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Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

Original poster

Teaching and mum - how the f***?

81 replies

BananaBlaps · 05/06/2018 20:29

How do people make it work?
Currently have a 16 month old and am pregnant.
Currently work 0.6 at the school I was at before mat leave.
1 hrs commute to central London so I can’t do drop offs. My husband starts work at 7. Also can’t do drop offs.
So cos of this currently my mum looks after DC when I’m at work.

But that childcare situation is pretty shit and can’t can’t continue once the new baby is here. I’ll leave current job and try and find a local PT job I guess after my mat leave / 2nd baby is old enough - but there is sod all PT available atm so not full of hope.

Working PT is pretty crap as a teacher anyway.

How the hell do people manage nursery pick up and drop offs with teaching?

With my husband’s hours he could do neither pick up or drop off. I don’t think it’s possible for me to do both without my school being 5 mins from nursery.

Feel like my career is over, I have no choice over what work I could get and that the whole thing is pretty shit for me.

Any advice?

OP posts:
Wait4nothing · 05/06/2018 20:34

I do most drop offs and pick ups but work 10 mins from nursery. So drop at 7.30 (opening time - nursery chosen because of earlier opening) then drive to work - in at about 7.50 - pick up between 5.30 and 6 (closing time). Dh can drop and pick but needs notice as his commute is about 40 mins and he could get stuck in traffic.
I work 0.6 (3 days) and find it ok in terms of workload. Try to only work 2/3 evenings a week and nothing at the weekend - I usually do need to do a bit in the holidays.

sluj · 05/06/2018 20:39

Sorry to be blunt but you just have to search for paid childcare like every other working mother. The good news is that you might be able to save some money by not needing childcare through those long holidays if you get the right package.
It's not easy for anybody but being a part time teacher with local parents makes it a lot easier for you. Good luck with your search

SweepTheHalls · 05/06/2018 20:41

You need to move to a school closer to home, it's the only way to make it work with childcare.

yellowsnail · 05/06/2018 20:42

You could look for a school with a nursery attached

FogCutter · 05/06/2018 20:42

My friend is a teacher and has nursery age kids. She has them in the closest private nursery to her own school (not near her home) which is open 8-6 so she can drop them 5 mins before she's due at work and doesn't have to leave work till 5.50 if needed.

FogCutter · 05/06/2018 20:43

Of and the nursery she uses does term time only contracts for teachers which saves her quite a bit of money.

parrotonmyshoulder · 05/06/2018 20:44

I had a part time nanny when mine were small. She looked after the youngest and took the eldest to preschool/ school.

Now I’m full time and use a childminder. Their school and childminder are half way to my school. Early drop off (7.30) but works okay for us.

I’m not saying it’s perfect. Not at all. But my specialism is niche and my choice is limited.

Summerthunder · 05/06/2018 20:46

A nursery with longer open hours (Ours is 6:30am - 6:30pm) or a nanny/childminder who will come to your home so you don’t have to drop off anymore.

parrotonmyshoulder · 05/06/2018 20:48

I have to say, our nanny who came to our house in the mornings made our lives so much easier for that time. She had her own child at the same preschool as DD, so everything worked out beautifully for us.

Awrite · 05/06/2018 20:49

I used the nursery right next door to my school.

However, my dh did the wraparound care drop offs and pickups while at primary.

Going PT somehow makes women's jobs less important that men's. I stayed full time. My job is important too. Dh shares the load.

HMC2000 · 05/06/2018 20:51

sluj that's exactly what the OP is trying to do - she's talking about the difficulty of finding paid childcare that starts early enough for her to be able to drop off with enough time to get to school. She's had to fall back on family because she can't find suitable paid childcare.

user1471530109 · 05/06/2018 20:53

Nursery close to your school.

But I didn't do the long days. I dropped off at 8 and managed to get to work by 8.15. not ideal, but we all copied.

I then collected them between 4-4.45. on the odd occasion for twilight session etc, 5.30.

If I need to do work at home, it would be done after kids in bed.

I'm secondary though.

Of course you can do it! I managed as a single mother to 2dc (full time but would have loved to go out). It's hard work. But I think every working mother has the same.

The only thing I find against teaching and being a mother (there are lots of positives) is that you miss out on stuff schools put on in the day. Assemblies etc. I'm v lucky that my head often says yes to time off for this.

HelenaJustina · 05/06/2018 20:55

A nanny might work for you, especially if you could offer a ‘mostly’ term time contract and she had older school age DC...

Am thinking Mum of a teenager who might want to be around for them in the holidays but not need to be there for them after school as much.

Otherwise, nearer school/nursery.

tomhazard · 05/06/2018 21:02

I work as a teacher and my dh works early. We use a childminder for before and after school and my mum does 1 for us.
You have to be organised and relentless in making plans.

Original poster
BananaBlaps · 05/06/2018 21:07

HMC thanks for reading my post properly Grin

At the moment DH and I both leave the house by 6.30 am. Would it be possible to get a nanny to start that early? Or has anyone heard of that happening?

I guess I’m feeling fed up as I definitely can’t go back to my current school - it’s just too far and I’m not happy there anyway. But the chance of finding a local school PT job close to nursery seems so unlikely.

So I’ll be quitting my job with no idea what I’ll get in the end. Which is daunting. And makes me feel a bit shit! In a way it’d be easier to just go full time.

OP posts:
Original poster
BananaBlaps · 05/06/2018 21:09

The earliest nurseries open near me is 7.30.
And I’m not taking two under threes on the tube for an hour at 7 am!

OP posts:
Original poster
BananaBlaps · 05/06/2018 21:11

tom what time can you drop off at childminder? I’ve not found any that are before 7.30.

Again this all points to me needing a local job but if I want to stay PT I don’t know how likely that is.

OP posts:
sluj · 05/06/2018 21:33

HMC2000
But I don't get what makes the OPs position any worse than anyone else's outside teaching? In many ways, she has an easier task to find and afford part time childcare. She also has a parent who may be able to cover for sickness etc. It's the same dilemma for everyone trying to work and have children.
I never saw an assembly or a sports day either 😏

parrotonmyshoulder · 05/06/2018 21:35

She doesn’t say it’s worse. She’s posting in the staffroom. For school staff.

greathat · 05/06/2018 21:39

In my experience very few pt jobs are advertised but most decent school will accept part time applicants if you ask

sluj · 05/06/2018 21:39

Oh I see......special

FogCutter · 05/06/2018 21:40

Could your husband make a flexible working request to start work later on your work days so he can do the drop off then you can do the pick up?

Notevilstepmother · 05/06/2018 21:42

How about asking to spread your 0.6 over 5 days so you start at 10 everyday?

Put the request in soon so they can timetable it.

SweepTheHalls · 05/06/2018 21:43

Are you a shortage subject?

IHeartKingThistle · 05/06/2018 21:44

I'm a part time teacher. In order to get my last 2 jobs I contacted schools in my area directly explaining how many days I wanted to work. If you don't ask you don't get! They don't always advertise.