Does teaching get easier as a single mum?

[Mamaux]

I'm in a dilemma. I became a teacher when my (then) only son was 15 - fast forward a year and I was unexpectedly pregnant.

It's been an extremely hard slog since the youngest was born 3 years ago. However. At that time I was at a slightly more relaxed school (although still putting in a lot of extra hours). The time came to leave; being assaulted multiple times a day by multiple children, 2 hospitalizations and so many bruises I couldn't cuddle my own child.

I'm now at a school where behaviour is well managed but the expectation is massive. I don't stop from dropping my son to nursery until pick up, once he is in bed I'm working till 11pm and then doing extra on my days off and weekends. Yet I never feel organised. My colleagues, although all parents, seem to think I can drop everything to plan/amend planning as it suits them (its always done on time just not weeks in advance). They schedule in twilight's and Parent's Evenings until 7pm, and I'm just expected to find childcare. It's ridiculous, and I'm finding I have little patience or energy for my own children.

Has anyone experienced this? Does it get better once they reach school age or is it time for a career change?

Well, the 170,000 members of the 'Exit the classroom; leave teaching and thrive' Facebook group suggests that you are not alone! No, I don't think it gets easier when they are at school-it just means they have their illness you need to somehow cover, their book to read and homework to get done, assemblies/sports days parents evenings that you can't get to and staggered starts, snow days and inset days to cover whilst still trying to spin all your plates in your own school with no flexible working or possibility of annual leave!

I think I was lucky that when mine were little, the job was less hideous plus my mum was on hand to do lots of childcare and my DH could work from home (back before it was so common) when they were ill/inset/schools were closed, which really helped.

If you can get out now, I would-I can't foresee anything getting better with regards to workload-the new Ofsted proposals look like it'll be a whole lot worse.