Part time to full time

[user109842]

I'm going from 3-5 days in September as dd2 will be in reception (both kids will be at the same school as me).

I feel really daunted by going full time again after several years on 0.6.

I'm having a huge wobble over planning and delivering the whole curriculum (aside from some specialist subjects) as I've only taught maths, English and science really.

Has anyone made the move up to full time and got pearls of wisdom on offer?

I did it in Secondary and preferred it. You're in all the loops and it's easier to catch up with kids between lessons.

It wasn't in school that I had to make changes, but at home. Routines for shopping, laundry, visiting etc had to be rethought.

I'm going back to full time in September. Felt great when I accepted the job but now I'm starting to wobble! My DC are younger so I am worrying about managing it all but hoping it will all come together.

Career change hats off to you teaching full time with tinies. It's only now that my second is going to be in reception that I feel it's at all plausible.

I may regret it but decided I didn't want the part time pay with full time hours. We'll see what I think by half term...

I did it, was ok for first year but this year has been hard. Things like healthy eating and exercise suffer and we eat a lot from the corner shop. We have a cleaner.

I’m dropping to 4 days in September and can’t wait!

I’m going from 0.6 to full time again in September as a one year only favour (guy who got my head of faculty job when I dropped my TLR to go part time got another job the day before half term so I’m doing my old head of fac role until they appoint.). Mine are 6, 3 and 1. I’ll be honest, I’m bricking it!

Oh, and my DH is a teacher in a different area and we’ve just realised we have different October half terms. Aaaaaggggghhhh! (DH gets the best deal. Me and the kids get the week off together, he gets a lovely week to himself )

Mine are 3 and 1 and DH works away all week so feeling the same Pottering!

I did it three years ago when DC1 and 2 were small (I went FT to take on a leadership role). It was very hard at first. Then I got pregnant with DC3 and it became utterly bonkers .

The way I manage is to go in very early (7am at the very latest) and get all my work done before school starts so that I don’t have to do too much at home (in fact, many nights I don’t work at home, apart from busy times of year). This works well for me and, once I got used to FT again, I much prefer being in the loop about what’s going on, instead of relying on information being passed on.

I’d not recommend FT with three young DC, though! I’m barely clinging on to my sanity and sleep is a distant memory.

I’ve done it! I’m a single mum of 3 (13, 11 and 4) and have management responsibility too. I had to go FT to pay the bills, I had no choice. But actually, I find it easier to work full time as I know exactly what’s going on, and don’t miss out on anything. I like having ownership of the class, and teaching the whole curriculum. The hardest part was taking on all the SEND paperwork, parents eves, reports etc after years of sharing them.
Good luck, I’d struggle to go back part time now!

I'm doing it from September. I started at the school at Easter, but because I took over from a part-timer, my timetable has been lighter than full-time this term. However, from September it will be a proper full-time timetable, and like PPs, I'm bricking it! BUT, again, as PPs have mentioned, I'm fed up of not being in the loop. I'm on the wrong side of 40 now as well, and I've noticed that when I'm part-time, everyone just seems to think I'm happy pottering about as a basic classroom teacher doing my 3 days a week until I retire(!), when I'm really not! I know some people love it but it's not for me. I'm a 'mover and a shaker' type person - I want to move the department forward, make improvements etc. and I only seem to be taken seriously if I'm full-time.

My 2 DC are 13 & 8, older than the OPs, so I'm hoping things will pan out OK...

Let's use this thread to help each other through!

Are you staying in the same school op? I'm starting in a new school and lots of staff (mostly the part timers!) have said I'm brave going full time - not reassuring!

I did this and moved school at the same time. No problems at all you just have to get on with it

I'm not quite in the same boat as I have always done ft after maternity leave, however, I took a TLR this year (my DS is 4).

It's hard at times but you do get used to it. It helps that my husband works for himself and generally does part time hours around DS.

I would say organisation is key and accept that sometimes things are good enough. I am letting DS have school dinners so that we can have simple evening meals knowing that he has had a good meal at lunch.

Good luck!

I'm in the same boat - going from 0.6 to full time in September to be head of department . My DC are 5 and 3.
I'm less worried about work and more worried about making sure everything runs smoothly at home. Will be doing lots of batch cooking and then the kids will follow a 5 day simple meals plan for the term time! Hired a cleaner and DH is actually dropping a day for a year which will help.

I was going to ask whether anyone has a cleaner.

I used to have one when I worked full-time before, but I only had my eldest then, and she was pre-school, whereas now, both my daughters are old enough to help out.

My older DD already does the ironing. DH does all the cooking.

The trouble though, is not really the cleaning, it's the tidying. And cleaners don't tidy. Also, I reckon I could train my DDs to do the cleaning (hoovering, clean bathroom, dusting etc. - my idea would be a 2 hour family cleaning session every Saturday morning or something), but training them to be tidy, I am just finding impossible. For example, I have just got everything up off the floor in the living room to do a quick hoover, and within the time it's taken me to type this, my younger DD has some cuddly toys out, cut up some paper, so bits of paper everywhere, scissors on the floor. The whole house is like this, and I feel like I'm constantly fighting a losing battle.

I HATE untidiness, but do I accept it as part of having children, or even just the fact that lots of people are living in one house and leave their stuff everywhere (including me)?

I must admit, when I was exam marking in June, I had no time to do any tidying/cleaning at all, and it didn't actually get any worse i.e no more than a few bits of paper on the floor, a few cuddly toys, a few books/DVDs left lying around, the odd item of clothing. BUT, it drives me MAD!!

For me the cleaner is a condition of full time work with dc! It's more about scrubbing the bathrooms and kitchen and mopping the floors- I don't really mind whizzing the hoover round ! DH and I used to do a joint cleaning session on a Saturday morning but I don't want to anymore as if I'm working full time then I'd like weekends to do anything but cleaning !

I agree Tom, I'm getting a cleaner for September. I'm going back full time after mat leave, then part time, then short career break so it's been 3.5 years since I've been full time. I can't clean, work full time and look after my 1 and 3 year old on my own all week so a cleaner is a must.

Cooking is slightly easier (I hope!!) because DC will get their meals at nursery and I'm hoping I can just do a light tea/snack/fruit and yogurt when we get in. No idea what I'll do for food but I'm batch cooking and stocking up the freezer over the next few weeks so I can grab meals from there if that's the easiest option.

Careerchange hot meals at nursery or school are a lifesaver. DD will be getting her free school meals but DS is going to the nursery class at the same school and will need a packed lunch- gah! Means I've got to do a hot dinner every night for them so he gets something decent every day.

Tom Packed lunches My only tip is to freeze a batch of cheese sandwiches at the weekend and then take one lot out each day. I used to do this for DH and I think I'm probably going to have to start doing it for myself!