For the mums finishing up this year - What is next for you?

[Nan in Mass]

The decisions thread is all very nice, but that is our children. I want to know about my own friends' and companions' plans. : ) Do you have any plans for yourself? How are they going? Helping my college students takes a certain amount of my time, and so does helping my parents, but that still leaves a bit left over for my own stuff. What is next for you? Are you excited about it at all? Or just feeling lost?

 

Nan

[katilac]

You didn't answer! 

 

I'm not finishing up, but juggling 1 student and 1 schedule will definitely give me a bit more time than doing the same for 2. 

 

She spends a lot of her free time on art, so I'm hoping to spend a bit of free time on crafts and scrapbooking. 

 

I plan to give my remaining student some fun experiences being the 'only child' for a while, and I'll take on some very part-time hours as dh's inside sales support to start refreshing my skills. 

 

Because my last one has 2 years left, and then it's back to work! 

[hillfarm]

I only have one dc, so when she goes off to university in August, I am in charge of an empty(ish) nest. I still expect to need to support her here and there, but assume that will dwindle as she becomes increasingly independent and aware of how to access various resources herself.

 

So...I think I might like to pursue a career in disaster response and emergency management when I grow up. I recently updated my CPR and first aid, my SkyWarn weather spotter training, and am just about to finish my basic CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training. I got invited to attend a local EMA training exercise today and was able to meet several folks and make some connections.

 

In the past, the general path that has been the most effective for me is to become a volunteer in an area/industry in which I would like to work, meet key people, learn what is what, and then after a few months, people knew me and recommended me for an introductory job in that field. After a while, I have always been able to watch for openings and translate that introductory job into more of what I really want. I am kind of thinking about the eventual possibility of combining the emergency operations stuff with DNR protection/management of endangered, threatened or protected species.

 

I have a degree in public relations and Spanish, have worked as a marine biologist, freelance writer and homeschool teacher! I also have a strange ability to make practical use of obsession and come up to speed fairly quickly in a totally new area. I have to watch or I can easily get in over my head. It has always amazed me how many times people have said to me, "Okay, you're in charge", when they should have been asking, "Have you ever done this before?"

 

So any way, that is the direction I am leaning for now. Who knows, I may decide to become a museum docent or possibly a trainer for police K9 working dogs... Time will tell.

 

What are the rest of you considering?

Edited April 19, 2016 by hillfarm

[Mom22ns]

I'm definitely in the 'feeling lost' camp.

 

My oldest has multiple LDs and is not as independent in college as either one of us would probably like. However, he does live on campus and supporting him is certainly not a full time job. Dd will leave in August.

 

So far, I've been doing some tutoring, mostly online and I really enjoy it. I'm averaging about 10 hours a week. We took in a new dog (stray) and he, along with the dog we already have are consuming a lot of my time. Right now, I'm satisfied with my level of busy-ness. I have time to work out, spend time with the dogs, walk, bike, read, visit the WTM boards, but not enough time to get bored. I'm not sure if what I am doing will be quite enough in the fall when both are gone though.

 

Gratuitous dog picture attached.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Hey Nan, I sent you an email about a week ago, (maybe less) and didn't get an answer. Did you change email addresses?

 

As for me, I'm already back in the workplace even though I still have a child at home. She's got 2 more years before she starts uni, but I managed to find a part time job I can do from home, so she can interrupt me any time she wants. I build robots :)

[FaithManor]

I have two years left, technically, with my youngest but due to the college bills of the older two I am going back into the workforce.  He will be taking calculus with his dad who is adjusting his work schedule to allow himself to teach the subject full time, and then will have physics, history, and French through DE. I will teach art appreciation and English/literature. He will also work through the Coursera online robotics program as well and complete the captstone project.

(U Penn)

 

So for us things are changing a lot. At this point it is possible I may be going back to the quilt store. They really want me back and are considering a pay raise to lure me. If I can get 20-25 hours per week, I will probably take it because my bosses there were spectacular ladies, and they are also flexible too which will allow me to have scheduling freedom to work around ds's extracurricular activities and still attend family weekend at both colleges as well as make college visit trips with youngest. The other option that I have for a little side money is that eldest ds's college would like me to help out with some accompanying for voice students as they didn't get their yield of piano majors for this year so will be a little "short handed" so to speak.  :D  Bad pun, I know! It is a 90 minute commute each way, but on the other hand, it is also spectacular pay for me having been out of the performance world for so long. ($30.00 an hour, and they can give me one full day of seven hours. Since gas at current prices is less than $10.00 for the commute, it is a nice amount to spend a day doing something I adore.) I may end up doing both if things work out well here. I am going to start out just with the accompanying position first and see how ds's work goes, how he feels about being alone all the time. He is so used to being a part of "the three musketeers" as our boys were packed in, three in three and half years, and he loses not only his second brother this fall, but his very best friend is headed to college too. He told me the other day he was feeling a little lonesome about next year, and wishing he were older and moving on like everyone else.

 

We did buy season ski passes to Schuss Mtn. this year and found a ski buddy for him so hoping that will help the winter pass quickly.

[Joules]

 

 

So...I think I might like to pursue a career in disaster response and emergency management when I grow up. 

 

Maybe it's the week I've had, but I spit my tea at this line.  It's so obvious: THIS is the career that half a life of homeschooling prepares us for ;)

 

More seriously, it does sound like a cool plan.

 

I'm planning to go into data science.  I have a strong background in statistics and computer programming, and I am a data junkie.  I taught statistics, SAS and SPSS in the past.  I'm taking the Coursera data science specialization to brush up on R, and focus more on the business side since I am an academic/scientist.

 

I figure it will take ds time to settle, and we have to decide about selling our house.  So I expect to be job-shopping around January.  Right now I'm starting to attend conferences, user's groups, and networking-type events.  

[regentrude]

I will have one more year until DS leaves, and a few weeks ago, I posted about how lost I feel on the chat board, and there was a nice long discussion thread... but I am not one step closer to figuring out what to do.

[Nan in Mass]

Hey Nan, I sent you an email about a week ago, (maybe less) and didn't get an answer. Did you change email addresses?

 

As for me, I'm already back in the workplace even though I still have a child at home. She's got 2 more years before she starts uni, but I managed to find a part time job I can do from home, so she can interrupt me any time she wants. I build robots :)

No, I didn,t but I was doing a project involving hundreds of emails last week. Yours probably was overlooked. I will do a sort and find it.

 

Nan

[G5052]

I will have one more year until DS leaves, and a few weeks ago, I posted about how lost I feel on the chat board, and there was a nice long discussion thread... but I am not one step closer to figuring out what to do.

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:  for one more year!

 

I have a plan for next year, but after that is still uncertain. After years of talking about it, DH may or may not retire during the first year when we have two in college, so that of course changes the dynamic quite a bit. I keep expecting him to sign the paperwork, and then the date gets pushed out.

 

One year at a time, I guess.

[MerryAtHope]

The decisions thread is all very nice, but that is our children. I want to know about my own friends' and companions' plans. : ) Do you have any plans for yourself? How are they going? Helping my college students takes a certain amount of my time, and so does helping my parents, but that still leaves a bit left over for my own stuff. What is next for you? Are you excited about it at all? Or just feeling lost?

 

Nan

 

I've gradually been working more as my kids get older. I think I'm going to want a "breather year" where I don't really start something new so much as just take time to process the transition. As another mom posted, helping my student transition has taken more of my time than I initially thought (mainly with papers--he's good on studying)...so I'm not exactly sure when I'll be "done" so to speak! Although, I think the load will lighten after speech is out of the way, LOL! 

 

Anyway, I know I'll continue working, and I occasionally think about various volunteer opportunities through church or with homeschoolers...but I don't know if I'll "jump right in." I think margin in transitions is good too :-).

[Colleen in NS]

The decisions thread is all very nice, but that is our children. I want to know about my own friends' and companions' plans. : ) Do you have any plans for yourself? How are they going? Helping my college students takes a certain amount of my time, and so does helping my parents, but that still leaves a bit left over for my own stuff. What is next for you? Are you excited about it at all? Or just feeling lost?

 

Nan

 

I'm not finishing up this year, but after graduating dc#1, I only have one more dc to go.  She will be in Grade 10, so she only has three years left.  And I don't need to spend as much intensive one-on-one time tutoring her anymore (dh took over math and French with her; I have English, lit., sci., and history).  So, I do have more time.  And since my first is graduating, I'm also going through some weird emotional times.  One day I'm bursting into tears that things aren't "the same" anymore with raising kids, the next day I'm excited for them that new things are coming (while also being tired from making sure logistical things. get. done.).

 

So, yeah, a bit lost.  But I've also taken on students to tutor in reading, spelling, and composition skills; and that has been fun.  It's been great to get paid for work again.  I also make crafts and sell them at local shows and (I'm hoping) online (this is a lot slower than tutoring).  Dh and I have been able to get out on our own a bit more, too, which has been nice.

 

I feel like I am in limbo, though, for some reason.  As if I should have a "next big plan" for my life.  But I don't right now.  I have a small dream of spending a week or a month in a tropical beach house with books, crafting materials, and food around me; taking naps and dips in the clear blue ocean periodically....I'm tired, lol!!  I should probably allow myself to keep basking in the "We did it!  We educated our kids in basic learning skills and content and now look at what is happening for the first graduate!"

Edited April 30, 2016 by Colleen in NS

[DebbS]

I'm graduating my youngest this year but she'll be staying home while attending college next year. After sending my son 4 hours away to college a few years ago, at least I won't feel like that felt...at least not next year.  Maybe the year after though.

 

I have been so, so swamped that much of my daughter's schooling has been either independent, with a home school academy or dual-credit. Really, her schooling has taken me only a few hours plus one day per week driving her around for the past 2 years.  Basically, I will still be busy with my programming/support job which is mostly done at home, taking care of aging parents and helping my husband to finish a huge remodel (about a 70% rebuild) of a farm house that we would like to move to by next summer. With whatever extra time I have, maybe I can use it to clean the house now and then!  Those dust bunnies have been patiently waiting for years it seems!

[FaithManor]

Debb, dust bunnies??? You are doing better than mine. I've got more than bunnies going on, more like Giant Mutant Hares.