Return now or in four years?

[DumbledoresPants]

Hi all,

Last summer, after much thought, I stopped working to become a SAHM to my (then) 2.5 year old. I didn't get much time to enjoy it as I found out I was pregnant about 3 weeks later and morning sickness kicked in, swiftly followed by SPD. My DS1 is now at nursery five mornings a week, which he loves, and I am at home with DS2 (5.5 months). The thing is, as much as I love my boys, I can't help but be bored! Not bored in a "not enough things to fill my time" kind of way but bored in a "I'm not using my brain and not having anything outside the kids" kind of a way.
I have seen a job advertised locally with the possibility of being PT. I am strongly considering applying for it but I am worried if this would be the right decision or not. Will I just end up stressed and wondering what on earth possessed me to go back to work again?
All opinions and thoughts are welcome and hopefully they will help me clarify what I should do.

[Needmorewine]

Hi OP. I'm not a qualified teacher (yet!) but from what you've said I think a PT post may suit you. I think part time teaching jobs can work really well. Teachers at my placement school who are part time seem to have the best of both worlds & have all recommended it to me. I was a SAHM for 3.5 years prior to this and got very frustrated. Once I qualify I'm hoping to do part time for a bit & then up it . You could just apply for the interview & see what happens...

[monkeysox]

Don't do it. School is a very different place.

[DumbledoresPants]

monkeysox in one year? Has it really changed so much since 2015?

Needmorewine I was working 3 days a week previously but got bogged down with all the planning and marking and it felt like it took over my life.

I think what I really need to decide is the lesser of the two evils - stress or boredom.

[TheFallenMadonna]

I did an OU degree in my career break. It was perfect. But that was before the fee hike though...

[temporarilyjerry]

I have gone part time this term. It is not what I thought it would be. I have been teaching for almost 30 years. It has never been so bad.

Aren't I a ray of sunshine?

[DitheringDiva]

I totally understand how you feel - that was exactly me after my first DC. I went back to work full-time then, but that was 11 years ago - I couldn't do it now - mainly because my older daughter does so much stuff after school + another DC in the mix. I actually found it easier to go back when they were nursery age because I could drop them at 7.30pm, they got 3 good quality meals, so no thinking about/preparing food. Pick-up time 6pm, and it wasn't any cheaper to pick them up earlier, and they tended to go to bed at 7pm, so I could get on with work in the evening. All of that is impossible now

Why not try it and see? At least apply or maybe enquire about further details if needs be. eg. how part-time is it. I've just gone back after a 3 year break, and although I'm enjoying it (nice staff, kids etc), it's 3 days, and I'm finding that hard-work. I knew before I took it that I would have preferred 2 days, but trying to get 2 days in secondary is nigh on impossible due to timetabling. It would also be worth finding out how the school is managed (do you know people who work there?) eg. if you are part-time, are they the type of school who will spread it out over 5 days (not good), are they the type who will make you go to meetings on your day off etc?

[ThisIsNotARealAvo]

I work 4 days a week since adopting my children. When I first went back I was doing 3.5 days and I was lucky to be out of class doing interventions. This year I am in class, I have Wednesdays off and I works really well for us.

[PosiePootlePerkins]

Do you need to teach for the money? I am a qualified teacher working as a TA and I love it! Of course I work very hard when I'm there, but I get to leave it behind at the end of the day, and don't have any of the stress and responsibility of being a teacher. I feel I can give all my energy to the job while I'm there, working with children which I love and trained for, and then be there for my own children at the end of the day.
The pay is rubbish though. I am lucky enough to do one afternoon a week PPA cover which boosts my pay a little bit (and is also relatively stress free!). Just a thought.

[Terrifiedandregretful]

I would go for it. I was much happier once I went back to work part time

[DumbledoresPants]

Sorry for not coming back to these responses sooner (we went away for a couple of weeks and I had no internet access).

All interesting thoughts. The job advert went down so I figured the decision was made for me. Now it's being advertised again.

posie technically we don't need the money but money is tight without me working. DH earns enough to cover bills plus maybe £200-300 extra a month. I do a little tutoring. He has said about increasing this if money is the draw but it's not that straight forward - obviously I need to get the work first and the income obviously isn't all year round plus it's inconvenient being in the evenings.

I am assuming that the job would be 4 days a week given as it's advertised as full/part time but I guess there would be no harm in finding out more - I would definitely be more tempted if it was 3 days a week which I might be able to negotiate with them (I teach a shortage subject which is very hard to find good teachers for which might give me a bit of leverage).

And it has a TLR attached which would obviously boost my income as well as allowing me to progress my career a little whilst still being part time.