Balancing being a good parent and a good teacher

[Changerofname987654321]

How do you do it? Can it be managed? I feel that I can't do either well.

[bangingmyheadoffabrickwall]

For me I went part time. TBH after a horrible time falling out with my HT, I felt I had no choice. It's definitely better in terms of work/life balance but I loved having my class full time. It was weighing up the pros and cons and TBH I felt that my sanity, mental health and of course being with my children in their early years was more important. I needed to put them before anyone else.

Of course some people can do both and their children may not be at any disadvantage for it - who knows! There's no way to measure it because all families are different.

I can't see myself going back full time though. I see what I can achieve in my personal and home life being part time that I would be mad to give that up to earn a few extra pennies that would actually be swallowed up in childcare anyways!

[BarbaraBitchFace]

Any advice for a part timer struggling to get through each day?

I would hand my notice in tomorrow morning if I didn't feel so guilty about letting the kids down. I'm kicking myself For thinking I could manage one more year.

[drfostersbra]

I only work a 2 day week.

[Piggywaspushed]

FT teacher with two DCs, FT teacher husband and no family close by.That was tougher than I expected when they were little. I have always been full time

I find running round after DC's clubs and their own school commitments stressful as I have to leave school fairly quickly to get to them . Tuesdays, in particular, are insane.. The hardest thing is the LOOKS from other staff when I say I can't stay long or need to leave a meeting as soon as it should have ended. Clashing parents' evenings are awful.

Bu , in lots of ways, you are a BETTER parent because you are a teacher. Your insights are valuable to your child.

I am not a parent who always runs around after children doing lots of stuff. We happily all vegetate all evening watching telly etc.

I never bring marking home if I can help it. A lot of teachers are genuinely their own worst enemies with workload...

[parrotonmyshoulder]

My own kids are always the ones with missing, too small or just very crumpled PE kits, forgotten permission slips, homework not finished, reading diaries not always signed.
Still, they’re pretty resilient and self-motivated!

[noblegiraffe]

FT teacher with two DCs, FT teacher husband and no family close by.

How on earth did you manage? You must have had some bombproof childcare arrangements!

I'm part time but in almost every day on a patchwork timetable. For the last 7 years I've felt like I've done a bad job of both teaching and parenting as I've been rushing around like a blue-arsed fly between school, childminder, home, school run, collapsing with exhaustion. I've been dreaming of the day when they're both finally in school thinking that's when I'll finally crack it. This year is the year, so we'll see.

[MrsHerculePoirot]

I work three days, secondary maths. This year seems to be the worst start to a year in my teaching career so far (over 15 yrs). I am rubbish parent the days I work, ok in the others except for when I have to work weekends.... I'm not doing it again unless it gets better soon.... might help if the textbooks I am teaching a new spec from ever get actually published...

[Piggywaspushed]

Not sure how I manage to be honest as DH s also whatever the opposite of domesticated is!

But I muddle on through...

The interesting thing is no one thinks I am some sort of icon!