Working Girl

There she is in her smart new work clothes, packing her lunch box and catching the early morning bus.  The only thing Julie lacks is a salary, for this is unpaid work experience for a couple of weeks before she goes back to school.

I watch with some secret trepidation.  Past work experience has triggered some of her most serious self-harm events, and she has always been forced to drop out early.  This time, however, she is both  more mature, and keener to succeed.  She arranged this work experience herself, and it's a placement that is directly relevant to the career she wants to follow.  "I'm not going to screw up this time, Mum." she says.  In the past, the combination of high stakes and hard work have proved Julie's undoing, but will she manage to pull it off this time?

My job is to make sure she scents not the slightest whiff of my anxiety. When she is about to make another attempt is not the time to point out the number of times she has crashed and burned.   I get up early to help her get out of the house in time for the bus, and make sure there is nothing but encouragement and confidence in my voice.  I will pick up the pieces later if I have to: I make discrete arrangements in case I need to take time off work.