To want to take my own children to school and pick up sometimes?

[Coolertoday]

I am a teacher, currently 3 days a week. Obviously this works well for school holidays but less so in term time.

I’d like to stay three days throughout my childrens time at primary school - this means until I am 52/53. I don’t imagine many promotions will be available to me after this.

So - is it unreasonable to want to stay part time, mainly so I can take them and pick them up a couple of days a week?

Not at all unreasonable.

Yanbu but there must be other factors to consider.

Not unreasonable at all. But the answer to the question isn’t about whether it is or not. Can you afford to do it? Long term? If so, then do it. They are only young once 😀

100% NOT unreasonable. Part time is fab if you can do it/afford it. Lovely to be with the kids 2 of the weekdays as well as the weekend.

Why are you asking? Is someone putting pressure on you to go full time?

No … I suppose it just feels a bit indulgent to have two full days all to myself

It's not unreasonable to work whatever hours you want provided it works for you and your family. I work three days and have no desire to add any more even when they are at school!

If pick ups and drop offs are the only factor, then I think you're being very foolish, yes.

Not unreasonable at all. I plan on doing the same and staying part time until they are settled in secondary school. Will then increase my hours again to get the mortgage paid off early. Its nice to have little chats on the way home from school. If you are lucky enough to be able to afford it, do it!

I've had this recently before DD2's arrival and it is bloody marvellous I think 3 days is honestly the ideal work:not work ratio if you can afford it. More days off than in 🥳

It school pick ups and drop offs are really important to you, could you maybe work 4 days and your dh 4? I'm just thinking in terms of pensions and and perhaps career progression that might work better.

Teaching pension seems to be the best one going and although 3 days seems great now, you might think differently when you're heading towards retiring. Also I imagine 3 days would rule out things like being a head of year or head of Dept or at least make them less likely

I think I’d have to be full time to do one of those roles, and I don’t really want to either. DH does earn a lot more than me and his role is more flexible anyway. I just don’t want to be on the periphery of their primary school lives.

I work .8 but my school is amazing at letting me choose which 6 periods to have off so I organise childcare, 2 primary 1 pre school.
So I'm doing 2 afternoons off and 2 late starts so 1 full day. My husband is doing 2 late starts as well. Can you be more flexible so with .6 at secondary you could prob do all drop offs etc

And surely you can still do whole school just tlr 3 or if above pro rata tlr. Some extras are not ft. I have 3 small ones.

Depends on the school … not where I currently am.

@Boomboom22's suggestion sounds better than dropping to 0.6. I know the school drop run feels important when the kids first start school but you'd be giving up a lot by doing 0.6. And the shine can wear off the school run pretty fast tbh!

Just to add... you say you don't want to be 'on the periphery' of your dc's primary school life. from my own experience of working full time when my 3 were in primary school: I honestly don't think doing the school run is a major factor here. I joined the parent-teacher association and was pretty active in it and I'm sure that was far more instrumental then whether I dropped them off or not. You can be involved, interested and supportive of your dc's schooling in so many ways - as I'm sure you know, being in teaching yourself

I’m not sure it’s easy if you practically never get to speak to the teacher, though. That’s not as important as they get older but I do think it matters at primary.

Why dont you use two days off to do a masters or extra qualifications that will help your career. Would one of those days not be useful for lesson planning and marking?

I was on 0.6 before my children started school and then went up to 0.76 meaning I could still take and collect on 2 days (and had a day off at home for myself/school/house work). I also have a TLR so it is possible.

I’m not sure a masters would help career wise, really.

It’s not really two full days to yourself in between school hours, you’ll fill the time with things that will benefit your family because they won’t need to be done in the evenings or at weekends.

I agree with you that regularly being present at times during the normal school day matters and makes a difference for your child.

Have you used a pension calculator to see the potential impact on your future? I would be thinking about what happens if you divorce and DH remarries so you get none of his pension. If you can save on that basis, crack on and enjoy being more hands on with your children!

I don’t see why you can’t and then switch back to full time once they are older.
My mother returned to classroom teaching at 50 and progressed

DC used to walk to and fro school on their own - I was a teacher too. If you like hanging around playgrounds, wait till you are a GP. I’ve done the school run more in the last 16 years for GC than I ever did for my own. DC relished the responsibility, independence and freedom and appreciated that the money I earnt made a difference to their lives. Plus, I wasn’t a very nice SAHM. Hated it.Children need to know they are loved and supported. I dropped everything when they needed me. They just didn’t need me at the school gate.

I have to admit though, I don’t want to endure a decade of stress because it might mean I get more money when I’m well into my 60s. It’s a bit miserable.