- Cory Katherine Ryan
- Jan 13, 2022
- 2 min read
I went back to teaching high school health science part time when my first child, Sawyer, was 3 mos old. It was a good balance, even with a difficult commute. But when I got pregnant again, I realized it was time to stop driving 2-3 hours a day. Since I was due in August, I chose to leave my job, intending to return to teaching somewhere closer to home within a year.
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Then the one-two punch of PPD + COVID changed everything. When the world shut down, I had an infant and a 2 year old at home. My spouse, a firefighter, was on the front lines and taking tons of overtime. Throughout 2020, I was home alone with the kids a lot - dreaming of a job.
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It felt impossible. Pandemic aside, Eric works 24h shifts, on a rotating schedule, and earns as much $ with one OT as I did in a week. But in early 2021, as part of climbing out of the depression that had consumed me for a year, I took a job in a local 5th grade classroom. It was a good experience, and definitely helped me feel better at the time, but I wasn’t inspired to go back to full time teaching anytime soon. Not sure if you’ve heard, but teachers are really sacrificing themselves to do their jobs right now. Add to that the risks and stress of affordable childcare in a pandemic - and barely breaking even? The cons outweigh the pros.
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Which, frankly, sucks. I am aware of how fortunate we are that we can live on one income, but I hate that my working outside the home costs us so much.
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So it’s time for me to start another chapter. I will always be a teacher at heart, and one day I hope to get back into a classroom with teens and preteens. But it likely won’t be until both the kids are in school. So for now I’m going after two new certifications: DONA Certified Postpartum Doula and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. Doing them at the same time, the process will take about a year.
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My goal is to provide trauma and ED-informed support and education for parents in their postpartum season. It’s a growing field that I think fits perfectly with my established skill set.
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I’d love to hear your thoughts ❤️
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