To think teachers' holidays...

[HenriettaPootel]

...are not quite all they're cracked up to be?

So, I'm starting to plan holidays for next summer. DH teaches at a private school and breaks up in early July. DS1 is at a state primary school and breaks up on the 24th July. We are planning a week's family holiday right at the start of the holidays, w/c Sat 27 July. The in-laws have also asked us to go for a week with them, to a house in the UK also starting on a Saturday. Now, we can't go Sat 3 August because we'll be travelling home from our family holiday in France. We can't go Sat 10 August because DH needs to be in school for the A level results. We can't go Sat 17 August because DH needs to be in school for the GCSE results. And we can't go Sat 23 August because, although DS is still on holiday, DH goes back to school on the 29th. Oh, and we can't go in summer half term because DH has to accompany a school trip abroad.

Now, before I get completely flamed, I know that it's wonderful to have DH at home for so long, and I'm not ungrateful for that. However, it does seem a bit ridiculous that with a husband who's a teacher, we can't basically take more than one week-long holiday (unless we go in Easter/October, when it will be a bit chilly for a beach holiday in Wales!). I know I'm probably being a bit U, but I do think that when people say 'teachers can't complain about their pay, they get those wonderful long holidays', they don't quite realise how many restrictions there are.

I earned more and chose to become a teacher because there is more to life than money. The payout was worth the extra time I have with my family .

I do not feel bashed by this thread.

You just make one of the holidays 6 days instead of a week.
Why is this so difficult?

yabvu.
I am oxford educated, am a qualified lawyer but now work in the charity sector. I get paid peanuts (my choice, I accept) and I get 4 weeks leave a year. Most of which I have to use to cover childcare for 3 dcs. Personally I think teachers are paid pretty well and also have unbelievable amounts of holidays. Plus I wish the teachers I know would acknowledge that other people don't just work 'regular' hours - both me and my dh regularly do work at home to catch up.

I think teachers do acknowledge that , most of us don't live in a bubble . Even if we have always taught we may be married to non teachers or been raised by non teachers .

By saying that you work hard you are not saying that no one else does.

For most Oxbridge graduates on low wages , we have chosen that lot in life, and therefore cannot moan .

DH is a teacher too but I think yabvu.Ok so you can't take more than one weeks holiday. That is all we ever take TBH. A week in France then a mid-week break as well and a few days out sounds OK to me. Can't you join ILs on the Sunday?

I will refrain from spilling bile all over this thread that I have struggled to get 7 days leave this summer because every other bugger also takes it

Captain - if that was directed at me, I do accept the pay and holidays and I thought I'd made that clear :)

Not really directed at you , but prompted by you and by me.

I have been very fortunate to benefit from a world class higher education and in many ways the world was my oyster . If I chose a whelk I only have myself to blame for that.

Ok, I have already accepted that IABU. Just wanted to make clear, though, I'm really not whinging about the salary (I compared teaching with other careers in response to someone's comment). I know that teaching is not that badly paid, and I'm genuinely not money-motivated, and I'm not even complaining about the overall 'package' - it's fantastic having DH at home so much, and I wouldn't swap teaching for another career (I'm typing while watching him out in the garden picking blackberries with the children, and I know I'm v v lucky). All I was really saying is that the holidays are sometimes annoyingly restricted. I look at friends taking their families on three week holidays to S Africa or the states or wherever, and I find it a bit ironic that the reason I can't do that is not the money (though it is that too!), but the lack of time and flexibility. I love travel, and I knew that a teaching salary would rule out luxury holidays, but I kind of dreamed of being able to swap that for really immersive trips (cheap camping in France for a month, that sort of thing), which would be amazing experiences for the kids. So I just find it annoying that I'm struggling to organise two week-long holidays without making compromises like missing a day, going without my husband, etc. But I do know I'm still v lucky compared with many.

(In answer to other questions: yes, results are on a Thursday, but that precludes holidays starting on a Fri/Sat, which most do. Also, DH has to be in for two days for A Level results, to help with uni stuff.) I know I seem inflexible, but ILs have said 'we've found this great house, it starts on a Sat, which date is best for you?'. And actually, I have struggled to find any houses that start mid-week in high season - those of you saying 'be more flexible with dates', where do you actually stay if you don't camp?? (Genuine question.) To answer another question, yes, DH is obliged to go on the trip at half term - it's not a choice. In fact, his department runs three trips a year, and he actually considers himself very lucky not to have to go on all three of them. He usually goes on at least two.)

Incidentally, I feel I need to exonerate teachers here. DH adores being a teacher and would have chosen it as his career even if he'd only got 4 weeks holiday a year. He doesn't know about this thread, but if he did, he'd think I was being ridiculous.

I think most teachers can do the "4 weeks camping in the south of France" holiday, dependent on what the other partner does. It is what we do most years ,

I teach at a college and will be going back to work on Wednesday after 2 and a bit weeks off. We work 9 - 5 or equivalent hours, have an annual leave allowance of 7 weeks (which many other professions do, so it's not outrageous) and have to book it round the college activities. There is a summer school planned so I have to be there. I teach two days in half terms so can never go away for a whole week then.It makes me really prickly when people teacher bash to me, usually under a fake jokey aren't I so witty type of disguise. I'm not ungrateful for the time I've had but could happily thump the next person who tries to wind me up with "jokes" about part time days, 6 week summers etc. What do they gain from it? Do they try to get a reaction from the bin man or the checkout girl in tesco about how amazing their life is? It's usually the "university of life" types who do this and I suspect they are jealous.

Which other professions get 7 weeks holiday?
Most people get 4 weeks plus bank holidays. Some are lucky that their office closes between Christmas and New Year.
And get few extra days there.
Some are self employed have to take unpaid holiday.

As your summer sounds like it is going to be very busy next summer I'd either have an Easter holiday ( perhaps not a beach holiday) or a 5/6 night hotel break in the summer. I think you need to move away from the whole holidays only start on Saturday thing.

YANBU