Browse Category: work

Lack of Trust

I’m so frustrated. Lately, I’ve been receiving some pretty deadly phone calls from parents who are either questioning my recommendations or asking for more services. *sigh* I don’t get it. Never in my four and a half years as an OT have I been challenged so frequently and so aggressively. I may not have the wrinkles to show for 10+ years of experience but I can confidently say that I know my sh*t. (excuse me) I can’t stand it when parents ask me, “Do you have ANY experience in sensory integration?” or “Did you just graduate?” Grr…I feel like I need to post my resume on my forehead at parent meetings or give a Powerpoint presentation of my expertise in this area. Perhaps this is why my head has been hurting all week. I need to go skiing.

fixed it

Well, everything has been updated. I hope you like the new color scheme. Yes, it’s a bit girlie but pink rocks.
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By the way, I did something that I haven’t done in months. I was soooo productive at work today that I actually left my work files AT WORK! My backpack felt lighter and somehow I am completely relaxed and free of guilt. Now, that’s progress!

It’s finally Friday

What a crazy week. What a crazy January. It’s going to be a crazy February. Thank goodness it’s Friday. Most of you will be watching the Super Bowl this weekend. I’m going to be shooshin’ through snow in Tahoe. Woohoo! Oh yeah, special thanks to the parents for watching the doggie again. You won’t have to take him next weekend though. We’re going to take him to Mammoth with us!
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istockphoto update: my “broken glass” photo just hit 50 downloads and I’m at $85.90. I’ll be able to cash out my first $100 in no time!

*tap tap* Is this on?

I gave an inservice to the Instructional Assistants today and I had a “sucky comic” moment. I expected much of my presentation to be interactive and I was hoping for active participation and critical thinking from my audience. Unfortunately, that wasn’t exactly what I got. For example, I asked a simple question like, “what kind of activities can you do to build hand strength?” Not a single hand went up and instead I got blank stares and heard crickets in my head. *chirp chirp chirp* Actual crickets in my head like I was on some sit-com! I was thinking either these ladies weren’t understanding my question, didn’t have a clue how to answer me, or didn’t care. My 45-minute presentation was pure torture. By the end I had a little more participation but I walked away with a really confused feeling. So, I walked back to my portable with my head slumped and I assumed my inservice was a complete waste of time…as if I needed another blow to my fragile ego. Luckily, some of the teachers stopped me to tell me that they got a lot of positive feedback from their IAs. Apparently, they learned a lot and found it very helpful. Phew! Maybe I don’t actually suck…maybe.

so mean…

Y’know…you think you’re doing a good job at work and then someone has to come along and crush you. I’m still talking about the family that “beat me up” last week. The reason I’m still hung up on this is because last night I received an evil email from who I will now call “Evil Mom”. What a way to start my weekend. It made my heart sink and gave me a twinge of nausea. Ironically, I just finished a 2-day course that may directly impact “Evil Mom’s” little girl who happens to be, in fact, a very sweet girl. If I ever become a psycho parent like that, someone needs to slap me. I give you permission.
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By the way, for the new moms reading this…if your little girl or boy is having any picky eating issues or if you just want to know what the typical developmental stages are for feeding, let me know. My brain is fresh with information right now and I have nifty little handouts for you. 🙂

I need a new purpose.

Ugh…I had the most horrible meeting yesterday. It was with the same family that beat me up last year. Without going into details, I basically said, “Your kid is fine at school. She doesn’t need my services anymore.” Boy oh boy did I get it after that. The mom started to cry and grandfather threatened to go to Due Process and bring in an attorney. This was all so that I would hang out with their kid 30 mins per week because it makes them feel better. Anyway, after that, it made me re-evaluate my purpose as a therapist. I thought I went to school to learn how to help people. Instead, I’ve paid an absurd amount of money (tuition and books) to end up with a sucky-paying job that causes me angst and doubt in my judgement. I’m not a babysitter and I’m certainly not a miracle worker who can “fix” their broken kids. Americans are so spoiled. I don’t know if this is making any sense but this just makes me want to move far away to somewhere that really needs me and start a non-profit therapy center. Who’s with me?!