- I taught preschool for two years and loved it.
- But at the same time I could not support myself financially.
- I applied for an office job and remembered how to interact with other adults.
I taught preschool for two years. Honestly, it was cool. It was fulfilling, meaningful work that left me feeling whole at the end of each day.
The problem was that I could not support myself and my son for this salary as a newly married mother. Instead, I entered the corporate world first, but it was not without sacrifice.
The job search process took time
He came first the job application process. I spent hours every day sending CVs to anyone who would take me, desperate to step into the role of breadwinner now that I was single.
After three months from custom cover letter processing for every employer I sent an application to, I finally found it: an entry-level marketing role at an online health publisher that had my name on it.
This is when The culture shock really began.
As a preschool teacher and mother of a toddler, I had barely touched my laptop for the past two years. My son and I had a set routine to attend school together every day: his place of study and my place of work.
I was home in time to make dinner every night and our weekends were filled with parks and playgrounds. We were part of a small, tight-knit community of teachers, administrators, and a few involved parents. It was cozy, comfortable and sweet as can be.
I wondered if it was worth it
Now, I was suddenly thrust into the fast-paced, competitive environment of the San Francisco startup world—and my head was spinning.
My son was the first kid in daycare and the last one home because of my new 3 hour round trip. Before, he had to attend the school where I studied for free. Now, half of my salary went to childcare.
I began to question if it had all been worth it, if I had given up something precious and rare just to make money – like so many others – and I was still barely making ends meet. But I told myself to do it, believing that even if I couldn’t see where my new career would take us, we would land where we needed to.
Once I began to adjust to my new role, there were many perks to enjoy.
There were benefits
For the first time in my life, I had quality benefits (full medical, vision, dental and a 401k) and it was refreshing to be in an office with people my own age. It was the first time I had interacted meaningfully with adults outside of a child-focused environment in years. I had kind of forgotten how I was grown up. Honestly, maybe I have really strong.
I felt like a fish out of water as a 20-year-old hippie kid at heart in a corporate environment wearing blazers and flats for the first time in my life, but it was exciting to try out a new and dynamic character and see how everything is played.
At the same time, I really missed my role as a teacher and all that time after school with my son.
Of course, we had a cold brew on tap and office-sponsored happy hours every Thursday. I had to lead the Celebrations Committee and organize extravagant parties for special events and birthdays on the company’s dime.
However, this did not compare to watching an entire community of children grow from baby to school-ready child over the course of a year. It was nothing compared to the outpouring of heartfelt gratitude we teachers received from parents for taking care of their children while they were away.
And it certainly didn’t compare to the hugs during the story, the hugs at the end of the day, and the love and trust we gained from our students to be there for them day in and day out.
All that said, I wouldn’t change a thing. My career had a rough and tumble start, but now I work from home, homeschool my son, cook dinner every night, and spend zero time traveling. I can contribute to my community, grow a garden and walk my dog.
I’m even harboring a small fantasy that one day I’ll return to teaching preschool just for the joy of it—and to support myself with a freelance career. We’ll see what happens, but I don’t regret rolling the dice, even though I still miss all the kids.
