Work

I went back to work in January. I went back and forth with the decision for weeks. Finally, I thought if they would accept me teaching one class a week, I could slowly edge my way back into it. I was surprised when they agreed, so I ended up teaching one 30 minute class every Thursday for the Make A Splash (MAS) program. I taught the kids from West Canyon Elementary, which is where my boys go. I had 5 little giggly girls. Isabel and Lexi went to Gina's house for about 5 weeks, and the last 3 I finally sent them to child watch at the YMCA. I felt happy going to work and leaving from work. I wasn't stressed out or completely depleted afterwards. I didn't regret my decision, which is what I was mostly afraid of. I felt like I could be happy just teaching Splash a couple of times a week during the school year.

Then, I had a stupid run-in with a  power hungry lifeguard coordinator and I nearly quit my job. The YMCA does a swimming test every time a child ages 0-18 comes to swim. They are given a different colored ribbon according to the test that they pass and that gives them access to different areas of the pool. In my mind, if a kid can swim from point A to point B in the distance required by the swimming test, than they deserve that color of ribbon. Black and white, either they pass it, or they don't. Somewhere in the last 8 months at the Y, subjectivity on behalf of the lifeguards has crept into the ribbon testing. Now, the swimmer can't look too tired as they finish the 25 yd swim. If their body position is too vertical instead of horizontal, they can't get the green ribbon. Or if they don't seem to be kicking hard enough, or whatever stupid reason they feel the swimmer isn't deemed "safe" enough to get their green ribbon. Even though they swam the distance of a green ribbon, if the lifeguard doesn't like the way they swim, they are given a yellow ribbon instead (which restricts access to the diving board and deep end of the pool).

As a swimming instructor, I am allowed to ribbon test. On the last day of the Splash program, we test the kids, then they get to have a free day at the pool. It's a really fun celebration of the hard work they did and a great way to end the program. I was testing my last girl. She was swimming 25 yds to try to get a green ribbon. She made it all the way across the pool! I was super excited for her, and ready to put on her green ribbon, and just at the moment, the life guard coordinator (someone who sits behind a desk and schedules when the guards are on duty) walked over and said, "Oh no, she's a yellow. She was too tired". I said "NO. She swam the entire distance of the pool, her body position looked fine, she finished strong. She's a green." The coordinator then proceeded to argue with me, IN FRONT OF the student that she was a yellow ribbon. I tried to defend my student. I am the one who has worked the past 8 weeks with her, I had seen her tread water for 60 seconds, I had spent extensive time in the deep end of the pool with her and I felt confident in awarding that stupid green ribbon. I was told if I didn't like the decision, I could go talk to Heather (my boss) about it. I said fine, I absolutely plan on that. I was fired up. I did not appreciate someone coming over and trumping my decision in front of the swimmer. If she had issues with the way I was testing, she should have addressed them privately with me. If that girl had a problem in the pool, it was on me. I take full responsibility for that. I threatened to quit. I was told if I no longer felt like the Y was the right fit for me, there's the door. I tried not to make a rash decision when I was emotional.

I am really struggling with whether or not to keep working at the Y. I feel like it's served its purpose for me, but it is time to find something new. But then, I start thinking, where else am I going to find a job with as much flexibility, and child care?  My boss, Heather, left the Y at the beginning of April. There is a new Director coming on board making lots of changes. One of those, is that I have to be available for 4 hours a week in order to keep my job. Another, is that the Y is changing from Red Cross Certification to YMCA certification. The training is a 36 hour course that they try to squeeze into as few of days as possible. I am a nursing mother with a baby who doesn't take a bottle. The idea of being away from her 6-10 hours a day for several days in a row, to get this new certification, when I'm wishy-washy about staying at the Y doesn't make sense. I guess ultimately, do I need to work right now? We make ends meet without my pitiful pay check. But it gives us a buffer for some of those extracurricular activities that we otherwise couldn't afford. It gives me something to do in the week. And I love the Splash program. If it wasn't for the MAS program, I'd be gone. There'd be no reason to stay. I'm so torn. I have one more Splash program in May that I committed to that goes for 2 weeks. I'll be teaching 1 hour a day, M-F. I feel like my future with the Y depends on how this goes. If I walk away, fine. I've done what I needed to do for our family.