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The staffroom

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

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Original poster

How many casual digs about summer holidays have you had?

24 replies

fruityb · 25/08/2018 08:55

My husband made it to yesterday before the first “well you’ve had five weeks off to do....” which is good going.

Had another one this morning. I think he thinks I’ve sat on my arse all holiday - never mind the fact I’ve been at home with our two year old!!! Plus we’ve moved house, had a holiday, had a funeral, a wedding... moaned at because our sons birthday card didn’t say son and “you’ve had five weeks to sort that”. Never mind the fact he goes to Tesco for his lunch EVERY DAMN DAY!!!

And quite frankly even if I did want to sit on my arse that’s exactly what I will do!! I don’t have time off to do everything I don’t have time to do otherwise - no one else uses their holidays like that. I’ve also been pretty bloody skint after everything we’ve done.

Gah I actually look forward to going back so that these comments can stop - although then we’ll start with the “well some of us work till....”

OP posts:

MaisyPops · 25/08/2018 21:33

Thankfully none, but I don't surround myself with arseholes.

DH has made some genuine jokes about enjoying his tea being on the table with be having all this time on my hands,but that's a joke because term time he does all the cooking so it's a change.

Original poster

fruityb · 26/08/2018 07:32

My husband isn’t an arsehole. Nor do I surround myself.

I was genuinely interested as I’ve always got these comments from various people.

OP posts:

MaisyPops · 26/08/2018 08:43

That was meant to sound more jokey and flippant than it did on re-reading. Sorry.

Personally I hate 'jokey holiday comments because more often than not they seem to come from a place of 'ooh you lot you slackers'. Hence why they get the eye roll response from me.
E.g. Been busy ... 'what do you mean busy? You've been off a month? Some of us don't get a month'.
'Well it's alright for some. Some of us have to work'.
I wanted to decorate the hall but didn't have time... 'Some of us manage to decorate without being off half the year eh! How the other half live.'

They're all 'jokes' but seem to be based on this idea that teaching is such an easy life. When people make them it reminds me how tall people must feel when people say 'what's the weather like up there?' and other tall jokes aka not funny, shut up.

KnotsInMay · 26/08/2018 08:50

If these comments are coming from your DH, OP, he is being a teeny bit arseholey when he makes them.

Bechetdiagnosed · 26/08/2018 08:54

He is being an arsehole. Comments like that suggest he does not appreciate you and that you do for the household all year round.

WhatInTheWorldIsGoingOn · 26/08/2018 08:54

Most of my friends are teachers so don’t hear anything from them!

I tend to just agree with them. Yes, it’s a brilliant job. You should totally retrain as a teacher too. Think of all the time you will have to yourself etc.

WhatInTheWorldIsGoingOn · 26/08/2018 08:56

In fact I would probably suggest to DH that he is being incredibly selfish by not being a teacher and leaving you to do all the holiday child and house care. Think how lovely it would be if he had an easy life as a teacher too and you could all be off together frolicking through the fields in the sunshine.

MaisyPops · 26/08/2018 08:58

KnotsInMay Bechetdiagnosed
You've put it better than me.

It's a 'joke' but seems rooted in an arsey view of the holidays, that teachers don't do anything. I can't put my finger on it but it gets the from me. Almost like 'but you're off so why haven't you done...'

anniehm · 26/08/2018 09:09

My other half gets similar comments from uninformed relations except he's a university lecturer and they don't get summer off (he gets 6 weeks annual leave, generous but not the whole summer!) long gone are those days, he manages a lab of 12 and has year round PhD and masters students. That said I work stupid hours and only get five weeks a year so I don't have much sympathy for my teacher friends who are currently moaning about returning to work after their "hard" summer, I've taken 2 days off since June

Xmasbaby11 · 26/08/2018 09:16

I have many teacher friends and couldn't do their jobs so don't begrudge the holiday! Its a vital perk of the job. They all appreciate the summer holiday. I genuinely think it keeps them sane in a very demanding job.

I'm a university teacher and get 30 days leave a year and summer is our busiest time - but over all my working conditions are far better than school teachers, and nothing would persuade me to teach in a school.

tomhazard · 26/08/2018 09:21

I just agree with them to be honest. I work in a private school so have been off since the 7th July. It's a perk of the job and I'm not the kind of teacher who works constantly through it either so it is a holiday. I've worked 3 full days and a few evenings preparing resources and planning various bits.

I have been looking after my young children for all that time. DH sometimes makes a few jokes about it, he's always reminded he's welcome to retrain, or I'll do something else and he can spend a few thousand pounds on holiday childcare instead!

Original poster

fruityb · 26/08/2018 10:28

Hmm maybe he did come across that way then - it’s been a stressful week so there may have been more spleen in there than intended. I just get pissed off with being asked “have you done this then” as if my holidays are to do everything I don’t have time to when I’m at work.

We’ve had every stressful event possible over the holidays! I’m actually looking forward to going back for a break lol. Yesterday he pissed me off - the mental load in the last few weeks has been tough.

OP posts:

MaisyPops · 26/08/2018 10:56

I just get pissed off with being asked “have you done this then” as if my holidays are to do everything I don’t have time to when I’m at work.
He is treating your holiday as a 2nd shift. (E.g in term time you work, but in the holidays you should be sorting the house)

Original poster

fruityb · 26/08/2018 12:38

He doesn’t ask me daily! But it does happen and he does get told. We have just moved so there is stuff to do but in all honesty quite a lot is his so he gets that pointed out.

OP posts:

ChipsForSupper · 27/08/2018 01:09

I've had a lovely summer. Yes, I've had digs - just as I dig at my friends who do other sorts of jobs, "Oh another boozy Friday lunch/ another all expenses paid business trip/ chatting round the water cooler again/ another Christmas bonus....." etc.

I think it is our huge perk of the job and I love it, revel in it and completely appreciate it. I do use it to do things that I don't have time for the rest of the year but I also do lots of fun things too and travel as much as I can. I cannot imagine how awful it must be to only have 4/5 weeks holiday a year or less.

So I take the odd dig on the chin. I'm also a single parent so I don't have a husband putting expectations on my time - thank God.

sanityisamyth · 27/08/2018 01:35

Very few have dared with me. I've spent most days since I broke up (at least 3, if not 5 days a week including Saturdays) teaching at a summer school. Am exhausted and I go back to work full time (including Saturdays) this week. Lucky me!!!

Piggywaspushed · 27/08/2018 08:44

Don't worry : my DH does this too - and he is also a teacher with two weeks more holiday than me!

'you have a nice sit down' is his favourite. He gets bored very easily and every morning I am greeted by ' what are we doing today? what are we doing today?'. He never should have been a teacher for so many reasons

Piggywaspushed · 27/08/2018 08:46

ps am frankly enjoying stiitng on my arse for six weeks and anyone who thinks that is lazy can come and join me next week in the teaching profession. I feel no need to pretend I have spent all summer doing virtuous things. occupying my family's time or doing school work (which still lies in a mournful pile in the dining room...) I have been so muhc less tired for six weeks. I have even been to bed after 11 pm! Several times!

nomoreheroesanymore · 14/09/2018 11:37

I never understand this.

If the holidays are so amazing, why not become a teacher themselves? Anyone can train

Usual answer is - oh I couldn't do that, work with teenagers etc

Umm... okay...

ChipsForSupper · 15/09/2018 08:57

As this thread has been bumped, can I just add, 2 weeks in - oh that lovely 6 weeks seems a distant memory now!! And the teenagers have been hard work - some of them - but also, as usual, fascinating, funny, friendly.

BUT, as I keep saying to all my non-teacher friends, - only 5 weeks to go till my next week off!!

MoneyWhatMoney · 15/09/2018 09:54

DH is a teacher. He got these comments from his friends on his first Monday off Some of them are genuinely joking and understand he works hard most of the year as he's turned down a lot of social invites due to workload / meetings etc but some are pure jealousy. He just agrees now - lots of "oh I enjoyed my 4th lie in this week / what shall I do with all this time off..." etc.

Must say, I also make jokes to him about him being a part time househusband (we have no dc) but he joins in and sends me texts to say he's "completed his cleaning duties for the day" when I'm in work.

Before he became a teacher I honestly thought they exaggerated the workload which is why a lot of people make comments but after watching DH, I've changed my mind!

malificent7 · 16/09/2018 07:53

He is being an arse op. Tell him to retrain as a teacher then he too can get long holidays. That's what i say to people. Strangely they never take my advice!

malificent7 · 16/09/2018 07:57

Also i am now getting out as even the holidays are not reason enough for me to stay.

OhDearGodLookAtThisMess · 16/09/2018 09:40

I'm not quite sure what he means by the birthday card thing? Why would having 5 weeks off mean that you would in a million years choose a card with 'son' written on it? Does he also like cards with vomit-inducing poems written in silver swirly writing?

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