Interested to know what others think about this article on BBC?

The article doesn't say she works harder - those who interpret it that way have a skewed reading.

If anyone is struggling to juggle, the response should really be solidarity, not 'my life is crap too so let's all just put up with it'.

What always raises an eyebrow in my house is that MN and other places are full of parents criticising the education system - not enough staff; not enough resources; chronically under funded; children's needs not being met; curriculum unfit for purpose; too much focus on the wrong things; ridiculous expectations; children experiencing cognitive overload from an overstuffed curriculum; teachers' time being taken up by non teaching tasks such as supporting vulnerable families in a wider context and fulfilling parenting roles... There is almost universal agreement that currently, the education system is failing in its current form.

Until teachers describe what it's like working within that same failing system when there's seemingly no problem at all and were just all a bit crap.

It can also be tough, but there is much more flexibility in shift patterns - I know nurses who do three long shifts, nights, specific days etc.

However they have holiday childcare issues and sometimes not enough sleep!!

Neither do teachers.

But my job is inflexible too. I have to decide what’s important in my child’s life and book leave for. It can more often than not be a ‘no’!

For example, I work in the building maintenance industry. We do planned and reactive building work and maintenance for 3 major supermarkets and 4 local academy trusts. When are the busiest times for supermarkets? Christmas and Easter - do you think we can book time off? Nope. Schools - when do schools plan their building maintenance? In school holidays. Do you think we can book chunks of time off during school holidays?! Nope. We work evenings and weekends and often, due to the reactive nature of these customers (you’d be shocked how crap supermarket roofs are and how flimsy the flip flap doors are!) we can’t just ‘be flexible!

We were on the list of key workers during the pandemic but you don’t hear about the people who were making the only places people could go to, safe!

I don’t think anyone is disputing teachers work hard. But no harder, or less able to be flexible than so many of us! Life’s difficult, it’s been difficult for centuries!

It’s funny because I’m currently reading ‘Black Diamonds’, amongst other things it talks about the lives of men, women and children in mining villages across South Yorkshire in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The majority of those women didn’t ‘work’ in paid employment and still, on balance, had it much harder than us! What my point is, working women, work hard, teachers no harder or no less.

Most teachers have marking or prep to do at home.

Hahaha - all those 'senior' roles are paid far more than a regular teacher, so not comparable at all!

Yep more pointless boring crap from the shitty BBC

I have always wondered how nurses cope tbh. Especially female ones.

Absolutely routine in my circle (mostly senior level lawyers and finance wonks but a few senior civil servants too)

Not every teacher will do that either though.

My feeling is that it was absolutely accurate - and I’ve been telling my DH all these points exactly for months.
It is the same for all working mums, but especially so for teachers, as there is no wfh flexibility.
Basically being a working mum is absolute shite. IMHO.

I don’t think it’s a well paid job at all, especially with the behaviour in schools from some children and from their parents too.

I have 2 teachers in my family. For the work they do which is mainly a
7.30 - 17.00 day, plus about 5 hours marking and planning throughout the week, working some days in the holidays either at home or in school for revision sessions, extra trips etc, I think it’s a very poorly paid job.

I work in finance, earn a lot more than they do, work from home, have a lot of flexibility, don’t get shouted at or threatened by kids and their parents and have a lot less stress. It’s no wonder fewer people are training to be teachers and lots are leaving. If teaching was as easy as some say, more would want to do it and remain doing it.

Most ‘dad teachers’ , @NobodysChildNow ,magically find themselves in senior management and out of the classroom (where the real stress lies) before they’ve had kids. Or, if they do have children, the fairies (mothers) deal with everything at home.

But I agree, something about that article set my teeth on edge.

Everyone? Amongst my circle this is not routine. Occasional, yes. Every week, no.

Sorry but I’m probably going against the grain but I see it as another whinging working mum. It’s the child I feel for. Out the house at 7.30 and not back until 6pm.

Yeah anyone who describes housework stuff as “mum-wife” jobs is someone I struggle to take seriously tbh.

I completely agree.

If anyone out there thinks this sounds easy, go ahead and apply

I alway think this is such an odd thing to say. If it’s so awful, why not leave? Why argue that other people should change their careers before assuming things are easy, when you’re the one assuming that other jobs are easier - if it sounds easy, why don’t you apply for one of those jobs? Presumably because either you think the bad bits of teaching worth it for the good bits, and/or because you know that changing careers (and going back to the start salary-wise) isn’t quite as simple as “just apply!”.

Also, there is zero flexibility. I’ve missed funerals, weddings and sports days. You can’t take days off

Depends on the school because you certainly can on mine.

This is the life of a normal working mother although as pp said why doesn’t her DH do school pick ups and drop offs?

Very much so, as teachers/schools are expected to step in and plug the gap for every single service that has been cut/underfunded. And it’s never good enough , because it’s an impossible and Sisyphean task.

Sounds a lot like my life except I don't have a husband or school holidays off.