I have the mentality of a 14 year old boy

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I'm really scared that I will have to become a full-on woman for work. I'm worried that I'll have to give up my taste in music and start listening to Adele and Maroon 5. I'm worried that I won't be able to play Mortal Kombat and Call of Duty anymore. I can't help who I am and feel screwed up because of my inner mentality. My sense of humor will have to be completely changed.

I've kept my secret from people at school. I'm going to be working with little kids and will have to become all womanly and girly. Will I have to?

I think you'll be fine, so long as you avoid inappropriate behavior around the children, like swearing and dirty jokes. Making an effort to appear somewhat feminine by wearing traditionally women's clothes is also probably a good idea. As for your hobbies and musical tastes, I see no reason those would need to change. Personally, I would very much enjoy if more women had traditionally male interests. It makes you far easier to relate to.

You'll always be you. Those who are going to like you are going to like you MORE because you are unique and have your own ecclectic tastes. Those who are going to hold who you are against you--screw em--they aren't worth your time.

Unfortunately, jobs do require some conforming. Some jobs require more conforming than others. Try to look professionally acceptable at work and act professional and do your job in a way that makes your customers and/or those who sign your paychecks happy. They don't get a say in what kind of movies, music, leisure activities you enjoy.

Personally, I just am careful about who I give a lot of information about my personal life to at work. They think I'm really introverted and suck at social skills--which is true--but they don't need to know much about me beyond surface details. If someone earns my trust, they'll get a little deeper into the onion

Kids won't mind you having some masculine interests. And actually, you don't want to wear something TOO feminine and can probably get by with people just thinking that you are quite conservative with your clothes and like to be comfortable.

I don't think you will have to change too much. If faking your personality turned out badly in school, why not try being yourself at work and just see what happens? Really though, if you think people might dislike you because of your interests, then just don't talk about them at work. Or don't talk about them until you get to know everyone a bit and find out who you can talk to and who you shouldn't.

The kids might actually like you better because of your interests and personality. I'm not sure how old the kids you'll be working with are, but I've worked with 3rd and 4th graders before, and they actually liked that I was bit more "kiddy" than most of the other adults and had more in common with them (we could talk about video games and cartoons, and other stuff like that). I guess I was easier to relate to for them. Just avoid talking about anything that is inappropriate with the kids, like another reply mentioned.

As for clothing, again I'm not exactly sure of the age group and where you'll be working, but it's usually acceptable for female teachers/assistants to wear nice pants (like slacks or khakis) and polo shirts or other "slightly nicer than a t-shirt" shirts, which are certainly not overly feminine. You might want to choose slightly more "feminine colors" for your shirts, if you're really worried about it, but there's no need to break out the dresses and skirts (unless maybe you're working at a religious school/organization were they are required?). Especially if you're working with very young children, like toddlers, you will want to wear something that you can move around in, as you'll probably be getting up and down from the floor a lot.

Good luck!

I don't see why you would be expected to change any of those things.

I dont see that big reason to fake being "Mrs. Poppins" only because of working with kids. Yes, if you actually wore metal band shirts where woman get impaled, or people get slayed, then you should wear more the kind with dragons and so on. ^^

Have a standard hygiene (means showering and teeth brushing), and care for your kids, thats the important part about it. Not wearing pink dresses.

Working with young children, having that mentality could actually provide some advantages in being aware of what they like and relating to them. You will have to develop a professional face though as a worker. You'll need to dress for the job. This doesn't mean you have to go super girly, just look at how other women there dress. Lots of my female teacher friends wear black pants and a long sleeve shirt.

You'll have to have a professional demeanour, certainly not the joking and swearing of a 14 year old boy, but working with kids you'll be expected to be a little immature and silly. You'll also be expected to be happy, I'm sure the parents won't want a dark emo teacher.

You certainly don't have to stop liking what you like. It couldn't hurt to be familiar with other coworkers talk about, but I don't' see any reason to give up your own interests outside of work.

I think you can find a balance between staying true to yourself and doing what's expected of you as a working woman.