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Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

MNHQ have commented on this thread

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Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

MNHQ have commented on this thread

The staffroom

Any other teachers find staying on top of housework hard?

80 replies

Handbaghag · 29/10/2016 14:24

Especially at holidays like the one just gone, I struggle to rest and not berate myself with a home 'to do' list. I find it hard to stay on top of the housework most of the time and although bathrooms and kitchen are hygienic etc, dust can build up sometimes and I never clean windows! The decoration in some rooms could do with redoing but I never feel I've done enough. I put such pressure on myself.. Even after 20 years in teaching.. You'd have thought I'd have twigged by now that I can't stay fully on top of it... In a working week I'm too knackered after getting in at 6.15 every evening. My role models in this arena are my mum who only ever worked part time and my best mate who also works part time. Both can afford decorators etc. Any other teachers feel this sense of lack of control over the house? I do try and split the number of rooms with my husband but he isn't as regular and fussy as me. My children and husband are loved, fed, clean and we all have a good relationship but I feel very crap about myself in the household arena.

OP posts:

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DesolateWaist · 29/10/2016 14:25

I got a cleaner.
Worth every last penny.

Muddlewitch · 29/10/2016 14:28

Not a teacher but work similar hours and yes, totally get this. Like you, my mum didn't work at all until we were mid secondary school and then was part time so think my view of what it should be like is not realistic.

I seem to spend all my 'time off' trying to catch up with housework.

Feenie · 29/10/2016 14:32

Yes, can totally relate!! It's worse in Winter when you leave the house in the dark and arrive home when it's dark too - then when you see the house in daylight on the weekend, you suddenly realise what a tip it is!

SheSparkles · 29/10/2016 14:36

I honestly don't know how teachers stay on top of life, never mind housework, with the hours they put in! (No I'm not a teacher)

nephrofox · 29/10/2016 14:59

Getting in at 6.15 every evening is not what I would call late... surely you have at least 4 hours til bed time?

Sunbeam18 · 29/10/2016 15:00

Why would teachers in particular struggle with this?

Feenie · 29/10/2016 15:01

Yep, enough time to cook tea and work some more!

Sunbeam18 · 29/10/2016 15:01

Sorry, just saw this was posted in 'The Staffroom'! It came up as Active Thread so thought it was Chat or something. Sorry!

Vetsandpets · 29/10/2016 15:03

I think you should get a cleaner if at all possible - I think it's a necessity rather than a luxury.

nephrofox most of the teachers I work with continue their work at home - if they have young DC this means waiting until the DC are in bed before starting work again.

LockedOutOfMN · 29/10/2016 19:24

I have a part-time housekeeper who cleans, picks up the children and takes them to their after school activities and feeds them dinner. All of my colleagues have cleaners. The general consensus is that time not spent working is best spent with family, friends, relaxing or doing fun things, not cleaning. However, I appreciate that many people think differently.

PumpkinPie2016 · 30/10/2016 09:24

I also struggle with keeping up with housework! Both me and DH teach full time and we have a son who is a toddler. I don't get home particularly late (between 5 and 5.30pm) but you can imagine how much I get done with a 2 year old!

Once I've made dinner, eaten it, bathed my son and put him to bed it's around 7.30pm and I still have work to do for school so housework is kept to the bare minimum

Everyone else in school.says the same thing.

SawdustInMyHair · 30/10/2016 09:49

I've found this too, as DP works from home but with very long and erratic hours too. Even when I'm not working I need to be resting/having leisure time, not cleaning!

We've booked a cleaner for a deep clean this weekend, and I'm planning to get someone long-term after that. I'm just dithering over finding an ethical option - I don't want them to be paid nothing working for a massive agency or whatever.

Mistoffelees · 30/10/2016 10:39

Yep my house is nice and clean and tidy now at the end of the half term but throughout term time it gets the bare minimum. DH works long hours too but he gets 3 days off a week so that helps.
We currently don't have a dishwasher so that's on my list of next big purchases so we don't have to do washing up.
I find laundry gets on top of me most at this time of year, I don't like tumble drying everything and it takes so long to dry inside, I can't put it out as I leave when the airs still damp and it's getting damp again by the time I get home.
Would love a cleaner but not sure we could afford one at the minute.

teacher54321 · 30/10/2016 11:52

We have a cleaner once a fortnight and get our food delivered from Tesco a couple of times a week. We have a four year old who has just started reception. I'm full time and DH works shifts. He gets time off in the week and is good at blitzing to get rid of crap. I am good at all the meal planning/household admin so deal with that side of things. We've realised that a lot of our furniture and stuff is looking really tatty so we've started actively sorting that out, and are planning to replace one crappy thing per payday until our house starts to look nice again! We go through phases of being completely overwhelmed with work and life and then it gets better again!

MrsKCastle · 30/10/2016 11:58

Oh yes. I find it a constant struggle to stay on top of things and I always, always feel as though I'm failing at something or other- if I'm on top of my workload then the house suffers, if the house is clean then I'm not spending enough time with my own children and so on. I am seriously considering getting a cleaner, but then sorting that out is another job to add to the list if you know what I mean?

Haggisfish · 30/10/2016 12:05

Can you get a deep clean company in at the start of each half term have kiddy?

Haggisfish · 30/10/2016 12:05

Each half term holiday that should read!

Horseseeker2016 · 30/10/2016 12:15

Not sure why this is specific to teachers?

I would classify getting home at 6.15 as early - I finish at 6pm (on a good day) and have a 1.5 hour commute home. I'm in the office by 8.15am each day too. On Friday I didn't get home from work until 10.30pm. I know loads of other people in my position so I'm far from unusual.

I think if you work full time in any job where you have to work above and beyond 'regular' office hours and/or have a long commute staying on top of domestic chores can be tricky. I've spent all weekend so far sorting out bills / paperwork and cleaning and DH (who also works long hours) has been gardening.

We'll probably get a cleaner at some point in the not too distant future but for now we're saving money

BizzyFizzy · 30/10/2016 12:24

I'm out of the house 7 - 7. We have a rota for cooking which works well. I do the housework on my afternoon off and at the weekend, and everyone does their own laundry.

I've been away over half-term so haven't go any jobs done. Five weeks till the Christmas holidays so that's everything put off until then.

farfarawayfromhome · 30/10/2016 12:27

nephrofox I thought the same...home at 630 is a dream....do bedtime have shower carry on working eat dinner then bed....

nephrofox · 30/10/2016 12:27

Plenty of people (myself included) continue working once the kids are in bed. My point was this is not a teacher phenomenon, I do think that the recent trend of viewing teachers as special snowflakes who work harder than anyone else doesn't help either teachers or non-teachers as each appears to want "one over" the other.

Anyway, the op never said they work after getting home at 6.15, the tone of the op was that it's the getting home time that's the problem.

rollonthesummer · 30/10/2016 12:27

It's a nightmare. I am trying to train my kids to help more but it's not working!

When it's a choice between spending your evening marking for the next day, planning for the next day,assessing for the next day, parents evening prep, or dusting dado rails-your priorities are clear. And dado rails dirty!!

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nephrofox · 30/10/2016 12:28

Sorry the above was directed to Vetandpets

Mistoffelees · 30/10/2016 12:29

Horseseeker, I think because most teachers take work home with them, for me I usually get home between 6 and half past but then do another hour or so of work on an average night. By Thursday evening I'm usually on my knees from the emotional drain that my current cohort put on me as well. But also, I don't think this thread was to suggest that other professions don't have long hours or challenging work, it's just a part of the site where there's going to be some understanding of the nuances of term time demands instead of things descending to the usual "Well I work just as hard as you and only get 4 weeks holiday" stuff.

BizzyFizzy · 30/10/2016 12:30

I don't take any work home with me. I am at school until 6pm and get everything done there.

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