Do I live paycheck to paycheck? Sure. Who doesn't?

Well, maybe financially stable adults do- but we don't count them.

However, I don't work with the motivation of knowing that I'll get paid. There is so much that goes into my job other than the truth that there is a paycheck that comes every two weeks.

My job is an opportunity to love a bunch of kids every single day and help them to become better humans. Now, that can be quite challenging at times- I am aware. And, I have to admit, sometimes I do think to myself "wow, I don't get paid enough for this" but then I realize that I'd do this job for free because I love it, even on the hard days. Now, you don't hear that very often- but it's true. Having the opportunity to work with kids is a calling, and very few people have it. It requires a lot of patience, and sometimes that's the hardest part. Another part of it is having the ability to empathize in a situation that you think is ridiculous. I've learned that kids get upset for the dumbest reasons, but you as the "adult" have to put yourself in their shoes and really understand the situation from the eyes of a 6-year-old. Then, you have to teach them how to process these emotions and how to handle them in a practical sense. One time I told a child that boys don't grow up until they're 26, and that's helped her stop losing her temper at boys doing things that she thinks are "stupid" (really just playing around being 6-7-year-olds) and now she just shrugs it off. Apparently she told her mom that phrase and her mom agreed- so at least I'm putting some wisdom into their little minds. On a more serious note, my goal is to teach conflict resolution skills, and also work on teaching kids that it's OKAY to feel your feelings- but you also have to know what to do with them in a way that is productive and helpful. My real goal is to instill the knowledge and skills into the kids and watch them be able to solve their own problems without my help. Will that ever happen? Eh, we'll see.

Seeing kiddos make progress is so satisfying and rewarding. Developing strong relationships with kids is also extremely rewarding. I think it's safe to say that everyone loves to be loved- which is why I tell each kid "I'm on your team." It's my little way of letting them know that I am there for them, whatever the circumstance, and we're not fighting against each other. Ever. We're both working towards the same goal, which is making them the best little humans possible. I don't ever want kiddos to think that it's a "me vs them" relationship. It's an "us vs whatever problem you're facing" kind of thing.

I love my job. I get to do what I love every single day, and then conveniently I get paid every two weeks. It's much more than a paycheck.