As an educational and developmental psychologist, I am often asked by friends, family, and parents, why I have chosen to work with children.
When I get asked this question, my immediate thought is: why wouldn’t I like to work with kids?!
I love it! There are thousands of reasons why I think helping children and their families is the best job in the world, but I will focus on my top four.
1. Working with kids is fun!
I love that no single day at work is the same! Children come to see me for counselling for many different reasons. Even though sometimes the underlying difficulties are similar, the counselling approach for each child is always different. This is because we don’t only focus on the difficulties the child is having, we focus on the child’s strengths, and we also take into consideration their age, personality, what they like to do/play, and so on.
2. I learn from the children I’m working with every day!
I admire children’s:
- Endless energy
- Honesty
- Creativity
- Flexibility
- Resilience
3. Children motivate me to be a better person.
Children make me a more knowledgeable person: Children are, by nature, very curious. With all the questions they ask, I constantly find myself looking for answers on books and on the internet.
Children make me a well-informed person: As kids often expect for me to know exactly what they are talking about, I also have to keep up-to-date on current affairs, as well as on the latest video games, cartoons, and coolest apps for iPads and phones.
Children make me a healthier person: I am a firm believer of leading by example, therefore I follow a healthy lifestyle by eating healthy foods and keeping active (which comes in very handy when I need to keep up with them!).
4. Helping children (and their families) is the most rewarding job I can think of!
When I ride my bike back home after a long day at work, I like to think of the children I saw during the day. I think about the progress they have made, how I can help them further, and I hope that when they leave my office, they feel better, stronger, empowered, and happier.
Knowing that my job is to help kids achieve their full potential and to help them feel happier and better about themselves, brings a huge smile to my face and helps me sleep better at night!