Any other teachers find staying on top of housework hard?

[Handbaghag]

Especially at holidays like the one just gone, I struggle to rest and not berate myself with a home 'to do' list. I find it hard to stay on top of the housework most of the time and although bathrooms and kitchen are hygienic etc, dust can build up sometimes and I never clean windows! The decoration in some rooms could do with redoing but I never feel I've done enough. I put such pressure on myself.. Even after 20 years in teaching.. You'd have thought I'd have twigged by now that I can't stay fully on top of it... In a working week I'm too knackered after getting in at 6.15 every evening. My role models in this arena are my mum who only ever worked part time and my best mate who also works part time. Both can afford decorators etc. Any other teachers feel this sense of lack of control over the house? I do try and split the number of rooms with my husband but he isn't as regular and fussy as me. My children and husband are loved, fed, clean and we all have a good relationship but I feel very crap about myself in the household arena.

Yep! Beginning to think it was just me!!!

Forgive the interruption be assured we are keeping an eye on this thread

Surely one issue is that although of course there are lots of people who work just as long hours as teachers, they probably get paid more. Hence why lots of teachers might not feel they can afford a cleaner.

Plus there is so much paperwork. My study needs a massive sort out before I could let a cleaner in!

OP I think you're putting way too much pressure on yourself. It sounds like all the basics are covered. As you say you are comparing yourself to people who have either more time or money or both than you. Can you develop a bit more of a 'good enough' attitude? You work full time. The house is no more your responsibility than your husband's, but I suspect from the way you've written that you view it as your responsibility. Can you try and shift that a bit?

Surely you can catch up in the holidays?

I don't find it hard to stay on top of things because I have a small house. I do nothing in the week and catch up at weekends. Actually, I tidy every night before bed, that helps a lot.

I'm not sure why teachers would find t particularly hard to keep up with housework though.

I don't think anyone who hasn't spent time working as a teacher can possibly understand how utterly draining the job can be. They just can't.

I've worked outside education in demanding roles, and have been teaching now for decades. You read the same old shit again and again. I say, Come, try it! Spend a day with teenagers then tell us about your demanding commute and four week holiday pain.

In my experience, the demands are increasing monthly, and groups of students will, like vampires, suck the very life force out of you, leaving you like an empty husk. Then when they leave, you do interventions, you mark, plan, have pointless meetings, make calls and fill in endless charts and graphs.

Then you go home, pick up the kids and do your other job.

Its fucking exhausting and OP I agree. Get a cleaner!

Actually, I tidy every night before bed, that helps a lot

How nice for you. Last night before bed I was working through some exam questions for my Y12 class. I sent a work email at 11pm and got two instant replies from other teachers. I'm guessing they didn't have time to tidy before bed either.

I'm not sure why teachers would find t particularly hard to keep up with housework though.

Read the thread, then.

Not a teacher, but, having worked more than FT in a very demanding job, here are my tips:

Lower your standards
Make sure everyone pulls their weight - even toddlers can tidy away toys. Make sure no-one puts things down, they put them away
De clutter like crazy (during school hols have a blitz)
Shop online and meal plan
Use a slow cooker which can go on a timer so you don't end up with overcooked slop
Get a Roomba (robot vacuum cleaner)
Get a cleaner - and be very specific about what they need to do
Don't iron anything you don't need to (buy clothes that can be hung up)
Get a mobile hairdresser who does everyone in the house at the same time

How is catching up in the holidays helpful? A house doesn't stay clean and tidy for 6 weeks without some input!

Oh wah wah wah. I'm a teacher. Some people are just martyrs

What a horrible comment.

Well the OP asked for tips.

I gave a tip, but it seems really it was just a thread for moaning.

Fine. Live in a messy house.

Wah wah wah wah. I'm a teacher. Some people are just martyrs.

I actually can't believe that anyone would actually bother to type this out for a thread clearly marked 'teachers' and 'staffroom' much less press post as well.

You would think there would be an element of catching oneself on somewhere, wouldn't you?

Keep watching please, Fliss.

It's definitely hard due to the amount of evening and weekend work. I managed ok before I had kids but no longer have half a day to dedicate to housework at the weekends. I just about manage to keep on top of laundry and kitchen/bathroom. I used to be able to have a good clean or sort out in the holidays but now I find I have to spend time doing things for school that I don't have time to fit in to the normal working week.

I don't really need to get offended about what outsiders think about teachers (hey, they've all been to school so are experts), or need to defend my positions.

I think teaching is work hard/play hard. The work during term-time is intense. You have less control over your time and activities that you might get in another profession. You have to work hard to get any downtime in the day. There is always something to do, and if you say WTF, this is followed by guilt.

However, the holidays are fab. It's like having a double life, or being a WOHM and a SAHM.

I work 31 weeks a year and get 21 weeks holiday. I wouldn't trade that for five weeks' annual leave. I'd rather not work at all. The cost of this trade-off is that I get paid a lot less that I could have with my degree. To me, it is worth it for that double life.

I worked in industry as an engineer before going into teaching at age 30. It was a positive choice made by both DH and me. I don't think I moan too much about my job, and those moans could easily take place in another setting.

I am lucky that, as a Science teacher in the SE, I can pick my own jobs, and I have gone a route of long holidays, compliant children but helicopter parents. I am not a good enough teacher to be what most people here are.

You're education the future population under immense pressure from the government and stupid ignoramus people who really have no clue how knackering it is to work all day in a class time, then mark, plan, attend meetings, try not scream etc so

-lower your standards
-get a cleaner
-one day each half term for a proper sort and clean and clear out

I really am struggling with the bitchy comments and teacher bashing on this thread. Now I know that anecdote is not data, but I equally know that my affable and incredibly capable DH now works in an (on paper) massively stressful emergency response role with huge responsibility for human life and public safety and earns more than double my salary. Before this career change he wanted to be a teacher. He only just survived his PGCE and never actually taught a day in his life after qualifying as the stress was so acute. Teaching is hardcore. Yes we get holidays. But we have no choice about when we get to take them. No time off in lieu. No chance of a quiet day when you've got a cold and just want to hide in front of your computer. I teach 8 periods a day and have rehearsals every morning and often at lunchtime. That's 8 or 9 separate 40 minute presentations to do per day. Plus lunch duty. I teach a practical subject so very little marking-HOORAY! But am on my feet ALL DAY and have a hideous commute.

I also have empathy. I know lots of people in other jobs work hard. If I'd seen a thread titled 'any other lawyers finding their work life/balance hard?' I wouldn't have waded in and been horrible to them saying that they were lazy. I would have maybe read it, maybe not. I certainly wouldn't have posted saying 'lawyers with all their billable hours have got it easy, I work much harder than you'.

Life isn't a competition. Being a working parent is hard. Being a parent is hard.

instantly you came on a thread in a section not aimed at you, admitted that you didn't know what you were talking about (why teachers might find this difficult) and made a smug comment about how you don't have a problem with keeping on top of things. I'm sure if the OP had a small house and wasn't a teacher they wouldn't be posting.

Then when reminded that you don't know what you're talking about so your contribution isn't helpful, you get all huffy and insult the people who do know what they're talking about and who this thread is aimed at.

instantly there's a thread in style and beauty about handbags, think you should head over there and complain about first world problems.
Or something.

Goady nonsense.

I was going to add earlier that the one good thing about having a cleaner is that the DCs know Tuesday night is tidy up night, ready for the cleaner. It spurs me into action as well as the DCs. My cleaner is a good friend and knows to simply shut the door and ignore a DCs bedroom that is not up to scratch. I was going to do a mountain of marking tonight but ended up helping DD with her homework instead, much more fun. I'll may be mark another couple of projects in a while............

I worked in banking for 20 years before changing to teaching. There is no comparison. If you are not a teacher or in education, you have no place commenting on this thread. You have no idea, so fuck off with your patronising comments.

I am a fucking teacher, read my post

Oh, the wah wah one? Kind of glossed over that because it was rude.

I guess I'm not the only one who didn't clock you were a teacher because I couldn't imagine any teacher being so ignorant of the current situation in education as to not be able to figure out why other teachers might be struggling.