To hate working term time?

[Thegrassroots26]

My children are teenagers now and I have always found the holidays hard and draining as a term time worker. Yes, you don’t need to worry about childcare, but you aren’t paid for the holidays (support staff) and it’s just endless - kids at work/ kids at home. There’s never a break from your own kids or someone else’s.

I am trying to find a full time job, but wondered if anyone else has similar struggles in this area. The switch in pace from weeks of tumble weed and to hundred mile an hour term time is also brutal!

I disagree. Ive done both and I love the freedom of taking annual leave when theyre at school and working when theyre not. Easier to br term time when young in some ways but non term time has its major perks

That's what most schools do already. So the salary already down 20% from what was advertised is further reduced each month by being split by 12.

I feel it’s exploitation! Taking advantage of mum’s who want to be around for their kids!

And it’s a bloody hard job! Kids these days are hard work

The pay for support staff in schools is shocking. I do feel it takes advantage of working mothers doing their best to work around their children.

It’s probably time to move on OP. I have friends who work full time but actually have far more flexibility than me (working in education). They can work from home more days that not, earn more money and have progression opportunities. Not to mention more benefits.

I hear you OP! Mine are upper primary and early secondary and whilst this summer was lovely, I feel I barely saw them as they wanted to be out with friends. I enjoyed the leisurely days but was also pretty bored at times and kept thinking I could be earning more money by giving up TT. So I’ve taken the plunge and secured a new role, it’s still part time but 52 weeks. I can’t wait! Looking forward to using my annual leave when I want and life not revolving around term dates and holidays. My new role will be much less stress overall so feels the right move.

Good luck OP, unless people work in education it’s really hard to understand the intensity. You really have to weigh up if the school holidays are worth the exhaustion and constant stress levels

I work full-time and I'm so fed up with the summers. The place I work is unnecessarily busy over the summer to get things ready for September and so I can't take them leave I want and when I come in I'm always playing catch up. I want 4 weeks off but because I run a team I can't take it, so I juggle, feel under unnecessary pressure and like people don't realise the impact of what they are asking me to do

Typical teacher … never happy! They need to work in the real world and survive on 5 weeks leave a year!!

Yep, just done that this year, so my first summer of working in a good few years. Using some holidays for quality time - which I can now afford. Term time only saw me through the childcare years, but now it's time to move on.. No regrets so far, although I needed to get out of the 'I'd have had 8 weeks off now' mentality.

This gets my back up, sorry. All mums want to he around for their kids. We aren't in non-term time, non-school hours only jobs to avoid them.

More gently, despite working, many parents are in the same boat of having to change routine and switch back. Its not unique to term time working. I'm working different hours and days, taking leave, ferrying to clubs and playmates and hosting friends, it's relentless whether you manage it alongside work or not.

Genuine question, what do you think will be different in your circumstances when you change job? Yes, you can choose leave to suit but that leave will still either be filled by childcare ties like clubs or, in their absence as they get older, you'll still need to manage the shift to having free time.

My daughter is 15, I stopped working in a school last year, I'm so happier, have more money & take my annual leave when I want, I've taken a few days just for myself it was bliss! It worked well when she was younger but I was just finding i was wasting my holidays as no one I know was free or have really young children.

I much prefer now working all year round, albeit only part time, so I get the best of both - I’m not twiddling my thumbs at home waiting for them to get out of bed, but I do have a couple of days a week to do something nice (or have a lie in!)

I stopped working teen time only in 2022 and the first summer was a shock, now it really doesn’t faze me

Edited to add - it’s a bonus being able to take A/L when I want to! Great now youngest is college age so longer summer hols

Could you pick up some temporary work over the summer? My son's play scheme for kids with LDs is always desparate for workers.

Otherwise you may now be in a position to go full time 52 weeks. Go for it! Good luck.

I assume they're support staff. No idea what scale they are. My take home is £1700/month which I used to manage well on, but have been struggling with of late, because everything has gone up so much.
The older kids are more challenging now so by the time the holidays come round, your body slumps and you spend at least a fortnight being ill/re-regulating/decompressing.
Anyone who works with teens, especially in education, knows this. It's not for everybody and those who think we're whinging need to either join us or remember realistically how hard it was for many in lockdown/how hard it can be when you have yours back in holiday time.
I don't know any support staff or site staff or cleaning staff/lunchtime supervisors, who are paid much better than retail. I've done that too and maybe will return to that sector, once mine have got to sixth form.
What are you hoping to switch to, OP?
I fancy being an emergency calls operator. Need to find out what you need to get that kind of job. I am calm under pressure (usually!) and can cut to the chase (usually!) but need to research it.
Good luck!

I was working term time. Have just taken another job starting in September that's all year round and very much looking forward to it.

My DS is 7, so I do feel a bit guilty about the holidays going forward, but this summer has been crap. I realised that with six weeks stretching out in front of us, we get into bad habits. We're lazy and don't make the most of the time. And I've no bloody money for us to do anything anyway. Support Staff Term Time is shit pay.

This way, I'll have more money, and hopefully, as we'll have less of it, the time we do have will be more valuable. We'll make the most of it. We can also holiday in term time and save ourselves a fortune!

It's good hours, so I can still pick up DS from school every day, and we can still have our afternoons together.

I have teens who now do their own thing most of the time. This leaves me feeling quite lonely during the summer break. In term time, due to working/family/health issues I don’t have the capacity left to nurture friendships, but then that means it’s just me during the holidays when the kids are busy. I’m not sure sure what the future holds, but I don’t think term time only working is a good fit for me for many more years. My husband does try to take annual leave when I’m not at work, but this obviously can’t cover as many days as I am home for. For some of us, i think term time suits a season of our lives, but is probably not best suited right to retirement.

How much would you expect to be paid for working in a support role with 13 weeks off each year, probably every weekend and bank holiday off, and never working past something like 4 pm in the 39 weeks that you do work? If you want to be paid during the summer, work through it like the rest of us with normal jobs do. Nothing stopping you from taking a temp job during the summer. It’ll get you out of the house too.

I hear you! I know I shouldn't wish my kids' childhoods away, but on the other hand I am excited for the time I will be able to do a full time role instead of term time/school hours. Kind of excruciating that I recently had a full time job opportunity that could have been mine but I'm not currently in a position to take it because of childcare issues.Haven't had the luxury of a full time wage since the birth of DS1 ten years ago. As a single parent in an eye wateringly expensive city, could really use the wages/pension/benefits! Hopefully in a couple of years.

Yep although my children are much younger and having the holidays was really lovely (but expensive!) I struggled working term time too- no flexibility to do the school run or see sports days etc and I found the constant countdown to the holidays strange.. like you are wishing your life away for the next holiday. The role I was in was quite stressful so I would normally be ill in the half term anyway! I now work 4 days a,week and find it much more balanced so far.

I’m trying to understand why you are bored if your kids are able to be left home alone? Couldn’t you go out and do your own thing? A nice walk or a hobby or catching up with friends?

Solidarity sister! I’m surprised more people are coming down on the YABU side. People that don’t work term time only don’t know what it’s like, it also creeps up, I’ve been doing it for years and this is the first summer my youngest doesn’t need me and I feel cast adrift.

Dunno. But I've worked every school holiday (on my way to work now, actually) and never had more than 6 days off in a go except for when my sister died due to the things that have to be done over periods of closure. Still not paid full time, even though my actual leave is restricted to about three days at a time that are not of my choosing.

I've always worked TTO but with dc at secondary I've moved out of schools. The summers were daunting, but yes necessary for childcare. It was hard to do anything nice on such a poor salary and it was quite lonely being the only adult with 6 weeks off and a battle to get through dc to do anything and it was always a lot of pressure and a bit crap.

Working all year round is a novelty that I think will wear off. I've had a few days off for myself which was crazy, but as a parent you can't do too much of this as need to save AL. As someone said upthread, I think the long summer hols are going to be an issue whichever way you work, but it's the other holidays that I miss- the half terms, Easter and Christmas. Im seriously thinking of getting back into it after a year of this. I kind of miss the madness too. Right now we are all fighting over booking Xmas off and I feel like I've ballsed up for my dc if I can't be there for at least Xmas.

As a teacher I totally agree that TA pay is exploitative- the hourly rate is shocking for the intensity and the range of skills you need to deploy on a minute-to-minute basis, and they are totally unappreciated by society. Schools are struggling to fill roles now in many areas because the women who needed a school hours job can now manage a work from home one.

So yes OP, find a new role- it's time!

Thank you 🙏 Hats off to what you do as well, education is a tough tough gig.