Healthcare or Teaching

[EcoCustard]

Would you go into healthcare in Midwifery/ Children’s nursing/ODP role or teaching? Opinions and experiences would be greatly appreciated. FWIW I am 40 a third of a way through an OU degree, SAHP to 4 kids under 6 and always had a desire to follow a healthcare path in Midwifery or ODP but always ended up working or been surrounded by people who have been less than encouraging or supportive. Most people seem happy to say I should go towards teaching after the OU. I have no specific experience but transferable skills and assessing my options. Honestly torn between head and heart and other’s opinions. Spent a good few years since school working very hard but without any qualifications ( if that makes sense) and a few years as a sahp and keen for a change. Any advice, experience mumsnetters?

Anyone?????

Best thing to do is try to get some experience in a school. When I taught we often had people come in to volunteer just to get a feel for it. It can just be for a day or two although longer would be better. Personally I found teaching very family unfriendly. There's lots to do at home after a long day in school. The holidays obviously work in your favour.

Children’s speech therapy is a nice compromise between the two. You work for the nhs and often have other healthcare colleagues but spend a lot of time working in/with schools and nurseries

I really wanted to be a teacher until the end of my degree. There is too much expected of teachers and its pretty standard to work 60 hours a week. Why would you do that to yourself when you also want to have time with your kids? Follow your heart and go with the healthcare where you are paid for overtime if you want to do it!

Do not be a teacher.

You will have no life or time if your own, and will be under horrible stress all the time.

Most people seem happy to say I should go towards teaching

What on earth do ‘most people’ have to do with it? What do YOU want to do and why?

What sort of support do you have at home? Healthcare could likely mean working early shifts, late shifts and weekends which is difficult for childcare. I’m a secondary head of department and dh is a primary deputy head and while teaching is totally full on during term time we can use wrap around care so we don’t need others to help very often. We can usually work it out between the two of us.

I really would not go into teaching. They always used to say teachers kids were the worst behaved. Teachers spend all their time on other people’s children and no their own!
My parents were teachers and they did soend time with us but it is an all consuming job

If you've no burning desire to be a teacher and it's only in your head because others have suggested it, I'd run a mile. Sorry that sounds harsh- I don't mean it as a reflection on you at all, but of the job.
I love teaching but I always wanted to do it and I've been in the career long enough now that the strange workload and rhythm of the year suits me, it's what I know. But this not a fun job if your heart isn't in it.

I have a suspicion that working in health is probably the same and as that's where your interest lies, from your OP, I'd definitely be looking that way.

Honestly...neither would appeal to me. Anyone I know who works in those jobs are stressed to the max for very little returns.

I was going to say speech therapy but note someone else has.

Or occupational therapy

Any of those jobs you really need to have a passion for to put up with the shitty bits. So which one do you want to do?

@ChocolateRiver I have a DH but being honest he is supportive in language but that’s it, it has been a hard slog getting where I am with the OU. My Mother has no interest in helping or support and friends aren’t either ( which is fair enough we all have our own lives). Kind of thinking unless it’s thrust upon him DH Won’t offer more than lip service. He seems keen for me to pursue my OU as it makes little change to our lives and if I go into teaching it’s all good. I have teacher friends in primary and they offer little in conversation on the job front, and our DH’s are all in construction.

@Howshouldibehave many things I would love to do but somewhat restricted by where I live, courses on offer locally ( little), and 4 young kids with a mortgage to pay . Dive instructor in the tropics is up there but not realistic, most people seem to tell me teaching is the way forward based around school holidays, having kids etc and as with my DH carrying on with my OU and then a PGCE means less disruption to him for the time being. I have been drawn to healthcare roles like midwifery and ODP/ theatre nurse for a long time (since my teens) but always prioritised others and other things, for a few reasons.

Thanks for the opinions on teaching, and the speech therapy not an option I have explored.

@Heyha thank you. Yes never a desire to go into teaching but health care from day one. However I spent many years working in a job I had little passion but did well in. Thanks for the input into teaching. Aah the responses into teaching

@MarjorieBouvier honestly it’s always been Midwifery or Theatre nurse/ODP just never been a time to pursue it (many reasons since I left school at 16). Have volunteered in a few roles (pre Covid) to give a small insight.