How Do You Do It?

There are two questions that I get all of the time... "How do you handle working with all of those women?" And "how do you handle working with all of those three-year-olds?"  Here are my answers to each:

How do I handle working with all of these women?  Most importantly, I have a supportive wife who is able to handle the fact that I go to work every day with almost 100 women.  In college all of my classes were with all girls, and all of my study groups, and all of my internships.  I know it was hard for her at first.  Imagine going to you the college library and seeing your husband sitting at a table studying with 5 or 6 girls.  Now imagine that occuring constantly over three years of education courses.  I know at times it was hard on her, and I worked hard to make sure she knew she could trust me.  I must have done something right, because she's still around, and I'm lucky to have her.  Apart from her support, there are other things that are important when working with all women.  The scientific studies claiming that women who spend a lot of time together have their menstrual cycles at the same time is no myth.  Every month there are a few days where there seems to be more tension around campus.  During these times I do my best to lay low.  Staying out of conflicts is CRUCIAL to my survival.  If the women turn against me, I'm in big trouble.  I also do my best to provide sound advice to my friends at work.  I've essentially become "one of the girls", but I can provide insight into the male psyche, and from time to time I dispense a little advice. 

How do I handle working with all of these three-year-olds?  That's easy... I'm the world's biggest three-year-old.  I have fun every day at work.  I've found the perfect job: I get to play everyday at work, and I get to make a difference in children's lives when I do it.  There is the occasional day when I don't feel like going to work, or I'm not in a good mood, but thankfully those days are few and far between.  I've also been blessed to have a long line of wonderful assistants who have helped make my job easier.  The assistant I have now could easily teach the class herself.  She's been working with children for 30 years.  That type of experience is indespensible.   All in all, it's tough to complain when you have a job that you love more days than not, especially when you factor in the wonderful schedule.  I love it!