To wish I didn’t work

I'm the same.

The nature of my work (I'm a supply teacher) is quite variable. I can do anything from about 3 days a week, to 5 days. I don't very actively chase the work, it seems to find me well enough. The days are tiring in that you don't know what you're walking into. And at times it can be pretty lonely.
Sometimes I think about quitting teaching entirely, but I'm 41 now, and have done this for almost 20 years. I just feel too cynical and jaded to even think about starting afresh at something.

I always find this time of year quite hard. I tutor after school, so only get home in the daylight one night a week.

I'm only doing a half day today. Heading off in about an hour to a school I don't like, to teach a class I like even less. I'm also full of cold, so am even less keen to go out. I'm sitting here willing my agency to text to say it's cancelled, which they won't do at this point.

And tomorrow I've agreed extra pay to travel to a school miles away. Which I'll have to leave for at around 7am if I want to be there and parked up at a reasonable time.

Roll on Saturday!

This thread made me go and check my online euro lottery ticket. Nope. Nothing…

I get it. I am also a teacher and it can feel pretty relentless constantly dealing with kids at home and work.
It's also not a job with much downtime so I think that can contribute to the fed up feeling, especially this time of year. My kids aren't toddlers anymore but are still young-ish and I think the grass is always greener tbh as I'm full time now and I look back fondly at being 3 days a week. But at the time I also found that hard so 🤷🏻‍♀️ maybe I am also lazy!

I hear you , it’d be nice to have just a little time to yourself, even half a day.
So a little bit of time when you’re not at work and not in charge of a small child/ children .
A nearby neighbour of mine does irritate me a bit when she complains because
she has the best of both worlds with a really nice job and doesn’t appreciate it at all .
Work is 2 shorter days for her + she has the remaining school days to herself AND relatives help a LOT !
plus her husband does plenty with the kids too and helps around the house !

Yeh , I mean technically I’m having a little moan myself here when you think about it

😂

Hmm you're only working 2 days a week so yes, you're being unreasonable about the work aspect. You barely work at all compared to most people, 2 days term time only is not that much.
Is it the SAHM "work" you don't like? Can't your partner have the child at weekends to give you a break? Or put your child in nursery for a few hours on your non work days in the week? You might have a husband problem not a work problem if he's expecting you to do it all and earn it all.

Edit for typos

I can relate as I'm a primary school teacher. I work 4 days a week since my eldest was born. It wasn't a break at first as I had my daughter with me and when she started preschool I had my son so for about 6 years I didn't really get the benefit of relaxing. I did love my day off though as managing one was easier than 30 primary twos and I always arranged playdates on my day off. They are both in primary school now and oh how I love my Friday off. I love taking them to school and picking them up and being a small part of that side of things (DH does most of the school runs). Unfortunately they both finish early on a Friday 😂 but it's still 5 full hours. My husband who earns more, pays for more and as I'm only off one day housework etc is split pretty evenly so hopefully your partner can approach things fairer financially. Hang in there. Once they start preschool it's a game changer.

How is OP not getting on with it? Just because she's having a little moan? Do you never have a little moan or fantasise about something in your life being different? As far as I have read she IS getting on with it, DESPITE finding it a bit of a struggle at times

I agree. I’m not lazy at all, if anything I work far too hard, but I’d be far happier if I could not have to work.

People are fulfilled by different things. I have never found employment fulfilling, and I've done a lot of different jobs with varying levels of responsibility. I find family life, pursuing my creativity and making my home a lovely place fulfilling. I wish there wasn't so much judgement around this. Some people are not fulfilled or stimulated by paid employment and that doesn't mean they're lazy.

I hate working, I’d quit tomorrow if I could afford it.

Hell, I’d even settle for part-time hours.

Yet here you are also determined to get the last word . Lol

So many lazy fecks on this thread . Sometimes I can’t get over the attitude of people having kids and then acting like the world owes them something when most people just get on with it.

I felt like that way back when my kids were little and I worked 3 days a week. I was neither a SAHM nor a full time employee so didn’t feel like I fitted anywhere.

This massively changed when I went to 4 days a week and didn’t work Fridays. So many people used to WFH on a Friday that no one really saw me as a part-timer anymore and I started to feel part of the team and it helped me get my head in my career and give me a little more purpose.

Could you possibly move to 4 days per week? Then have either 4 or 5 days childcare?

Its also quite rude of @Passaggressfedup to assume OP is leeching off a man.

I earn more working part time now than i I did when i worked full time pre-kids. Not all part timers are paid a pittance.

And OP even said in her first post that she is treated like a full time SAHM despite working.

OP - your family would benefit from your husband taking a few days annual leave to spend quality alone time with the kids and I think you should book some AL to take some time to yourself 💐

Gosh some really patronising responses here! If I didn’t have to work in my (admittedly cushy) City job, I could be doing so many more interesting and / or socially useful things - I wouldn’t just be cleaning my house 😂 And that’s why I’m saving hard and planning to retire early!

I wasn’t aware being a parent came with annual leave, in fairness.

Being off work is still being off, even if you do have kids - they don’t really come with days off.

@Iwishididntwork it's just that @theicebear has such a strong work ethic that it seeps into all parts of her life. So she has to pound away at this thread until the very end. That's just her work ethic. She can't stop. She won't. You wouldn't know about that because you're a lazy feck

@Supershiny is this a joke? If not your son and presumable DIL are cunts

I find your post hilarious

Your work defines you. whoop de doo. How sad.... really. I guess every woman truly IS different.

strong, independent woman....so you don't need your DH salary to maintain whatever life you lead now? It's all you, independently?

'show them It isn't just a man that goes to work' Do you NEED to show them that? Do they not have any female teachers? When you go to the shops do they only see men working? Odd. Think you've done your children a disservice there.