I had a similar dilemma when applying for uni. I'd love to be a midwife, but I ended up studying nursing. Main reason : DH pointed out to me that I'd need to be able to switch off if a birth ends (and there is no nice way to say it...) in a stillbirth. I just wouldn't be able to cope. I already work where I nurse palliative patients, so I'm able to switch off there and would be ok (I hope!) with nursing. I can understand and see his point.
Would you be able to trade not being able to take holidays for not being able to take yourself out of the picture?
That's the exact reason why I couldn't do that type of job. Heck I have a friend who is a foster carer and I get too angry hearing about the homes her foster kids have come from. BUT, I am studying primary teaching and I think that you can help these kids just as much in that job. You can give them the tools they need to get a better life for themselves and hopefully break the cycle they are in kwim? Plus there is no saying that you can't do teaching and then have that evolve into something that directly helps kids in the way you want to.
I did education and there are lots of different ways you can branch off if you are interested in child protection but don't think you want to do social work. From what I understand from people that work at DOCS that I worked with while I was teaching - it is a very frustrating job with not enough resources and they can't help kids as much as they like to.
As a teacher, especially in the lower grades, you make relationships with kids and you can make a real difference in the lives of a few kids through your relationship with them. While relationships stay professional, it is amazing how much some kids respond to feeling cared for even just in the classroom.
I branched off into being a behaviour management specialist teacher and worked as a liaison teacher in a school for kids with severe behaviour difficulties. Basically it means I did a lot of case management - identifying kids at risk, working with their teacher, principal, social worker, psychologists, parents, family to try and help them adjust to mainstream schooling. I got to know my students exceptionally well and felt like I really could make a difference. There are other ways you can branch off in education so you can do some more case management. You can also look into a psychology degree down the track and be a guidance officer - they also work with families to help out kids.
I thik with both degrees - social work and education - you have options. You don't just have to do one specific job, there are lots of ways you can branch out.
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