

What you wanted to do with your life, before becoming a mom? (Or dad lol)

I remember starting to babysit when I was 12. I think it was ever BEFORE that, that I knew i wanted to work with kids and families. It might have been that I was always the oldest in my neighborhood, with a lot of little kids, or my family upbringing.

When I was 15 (that seems like FOREVER ago!) I worked in a home day care of someone I used to baby sit for (she decided to open the center so she could be home). I LOVE LOVED LOVED it! I worked with mainly the younger kids (If I remember correctly, there were a few age ranges in there). I remember always playing learning games and activities, taking them to the park (walking distance) and sometimes visiting my house (up the street).

I worked in that for...4 years??...until they moved. (I have been trying to find them on FB, as they moved out of state, I missed them!!!) Then when I went to college (I started out at OCC, otherwise known as Harvard on the Hill lol) I started in Childhood Education with a Business minor. I enjoyed working in the day care center and doing my "internship" there. My goodness, my then 2 year olds are...17 now? WOW! I would LOVE to see what they look like now!! Especially Genny...the one I did my paper on :)

So I got my Associated in that, after coming back from Disney. I HIGHLY recommend anyone in college now to work at Disney if given the opportunity to join their college program!! (Though I also suggest you pick a semester that is NOT summer!)

I took a break...STILL not sure why...from school, but kept working in the child care field. I think, in all, in the last almost 20 years, I have worked in 6 centers, mainly with either 2ish year olds or the preschool set. I love working with most age groups, but those 2 are my favorite! I am not a big infant room person lol. I don't mind stepping in once in a while, but it is not my bag!

Then I had my first child in 1999. I took time off, and eventually moved 2 hours from home. When he was around 13 months, I decided that he needed socialization (no story times or the like back then, and though I knew about things like Kindermusik, there was none in the immediate area!). So I sent him to a preschool. A month later, I ended up working there in the 3/4 year old room (this is always hard, as I get attached easily, and always cried when they would leave for kindergarten!)

After 9/11 happened, I decided to move him (it was in a location I didn't feel safe for either of us after that, just being a paranoid first time mom!). I ended up working at THAT one, after a short time being a manage for a Papa Johns Pizza. (I enjoy working in pizza places for some strange reason...). I ended up working in the 2 year old room. I LOVED my girls!! I had 4 girls, who are all going into the 3rd or 4th grade this year (now that we moved back from NC, I see some of them frequently). I then ended up getting more kids, and an assistant. Always more fun with 2 teachers!!!

I had my daughter in 2003, and left the day care. I planned on going back, but it never worked out! (they wanted me to come back, but with their price hikes, we just couldn't do it!) I worked part time in other preschools and day cares for the next 3 years, as well as started my own website for families. During this time, I also got my Associates in Business from Bryant and Stratton. I first wanted to open my own center...maybe someday!

We then moved to North Carolina in July 2006. I think if I was not pregnant with my 3rd, I may have gone to a center there. I thought about it, especially with a day care having been built within walking distance of my house!

In 2006 I was contacted by Wee Hands to become a licensed sign language instructor for kids and parents (kids ages 0-4). Someday I hope to become fluent in ASL! I also joined The Happiest Baby as a Certified Parent Educator. So with this, I decided to get my Bachelors in Early Childhood Ed/Development. I chose Ashford from many recommendations. They changed their program half way through my degree, but I stuck with it, and currently I am considering doing their Masters in Education. I would LOVE to teach preschool again. I would also love to get Montessori training! (Maybe I can teach at my son's Montessori school and get a discount!...MAYBE LOL). I was hoping the local Universities would have something I could take, but it seems that they don't have much for online...and with 4 kids, online is SO much easier! I love learning and feel that you should not stop learning new things until the day you pass on. :) I think my library of books would tell you that!

I was also contacted by NAEYC and The National Effective Parenting Initiative to join their organizations. I am always looking for more to join and more ways to help families. I currently teach Wee Hands and Happiest Baby in my spare time and enjoy the time I get to spend doing this. I think my daughter might help me someday, as she is always teaching the 3 and 1 year old signs! She did say she wants to be a teacher (and a mommy) when she grows up!

So, when did YOU know you wanted to do what you are doing?


Stay at home, business owning mom of 4 young kids, Nick the Sportsman, Michele the Princess, Wyatt the Wild One, and Evan the Baby.Bachelor in Early Childhood Development and Education, with 20 years experience. I could not ask for anything more!