Feb
Most of us have held a job at some point in our lives, even if you're a stay @ home mommy/daddy now. What jobs have you held or currently hold that equipped you with skills & talents you use as a parent?
LoL!!
Suggested Category
* Society & Culture > Cultures & Groups > Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered
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oh, i use my lawyering skills all the time with my children (and they use theirs back). often i need a good way to shoot down an argument about why they need another cookie. also, mediation skills are useful with four kids. plus in my professional life and as the parent of four prolific artists, i have to deal with handling huge amounts of paper. my chosen career certainly lent itself to learning to deal with difficult people, which is rather useful when you’ve a tantruming toddler. it was sometimes also good in learning to deal with huge boredom, which is useful when the gingerbread card keeps coming up right as someone was about to win the game of candyland.
i admit with all the injuries around here it would have been even superior had i been a physician.
Answer:
I work with kids teaching riding lessons, so I get a lot of one-on-one time with kids and they speak to me a lot about their parents, school, home life, likes and dislikes, what it's like, so I guess I get something of a unique perspective. They feel comfortable talking to me about things since I'm like them and I'm not quite like their parents either (generation gap) - it's amazing what children will let you in on if there's no fear of judgment or punishment. From them, I've learned how to speak to children and effectively communicate without them feeling like they're being patronized. Personally, I think feeling like someone's speaking down to you is a big part of why children don't listen to authority. People assume that just because they're children that they're stupid and it really isn't the case.
And before I was teaching lessons, I was a riding camp counselor each summer, so I have had experience with all ages over 5. I learned what works and what doesn't, as far as getting the kind of behavior you want, learned how to motivate them and such.
It wasn't really a job, prepared me all the same, but I went through a lot of the baby stuff with my godsons before my daughter was born, so I was semi-familiar with it. I wasn't going in blind, anyway.
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I was in graduate school before I became a parent, and I'm still a Ph.D. student in addition to being a stay-at-home mom (I'm writing my dissertation). My professional life taught me to take things in stride, and not stress out over little things. Once I had my daughter, I quickly learned that my professional life wasn't almost as important, but shouldn't be entirely abandoned either.
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LOL @ the Suggested Category! Wow…Yahoo! has lost their marbles! Anyways…as an x-ray tech, I work with children a lot, and also I used to work at a daycare, so that helped a lot too. I HATED that daycare. They wouldn’t even allow us to hold the children, even to comfort them if they fell or got injured. It was ridiculous! I did it all the time and got in trouble.
But yeah, that prepared me a lot. That and my niece. Needless to say, my daughter does NOT attend that daycare, and I made sure to watch that all the instructors at the one she attends are very affectionate to the children.
Answer:
I agree with the person who stated that no job can prepare you for parenthood. I speak as a mother of 3, who has worked in the past as a high school teacher, daycamp counselor, bookstore clerk, window-washer, pizza delivery girl, waitress, and soccer coach.
You're just thrown to the wolves, really…
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In my profession that I still work in, I work with the elderly, who are similar to kids. They have the ability to be the nicest thing one minute then throw a temper tantrum because they want there way, the next minute they have the ability to completely forget and or be confused. It has taught me a lot more patience.
It has taught me so much patience and to care about your life for it can go by way to fast.
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I learned allot about patience. A huge one is no matter how planned they are, will not go perfect. Also learned to grin an bear it.
lol in the LGBT section there's a bunch of people who just select ok and don't notice their questions go in there. It's very funny.
Answer:
I would have to say babysitting and jobs I've held where there were teenagers working their and also watching bosses deal with situations among staff. Mostly I'd state I learn more as a parent that helps me in my career then the other way around though.
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Multi-tasking (Paying bills online, while cooking dinner, while dancing and singing with baby)
Prioritizing (DInner, then bath, story, bedtime, then dishes)
Negotiations (one more bite of broccli = a cookie)
How to work well with others or under duress (Angry boss vs cranky toddler)
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Waitress/ Bartending= multi-tasking
All jobs= patience
ETA: LMAO at desmeran's gingerbread card in candyland comment!!!! I know that feeling all too well!!
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Multi-tasking came in handy and I was a pro when I was working, multi-tasking at work has nothing on multi-tasking at home.
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Unless you work with kids, I really don't think any jobs teach you anything about being a parent.
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Well I still work for a call center that I like a lot but it has definitely helped me to be more patient.