Back To School Haul Post

Hello there! Been a very long time since I've updated the good ol' blog thanks to lovely college deadlines and whatnot. Had lots going on in the time I've been away, including getting a new job (woo!) which is the main inspiration for this post, as well as a whole range of days out and about and holidays too. Life is good right now if I'm completely honest. So, let us begin..

 

As I have recently been offered a job within a primary school, I figured this was the perfect time for a spending spree. Seeing as I was in desperate need for some 'smart casual' clothing and some bits and bobs to use in the classroom, this was the perfect excuse.

1. The Elmer Tote Bag - Amazon £6.16

As I'll be in a primary school, I figured I needed one hell of a bag. Let's be honest, nothing beats a classic like Elmer the colourful elephant. I was drawn to this bag by the whole range of colours and the strength of the bag. Undecided what to use this for, whether it be a storage bag for my books or just a general bag, but I'm sure the children will love it!

2. Denim Shirt and Caitlyn Big Cat Cami - Fat Face £36 and £28

Now, I never really buy anything from Fat Face if I'm completely honest.. Being a student, I have a very limited budget and can't afford some of their clothes. However, whenever the bank of mum opens its doors for business, I instantly take advantage to have some of these amazing clothes.

3. Black Slim Leg Double Zip Ribbed Trousers - New Look £14.99

I am forever in need of black trousers. I have recently trashed yet another pair with holes and countless amounts of paint/glue stains, so I needed yet another pair of trouser. Me being me, I'm more of a skinny jeans kind of person so I tried to find a pair which were a similar shape to my skinny jeans. Thank you, New Look, for providing such a good alternative!

4. GLIS box with lids - IKEA £1.50

I won't lie, I love IKEA with a burning passion. You can't go wrong with cheap flatpack furniture, let's be honest. I picked up these storage boxes on my visit the other day as they are ideal to go on a child's desk to store things, such as pencils or a visual timetable. These will be perfect and so useful in the classroom!

Well that's all for now. Hopefully won't leave it too long for another post. Have a lovely day, guys!

 

My 'Peter Pan' Mentality

Hey guys! Hope you all had an awesome Halloween. Bit of a different kind of post today. Not music, not film.. More of a realisation and life rant if I'm completely honest. Now, I've been sat having a proper think this miserable, British evening and I came to a horrible conclusion. I'm 19, still in college and supposed to be 'starting' my life next year. I have no clue as to what I want to do. This could be an issue..

Looking at some of the people I went to school with who are either my age, older or, in some cases, younger, I am very behind in comparison. They're all getting engaged, having babies or even married! Then there's me. Socially awkward, incredibly childish and immature and genuinely terrified at the thought of growing up. Great start, right? I can't seem to maintain a relationship without getting myself hurt, can't seem to make 'grown up' decisions (unless planning how to rearrange my room counts as one..) and so on. Then I look at my family. One of my cousins is married with two kids, another is in a well paid recruitment job practically rolling in the money, others are at university or starting their lives with partners.. I'm one of the only ones who didn't go to university and, quite frankly, I feel like I'm going nowhere..

I absolutely love the course I'm doing at college. I mean, it's childcare - what's not to love, right?! Wrong, coursework is a nightmare. Other than that, the course is pretty awesome and I love it. The girls are lovely, the teachers are (mostly) supportive, the course itself is insightful and interesting.. But where will it take me? So far, I'm doing really well. Got an A for the first year and aiming for an A this year which will be an almighty challenge to say the least, but what will I do with it? At the end of the day, I aspire to be either a nanny or a teaching assistant - prefer the idea of a teaching assistant if I'm honest, but nannying a small child would be just as rewarding! Maybe when I get into my career more, I could go into teacher training. Not 100% yet.. But that takes me to next year.. What the hell am I going to do when I come out of being in education for 16 years...

In my head, there are so many things I would love to do next year. Some more realistic as per usual! Like, I'd love to work with Disney. The cruise line, the actual parks... More realistically, I have a higher chance of working somewhere like Centre Parcs or Butlins. Really pushing the boat out there.... Not. admittedly, Centre Parcs wouldn't be so bad if I got into something enjoyable. Ideally, I'd love to get a teaching assistant job or a nannying career and eventually move out of home with a good enough salary to support me. Wishful thinking, right? I think so too. All I want is a secure career which I enjoy and a happy life. Is that too much to ask for? Clearly it is with my mentality.

Then we come to the present, and where I am now. I live at home with my mum, I work in Sainsbury's all weekend every weekend, I can't drive (legally on my own - learning is good enough!) and I'm in college/placement every weekday. When do I have any 'me time'
just to wind down and think? Try never, or when I have holiday off work and college. I'll be honest, I don't want to work in Sainsbury's forever. As good as it is for now (good pay, met some amazing people etc), it's hardly my lifetime ambition.. As for college, need I say more. I go to college three days a week and placement the other two days, doesn't sound to bad and, in all honesty, it really isn't compared to some courses. But what do I do when it's all over? 

I've learnt in the past few months that having positive people in my life can create a positive mind and mentality. I absolutely adore the girls on my course, they are amazing. I can't imagine doing the course without them. Same with some of my other friends, like my best friend. She has got my through so much this year (we won't go into detail) and, despite me being the biggest pain in the backside going, has stuck by me through thick and thin. This applies with a couple of other people. I've restored friendships which were crushed and found who is worth keeping in my life. We all think we'll stay close with our friends in schools, but that is far from true. Out of all of my sixth form friends, I speak to a handful now. Just shows how little you can mean to someone really, doesn't it.. Especially when they simply do not make an effort with you at all. My worst fear is being alone and, with things like that, I literally feel beyond alone.. Having no one to turn to about certain things is the worst feeling ever.

So, now I've written my little rant, I've realised I have more motivation to write this than my college assignments - how bad is that?! But, in all seriousness, I find myself in a bit of a mess. My head is a mess, my heart is in a state that can't be described.. I am clueless. No one could ever imagine half the things that go on in my head, and I couldn't blame them. Ever. Basically, to sum it all up, I have the 'Peter Pan' mentality - I don't want to grow up..

Help me. 

5 Things I've learnt from working with children..

Hey guys! As a childcare student, I've been working with lots of children from different ages. Definitely one of the most rewarding jobs I can think of if I'm honest, scaffolding their learning and helping them develop along the way. However, there are a few things in particular I have noticed and learnt since working with them.

1. All children are different.

This seems incredibly obvious, but after working in a school and nursery, it's amazing how much you can notice it. No children are the same, not at all. You'll get the quiet ones, the loud ones, the shy ones, the confident ones...The big differences are behaviour and ability. All children behave in different ways and have different abilities. For whatever reason, this is how they are. But there will always be a few who stand out. For example, a child who is very loud, clever but really underconfident. Another example, a child who is quiet, confident but is really badly behaved. All children have big personalities and it is so rewarding when you can bring them out of their shell and bring out their full potential. It makes you feel great and makes them feel amazing!

 
(source: www.istockphoto.com)

2. You must be a child to work with children.

For some people, childcare is an easy way out because they don't know what to do with their lives. If this is you, don't even bother. Seriously. If you don't have the passion to work with children, then you will fail at working with them. I've found from working with children that if you have a childish mentality, you can really connect with the children on a number of levels. From giving them examples to help them in their work to general discussions with them. When working in nursery last year, I found that I could really engage with the children during play as I actually enjoyed what they were playing with or when reading with them as I'd made an effort to do the research before my placement to see what kind of things were popular with children. Turns out the Gruffalo is a clear winner, along with Room on the Broom!

(source: www.google.com)

3. Be involved.

Children absolutely love it when you are involved with their learning and play, it makes them feel valued and involved which really helps their self-esteem. It also helps you feel like part of the class/group if you are actively involved within a lesson or play. Children feel more able to talk to you and you come across as a lot more approachable, compared to some childcare students who ignore the children and sit on their phones for an entire session. Besides, being involved can be so much fun! Especially when it's a fun activity, you can't sit out and be boring. Not exactly encouraging, is it...

(source: www.onekama.k12.mi.us)

4. Be a role model.

This goes without say. When you work with children, they will look up to you no matter what. You are there to be a role model for them to aspire to and look up to. You are there to encourage them and scaffold them as individuals. You want to encourage them to fulfil their full potential and achieve the best they can. If you show them that you are interested and motivated, they will respond to this and become more involved in what they're doing. If you show them a negative attitude, they will show it back. If you show them you're positive, they will show you a positive attitude. If you respect and value them, they will return the favour.

 
(source: www.pinterest.com)

5. Children's drawings are entertaining. 

Now, if you've ever worked with children or have younger siblings/family members, you will know where I'm going with this. They way children draw is simply hilarious and somewhat adorable at the same time, and often very creative. I've noticed this a lot since being in a school setting and nursery. Admittedly, my Key Stage 1 groups were more entertaining because at least you had a vague idea what they were getting at compared to nursery children. For example, children seem to be fixated on triangular noses. So when they draw a person or a face, it must have a triangle for a nose. I found this so adorable and funny at the same time. But that's just children, they are amazing and entertaining for the rest of us to watch and see!