If you are a teacher with young children

[Redhothoochycoocher]

How do you make it work?

I left teaching a year ago as I just couldn't balance the demands of home and school. I miss it and probably idealise it to be honest.

Just curious how parents manage to juggle teaching? Is it doable?

I did it for 6 years, until our circumstances changed and I was able to take a career break. Could not have managed without my parents and to be honest I missed out on a lot of stuff with DS when he was in Primary. I regret it now, but at the time we needed the second income.

I’m a single parent to 4 DC but they are teens-8 and I have amazing support from my parents, I also work in a school that I love.

Mine are not that young (9,11 and 18) - but mainly my husband WFH helps massively.

I juggle a lot and am super organised but it's draining!

It was quite a family friendly career when I started teaching in the mid 80s but not now.

0.8

Though as a newly single parent I can barely afford to live.

Find a decent school without a ridiculous workload (on the whole avoid big academy chains).

I make it work with parental support, husband works 4 days, saying no to stuff (or not volunteering) and being efficient.

Are you primary or secondary?

I work 3 days a week (primary). My
kids are now 7 and 8. They go to breakfast club and after school club on the three days that I work, 7:30 until between 4:30
and 6:00, depending on how late I leave work. When they were younger they went to a childminder until they were old enough for a combination of nursery (some call it preschool) and childminder. I don’t have a class responsibility. This is the clincher. I am early
reading lead, so I oversee phonics and reading and do interventions. I do half a day in class teaching Reception, so my planning and workload is less than a full time class teacher. I don’t have marking to do
or displays to put up. I can leave at 3:30 if necessary and do some work
at home if necessary (not often). My weekends are my own. I have free time on the two days I don’t work to shop for groceries, clean, see friends, go to Pilates. It’s a beautiful balance. I love it and plan to go full time when the children are in high school (maybe!). I don’t work in the same school that my kids go to either. I work 40-60 mins away (traffic dependent). If you love it and miss it, look for something part time. I don’t know any happy teachers who are full
time with young families. I know lots of unhappy ones and they don’t last long.

When they were really little I worked 0.6, I went up to 0.8 when both were in Primary on the proviso I had a guaranteed free on the same day each week so I could pick them up from school twice a week.
Husband deals with the morning drop off, I deal with the after school craziness. I work fairly locally and my school is pretty good at letting me go to nativities etc.
Its not easy but I do generally love it.

it's so disheartening. I loved teaching, I loved the children but the workload and increasingly demands were just too much.

I don't have parents living locally and DH works long hours so not able to do much in terms of childcare through the week.

I've heard of these unicorn schools that are lovely to work in but sadly after a decade of teaching I never found one

I'm primary

I coped by having a fantastic childminder and a DH who does the lion's share of cooking and laundry! DD was at the cm 7.45 to 5.30 and once she started school she took DD to and from school (my one criteria for a school was the one her cm picked up from!). We've moved away now and COVID has made things easier as dp works from home so DD does breakfast club but he can pick her up after school most days. CM remains a close friend and dd's second mum. I love my job and I love having holidays with DD. I do feel sad that I don't see much of her on weekdays in term.

My DS attends my nursery 30hrs. Can attend breakfast club or after school club as many times a week as I want for free. I’ve been in the same class for 3 years, so I know the curriculum. My school isn’t very demanding, but I work during the holidays so I don’t have much to do after school.

I've just returned full time after mat leave and have two DDS - 5 and 13 months. The key I've found is being mega organised. It's a bit manic in the evening but so worth it. Clothes for everyone are put out ready for the morning, lunches and bags are packed and by the door, my coffee is even in the travel cup next to the kettle. I'm batch cooking as much as I can and using my slow cooker a lot (the bored of lunch books are really good) and generally the next days dinner is prepped before I sit down for the night so it's literally heating/bunging into the slow cooker the next day.

DH also works full time and leaves the house before us but he is very hands on and we're very much a team - we consult each others diaries so that training/late meetings/parents night get juggled between us and in the mornings and evenings we tag team everything.

When I returned to work we hired a cleaner which is the best money I've ever spent - she comes on a Friday after so when we get home for the weekend the house is clean and tidy. We get our shopping delivered and again I plan meals/lunch boxes/snacks for the week so I know I've got everything I need.

I'm really lucky and not fully class committed but have leadership responsibilities so can be a bit flexible with leaving earlier and working at home. I also teach in Scotland which has many challenges and some crazy workloads but it's easier than what I've heard I'm England. Good luck OP!

Oh and batch cooking!! I can’t stand cooking after work and it allows me to get my DS to bed on time.

I have a 6yo and a 2YO and work as a Y2 teacher and English lead 0.8 in a very challenging inner city school (but with a very supportive leadership team). No family support and partner also works full time so kids are in wraparound/littlest one is in nursery for long and expensive days.

I’ve survived so far by having been in the same year group for years and being SUPER organised (completely manic, many tabs open at once, ball-juggling at all times, 4 minute lunch break kind of organised…) but it was okay.

This year lots has changed at school/generally in education, and we are refreshing a lot of planning and it is honestly bordering on impossible - I’m regularly on my laptop at 11pm because where I’d have just got home and worked before, I have to get home and sort the kids etc so by the time they’re in bed and I’ve showered and eaten it’s stupid o clock already.

We’re also really blinking skint because of nursery costs and pay that doesn't reflect the hours we do.

It depends on your circumstances, whether there’s a partner, finances, childcare etc but I’d wait until they’re a bit older.

Mine are older now (17, 15 and 10). I did go 0.8 after the second for a year but otherwise have always been full-time.
When we had just 1 then just 2 we had great childminders. My partner commuted 2 hours each way to work (including a ferry) and my parents helped out one day a week.
Financially it was fairly tough!
We then has DC3 and employed a nanny. That was very tough financially for a few years (I was already UPS3 when we had our last child) but was great for the children and meant I could just leave in the morning and when I got home they would be eating or dinner would be ready and lots of child-related chores would be done.
Once DS10 was in Y1 we used breakfast club and after school club.
i always did work in the evenings after kids were in bed - now they are older, I work less but smarter and DP is WFH 3-4 days a week. We also home educate one child and another is autistic.
yes, it’s hard but we both love our jobs, I’m with the children 25% of the year, have never used holiday clubs (unless they’ve wanted to do an activity).
I’ve been at my school for 12+ years, I’m SLT but still full-time Y6 class teacher but we have done a lot of work on trying to find a work-life balance for all staff.

if you find a school that works, it can work!

I’m a full time teacher (secondary) with 3 young DC. They are 8, 5 and 3. The job has become untenable so I’m quitting at Easter. We have no family to help and my DH also works.

Even our logistics of getting 3 children to two different places and then getting to work (all about 15 miles away in opposite directions!) is a nightmare.

I’m starting a new job outside of teaching at Easter and I’m looking forward to a positive change.

Interesting re finding a school that works. How do you know if it's a school that works before you work there?

I'm fortunate in that we don't need the income that teaching brings so I've been able to take a substantial pay cut on order to leave but I get no meaning from my work any more. I've also realised that teaching really scratched the itch of being creative, all the planning and making resources but also constant problem solving.

I was really lucky in that I ended up in the same school that my children were at at the time - they are now in high school. It's a lovely school and it's 5 minutes away from my house. It also really helped that my husband was largely working from home and was very willing to do all the stuff that I couldn't

Single parent and full time HOD in secondary. DC attends wrap around care 7.30-5.30pm. I don't spend much time outside of school doing planning etc. I do everything I can before I leave at 5/5.15. I work a short distance from home. I wish I could quit but need the money. I frequently remind myself that it's just a job but I would love to do something that allows me to switch off when I leave for the day. At least I get the school hols with dc though.

Sorry you're not able to work. This was me 12 months ago. I left at Easter. What job will you be doing?

At first I really enjoyed the release back into the real world but I changed jobs 5 months ago and I'm very bored and under stimulated. I wonder if this is my main motivator for thinking about teaching. Maybe this would be resolved if I had a more interesting job.

I’ve been in my school for over 15 years. It’s a small school and thankfully, very supportive so I don’t miss any plays etc. It’s a juggle with two young children. I work 0.6 and my husband does all drop offs on the three mornings that I work. Working part time whilst mine are at school, means that I can catch up with work on one of my days off. Find the right school and it’s just about doable!

I work 2 days a week! I have done 3 for a time. I couldn’t do full time like I did before kids with the workload outside of school hours, parents evenings etc

I do supply teaching.

I have 3 DC aged 1-6 and I just do 2 days now as a job share. Like you I have no family help nearby and DH works long hours (also in teaching)

I can’t imagine even managing 3 days atm, but I have colleagues with children of similar ages who cope with FT, so it really does just depend on childcare/partners job etc