Full or not full time? That is the question

[Wedonttalk]

So basically I am a secondary teacher doing 4 days a week. I'm married and husband works full time doing 3 days at home, 2 in the office. we have two kids, 7 and 5. My school has literally just offered me my perfect role, which would eventually see me getting out of the full time classroom, after about 5 years. I'm mid 40s and me and hubby have no other help. No grandparents,no au pairs or family or nannies. Just us. I currently have one day off a week and I normally spend it marking, cleaning and shopping for food. Pretty boring. I do drop and pick up the kids on that day so for them that's the only difference. I'd love to take this role on bit should I feel guilty about being full time with you g kids? Full time means I could afford a cleaner to help out. I may ask school that they arrange the timetable so I can at least drop off and pick up the kids on one day.

Advantages are pay rise, less time in a stressful classroom, step in the door to get into role I want, great career prospects long term.

Disadvantages are not at home for one day and potentially not able to pick up and collect my own kids, less time at home to tidy, sort house,the mum guilt.

This role would not be offered again as it's quite bespoke for me.
WWYD?

Take it!

You don't really have a day off currently if you're marking on it. I would take it and review in a few months.

Do it. Take on a cleaner and do a click & collect for your weekly shopping to pick up on the way home so you don't spend the weekends cleaning & shopping and can prioritise family time.
If it's your dream position you'd be mad to turn it down.

I was in a very similar position - couple of years back and took the FT promotion. Whilst my career is firmly back on track, my mental health is shattered, my physical health has taken a hit too (no time/energy to workout)

The extra salary is great to pay for extra help (wrap around care, cleaning, ironing etc) and to upgrade quality of life (bigger car, better holidays etc) but I’d gladly swap back until DD 6 is secondary school.

Take the job 100%

Take it , Take It - if it won't come round again and is a great step to where you want to be then I would - soon your oldest will be going to secondary school and probably making his/her own way there and back - I am assuming you will still get the usual holidays ? The latter for me is where we would struggle with childcare for young children as no family support

If you take it and don't like it I'm sure you could change to something else

Take it.

Get a cleaner. Possibly an au pair might fit for after school care if you have the space and inclination to add a person to household
Shop for food online

Make sure your husband is doing 50pc of domestic labour

It sounds like a great opportunity and will improve your life over the long run

Do it! It sounds like a great opportunity

Take it
Maybe get a part time housekeeper.

Tough isn’t it. I work four days. I’m contemplating going up to five with the proviso that I can still leave early one day to do the school pickup. I love my Midweek day off. Whether I’m being productive (not frequently) or watching Netflix it’s still my “me day”. I’m going to miss it. But career wise I know FT is better.

I’ll definitely take the role.
I know you feel like you’ll miss one day a week that you currently have off however the new role means that your mental health will be better and you can outsource cleaning as well. The free times you have at the weekend, etc will be quality time spent with the children and not spent cleaning, etc

As a teacher also doing 4 days with young dc, I wouldn’t take the role. More responsibility means more hours. In teaching, they don’t replace your responsibilities, they add to them. The marking will still be there to get done, the house will still need to be tidied before the cleaner comes, you will still need to take the time to do the online shop and put it all away. Anything you currently do on your day off will need to be done on the weekend or evenings. Plus you’ll have a larger workload so more hours. Add the 9 hours you’re physically at work for the extra day to the 6 hours of things you do on you day off plus the hours you’ll need to fulfil the extra responsibility and that is the extra time you’ll need to find in your week. Weigh up if it’s worth it and whether you want the stress. I wouldn’t give my day up for anything.

@MojoMoon

Take it.

Get a cleaner. Possibly an au pair might fit for after school care if you have the space and inclination to add a person to household
Shop for food online

Make sure your husband is doing 50pc of domestic labour

It sounds like a great opportunity and will improve your life over the long run

This! As someone else said, you're never really part time as a teacher and you're already doing marking on your day off.

I'm trying to decide if I should go back full time and am also in education but my kids are younger. I thinknfrom what you've said you should take it and ensure you pay for the cleaner so you can have quality time with you children when not at work. If it doesn't work you can always change but I think of you don't try you will wonder what if.

Take it. 4 days is almost worse than FT because you get just as much stuff to do.

Take it

Go for it x

Take it.

Hire the cleaner. Get your food shopping delivered, or use click and collect.

I was pleasantly surprised to realise when I went back up to full-time in teaching that it actually reduced the amount of work I did at home. In my experience the job does not reduce in proportion to your contracted hours. 100% of the job in 100% of the time is easier than 90% of the job in 80% of the time.

I never understand why someone would choose to work part time and use the extra time to clean and do housework when they could work full time and use the extra income to pay a cleaner.

I’d take full time and try to agree some way to still do the pick up once a week.

Take it OP! Roles like this don't come along every day.

I've accepted it. Thanks for your opinions. School is a mile away so no commute also makes a difference. Have asked if the timetable can be scheduled so I can pick up and drop off on one day a week.

Well done OP!