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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask why, if you think a job is so cushy, you don't actually do it?

258 replies

Serendippy · 09/01/2011 20:45

Genuine question, although guaranteed to rile a number of you Grin

This comes mostly from the comments about teachers/childminders. Funnily enough, I have never once heard anyone say, 'God, I paid my callout plumber a fortune, I wish I had his job'. Is this because most of us do not have any idea about plumbing? But it seems that most think they know about educating a child, so why not do it? Especially now you are given money to train asa teacher and if you already have a degree, it only takes a 9 month course to qualify? I appreciate that if you have no qualifications in place already, becoming a teacher would involve a long time on no income training, but if you would only have to do 9 months and then get loadsa money for sitting kids in front of DVDs, leaving work at 3 and swanning off on holiday for 13 weeks a year, why don't you? Same goes for childminding, if it is so easy to mind other people's children and at the same time you would save on childcare for your own, why don't you do it?

Right, who wants to throw the first punch?

OP posts:
flyingvisit · 09/01/2011 20:46

It doesnt pay as much as i earn now. HTH

Original poster
Serendippy · 09/01/2011 20:47

So you wouldn't want it?

OP posts:
poshsinglemum · 09/01/2011 20:48

I've done the PGCE- cushy it aint! You sweat every minute of those 9 months and the criterea are strict for getting on.

flyingvisit · 09/01/2011 20:49

No. If I was ready to earn less, Id take a job i consider to be easier (not necessarily any of the above, just generally) :)

flyingvisit · 09/01/2011 20:50

Ive done the pdce too btw

miniwedge · 09/01/2011 20:50

I started the childminding thread, I haven't stated anywhere that I think the job is cushy, actually I stated why I couldn't do it.

How about we agree that actually loads of jobs are not cushy and don't pay as well as others think......

Re teaching, I started a thread in chat asking a few questions as I am aiming to teach secondary, I wouldn't have assumed a teachers job is cushy either.

nancy75 · 09/01/2011 20:50

just because you think something is expensive doesn't mean you want to do it - that applies to childminders or plumbers in book

strandednomore · 09/01/2011 20:51

Blimey I could NEVER be a teacher, I take my hat off to them. I look after two dc's (5 and 3) and that's QUITE enough children for me, thank you very much. And I would be terrified of teaching older children in case they laughed at my dress sense.

boogeek · 09/01/2011 20:51

Every single time I have had to call a plumber, I have wished I had his job and made noises about going back to college to train. Then I remember I am scared of spiders and change my mind.

Sequins · 09/01/2011 20:51

I don't think either teaching or childminding are cushy jobs. At all.

Meow75 · 09/01/2011 20:52

Serendippy,

I am a teacher (Sec Sci), and I have asked a number of people this question and have always got the "Oh no, I could never be a teacher, I couldn't stand to be in a room with that many kids!" or a variation of that in some way or another.

Makes no sense, except that it seems to be a kneejerk statement, and no-one ever expects to be called on it.

Original poster
Serendippy · 09/01/2011 20:52

miniwedge it wasn't your thread in particular, it was all the many many threads complaining about how well teachers, childminders and the like get paid and the perks of the job, and I wondered why, if people really think it is so well paid with so many perks, they don't look into doing it instead of moaning about those who do.

OP posts:
btbetty · 09/01/2011 20:52

I certainly wouldn't want either job, I don't have enough patience lol!

Also the money childminders and teachers are paid is a lot less than I earn just now and I couldn't afford the pay drop.

I take my hat off to anyone who does either of those jobs.

Sequins · 09/01/2011 20:52

I am, however, envious of anyone who does a just because they love it and don't need the money.

blackeyedsusan · 09/01/2011 20:52

Can I just add... and all those holidays

I am sure you missed that comment!

TheLogLady · 09/01/2011 20:54

because i don't like children.

blackeyedsusan · 09/01/2011 20:54

boogeek

our plumber told of the time that he was working undre the bath, and felt something drumming on the back of his hand... Yep, a massive black monster spider.

Original poster
Serendippy · 09/01/2011 20:54

Blackeyedsusan I think you will find I accurately summarised a teacher's job in my OP:

'get loadsa money for sitting kids in front of DVDs, leaving work at 3 and swanning off on holiday for 13 weeks a year'

At least, this it what it seems most people think it is. If I thought that's what teaching was like, I would be the first signing up for the course!

OP posts:
TheLogLady · 09/01/2011 20:55

and teachers do get 13 weeks holiday a year.

and they start on a higher wage than nurses.

and they don't have to work late evenings, nights or weekends.

much cushier than nursing/midwifing/caring/policing types.

readywithwellies · 09/01/2011 20:57

Having lived with a childminder for 15 years - the job is OK. I could physically do it, if I was made redundant I would consider it but it doesn't pay enough plus there you don't have any colleagues or breaks.

Teaching - depends on the school, area, age but again if I could afford to retrain and knew I could walk into a job straight away, then I would do it. If I could go back and change what I did after leaving uni I would be a teacher. Yes, it is sometimes stressful, yes there is planning to do, the parents can have different opinions to you etc but it would suit my lifestyle.

Original poster
Serendippy · 09/01/2011 20:57

Nancy75 I was referring specifically to people who think that teachers, or any other job really, get paid so well for doing so little. If I thought there was easy access into a well paid, easy job I would go for it. And the access course, for those already with a degree, is only 9 months.

OP posts:
Catnao · 09/01/2011 20:57

I ALWAYS think this - if teaching is so easy, cushy and well paid - you would be mental not to join in, right?

Hassled · 09/01/2011 20:57

I was a part time childminder for a couple of years. I was so bloody smug before I started - I had 4 kids, I knew what I was doing, I'd helped at schools for years, it would be a piece of piss.

I could not possibly have been more wrong if I'd been taking lessons in How To Be Wrong. It was such hard work. In fairness one of my mindees was a 4 year old with Oppositional Defiant Disorder but even so - I used to get wound up before they arrived, was wound up all the time they were with me, and then took a good hour or so once they'd gone to calm down. Other people's children are a whole different ball game.

And now I'm much more closely involved in schools I'm under no illusion re how hard teaching is.

Moulesfrites · 09/01/2011 20:58

My bil has a real chip on his shoulder about teaching. According to him it is cushy because

You get 13 weeks hol
You work 9 til half 3
Your pay goes up every year
You can't get sacked even if you're rubbish.

To which I just reply " yeah, it's great, why don't you try it?" Which soon shuts him up.

I think it must come from his family as I met some of them over the festive season and two of them had a go at me for being a teacher, one because her kids' school was shut for a week in the snow, and another because as a nurse she had to buy her work secret Santa from pound stretcher whilst I, as a teacher, had a budget of £10 Hmm

KangarooCaught · 09/01/2011 20:58

Someone on MN did give a list of jobs they considered worse than being a teacher and sewage-worker made it on to the list.

I would like a list of cushy jobs though!