Primary teachers with young kids, please tell me your daily routine

[dreamsofsleep]

I’ve wanted to retrain as a primary teacher for about ten years. Have 3 dc aged nearly 11, nearly 8 and 4. Have place on PGCE course. But I am totally aware of how incredibly demanding teaching is. If I didn’t have young children I would just go for it, but I just cannot decide whether to do it or not. I really want to and can’t really think of an alternative (coming from a career in media/comms which i do not want to go back to). However I really worry that I won’t have time for my own kids and I will combust of stress at some point trying to
Combine teaching and own kids.
I would love to hear from primary teachers with kids about their daily routine from waking to end of day (don’t need breakdown of during school day as have done lots of work exp, however not so sure about the 3.30 on period).
Also if anyone is reading and was in my position and went for teaching, would love to see hear how you feel now.
Thank you, and happy half term.

My kids are 4 and 7. I've been teaching for 15 years. I work full time and DH works away Mon-Fri so it's all on me.

6:15 - Get up and get ready
6:45 - Kids up and dressed, breakfast etc. Empty dishwasher and washing machine (on overnight)
7:45 - Leave for school. Arrive about 8:00

I work through lunchtime with my sandwich in my hand. After school depends. One day I leave by 4 because the kids have an activity. Most days I leave between 5 and half 5 picking the kids up from after school club. On Friday I stay until 6:30 to try to set up for Monday.

Once the kids are in bed (about 7:30) I make lunches, wash up, load the dishwasher and washing machine, etc. I start work about 8 and turn my laptop off about 10.

Weekends I work at least a few hours on either Saturday or Sunday, then I work Sunday night.

I feel like I'm always working because even if I'm not working, I'm thinking about what there is to do and when I'm next going to work. Its tough, but people who have a partner to help share the load with the kids seem to find it a bit less onerous.

PGCE year and probably your early teaching years will need more hours than this though.

My DDs are 10 and 6 and I have been teaching for 13 years. I am in a new year group this year so am doing more hours than normal (mainly in the holidays). I am lucky that both my DDs go to the school I teach at.

6.40am up and start to get dressed. Wake girls at about 7am and then get us dressed, breakfast and make packed lunches. Leave the house just before 8am with DDs. Luckily I work near where I live.

I also work through breaks and lunch time - mainly marking or setting up for the next lesson.

My DDs are either picked up by grandparents after school or come to my classroom. I tend to leave between 4-4.30 except on staff meeting nights when it's later.

Get home around 4.30pm - tidy round, put a wash in, do homework, make tea etc. I don't tend to do any work until DDs are in bed. Usually do around an hour each night in the week.

At the weekend I will do a few hours looking at what I'm teaching in the upcoming week. Currently I work quite a lot in the holidays getting my medium term plans sorted for the next half term. But I'm hoping once these are done this year then they will only need tweaking next year.

I didn't have children when I did my PGCE and I definitely worked longer hours than I do now. The first few years are definitely the hardest in terms of how long everything takes and I imagine it's quite tough with children especially if you have no support in the week. Not saying you shouldn't do it but be prepared for some stressful times in term time!

Sorry I've just realised it was a PP who said they have no support Mon-Fri. Don't know what you're situation is in terms of support.

Also, it gets easier as DC get older. When mine were little I couldn't work at all if they were awake as they wanted me to play with them. But now they are older, they understand if I need to do something when they are awake so I can get bits done if I need to. Mine still moan that I work all the time though even though I don't. I have to keep reminding them of all the holidays we have off together and the fact I'm always home with them by 4.30 every day if not earlier!

DS is 5. He attends my school.

5.30am, get up (meant to do exercise but not allowed to at the moment)
6.45am, wake up DS and try and get him dressed and washed
7.10-7.20am, leave for school
8am, arrive at school, take DS to his class (he has breakfast there)
8.15am, get to my class to set up
8.30-8.50am, my class slowly arrive
3.45pm, the majority of my small people have been picked up and I take any leftovers to after-school club
3.45pm-4.45pm, sort stuff out in my classroom on most days (not on Wednesdays and Thursdays because my room is used for clubs, so I just pick up DS at 4pm)
4.45pm, pick up DS
5.30pm, we're all back home and have dinner
8pm, DS goes to bed

I don't generally take work home because I've got enough PPA time at school (I get at least 45 minutes a day).

Thanks so much for the replies, so useful and interesting. And thanks for holding back any negative thoughts about teaching - which I know can be found in spades on mumsnet.
Dizzy your routine sounds great but i think quite unusual to get enough PPA to not have to work at home? Plus as pps have said experience makes it easier so I’m fully expecting to have to work at home in evenings.
@careerchange456 your routine sounds pretty gruelling with a lot of weekend work. Is it that your school is quite demanding or your own standards that have you doing such long hours? (Although those sorts of hours are what teachers I know do …)
I have support in the week but DH has a full on, demanding job. We will be lucky in that we will be able to have a nanny but I don’t want to be too tired and stressed for my kids … ultimately, there’s no way of knowing without doing it, but I really love getting the insights for teachers already in the profession.

@dreamsofsleep I work at an independent school abroad. Our place is quite family friendly and we don't have all the pressures of UK schools. There's no expectation that I do work at home.
Good luck with the PGCE. 😀

I actually don't think the expectations of my school are anywhere near as crazy as most schools which is what has made working full time with kids and a DH away manageable. The amount of PPA you get definitely plays a part. I get one afternoon (1-3:15). The only people I know who get more than one morning or afternoon work in private schools, but then their days are longer.

However, I do teach KS1 and run a provision based classroom which is a lot of prep work. My work on a weekend could be making play dough, laminating and cutting it out, preparing an art activity, etc. When I say I'm always thinking about work, it's because I'm always trying to think ahead to make sure I've bought or gathered any additional resources that I might need. It's much less prep to print off a few sheets and put a maths lesson together for example, but then there is the marking associated which I don't have as much of (although I do mark obviously!). I also have a lot of photographic evidence of work which I check through.

My Friday evenings are generally spent setting up practical activities in my classroom. I obviously didn't have to do all this when I taught in a more formal way!

There is no getting around the fact that primary teaching is hard work and long hours. Would I change my job? No but I love the way that work now. If I worked in a different school which had ridiculous expectations on planning, marking and assessing, would I love it? Definitely not and I'd probably be thinking about leaving teaching.

But you really won't know if you love it and if the hours are worth it until you give it a go and see what kind of school you end up in. PGCE can be brutal though. Especially when you're teaching 70-80% at the end and trying to apply for jobs etc. I'm definitely not one of those who says don't go into teaching. I'm just one that says go in with your eyes open, which is what you're trying to do!

Mine is similar to Dizzy's. My DH picks up a lot of the slack so when they're ill and for training days he has to take the days off - teaching is great for holidays but the expectation to never be ill or need any time off is huge. If you get a nice SLT you may be able to attend either Christmas performance or sports day but probably not both and maybe neither. BUT the holidays do make it worthwhile.

5:30am shower and get ready. Out everything in the car ready to go.
6:45 wake DS and leave at 7:15 drop him at wraparound. My DH gets DD ready and takes her to nursery; we don't have time to take both so we split the drop offs.
8:00 arrive at school but my SLT are great and don't mind getting there at this time.
4pm leave and collect DD from nursery. Make dinner. DH gets DD from wraparound.
Dinner, make lunches, bath, bed by 7pm.
I do about an hour and a half of work and get an hour to watch TV then bed.

I work part time and couldn't do this full time. My DS doesn't like going to wraparound and I feel guilty taking him. It's such a long day for him he's only 4 and does 7:30am til 5:30pm. So I'm considering doing supply for a few years as it's just a constant rush 3 days a week and I'm exhausted!

I get up at 6 and am out of the door at 6.30.
I go to the gym/pool on my way to work as this is the only time I have to do exercise.
Get to work at 7.30 - leave at 4.45 every day.

Partner does drop off every day - he currently drops her at school at normal time, but before covid she used to go to breakfast club every day at 8am.

I pick her up at 5.30 - she's nearly always the last one/two there (with her mate who is a Drs daughter).
Tea/dinner between 6.30 and 7.30.
Alternate bed times with her dad - she goes to bed at 8.30.

I don't work in the evenings very often, but if I have to then I do it straight away when I get in. Child has tablet time from 6pm, so if partner is cooking then I do an hour of work at that point.

I haven't worked a weekend day or school holiday day in ages, but I absolutely cram the work in during the term time week days. I don't ever go to the staff room for break or lunch for example, and rarely stop for a chat.

I'm phase lead in a 4 form entry primary school, so don't have to plan every subject. This helps.

Thanks again for all the comments. How much do you tend to have to work during the holidays?

Normally I do a couple of days in the holidays - a few more in the summer hols. At the moment I am working more because I am new to the year group. But this is to reduce the pressure during term time - I like to do as much as I can in advance for the foundation subjects and then plan maths/English weekly.

Similar to others, in school at 8am after getting kids up and ready.

Staff meeting until 5pm once a week.
Team meeting once a week until 4:30pm
3 other days I stay until 4:30 to prep.
Work 2 hours sat or Sunday morning and usually sunday night too.

Usually do a few days in summer hols so kids go to sports clubs. Half terms I usually work a few hours and 1 night. I do try to get most done the last week of term so work 2 hours each night.

6am - I get up and do 30 mins of marking/emails
6:30 - Wake dc up and have a shower
7am - Breakfasts

Then it depends which day it is and whether dh needs the car or not.

If I have the car:
7:15 - Leave the house to take DD3 to nursery and go straight to work
7:50 - I arrive at work and prep for the day
8:15 - DD1 and DD2 (ages 11 and 9) get the bus to school by themselves
9-3 - Teaching with 20 min coffee break and 20 min lunch break
3pm - Marking/uploading work/meetings etc
4:45 - Drive to DC school to collect the from after-school club#
5:30 - Collect dd3 from nursery (dropping other dc at home first if there's time)
6pm - Home

If I don't have the car:
7:15 - All of us leave the house so DH can take me to a nearby petrol station to be picked up by some colleagues.
7:50 - I arrive at work and prep for the day
8:30 - DD1 and DD2 are taken to school by DH.
9-3 - Teaching with 20 min coffee break and 20 min lunch break
5:30 - Get a lift from collegues back to the petrol station where DH collects me
5:45 - Collect dd3 from nursery
6:15 - Home

It's a juggle!

Get up at 6.20 have a shower and then wake children up. I leave for work at 7 and my husband takes children to breakfast club at 7.40 then goes to work. Children go to a childminder after school and I collect them by 6 and they’ve already eaten. I get in early and stay until at least 5.30 everyday but try not to work at home, this means I am boring at work and never stop and chat. I like my job but it is absolutely relentless which can feel like with home life too it’s like a bit of a treadmill at times. I’m quite newly qualified and it’s a new career, my pgce skitt year was too much and really quite awful, but it flies by, I worked every evening and weekend and covid meant everything was constantly changing. It is doable though so good luck 😉

I'm a single mum.to 3 dc: 3, 5, and 13. Our routine goes like this on an average day.
6am wake up, get everyone fed, washed dressed.
7.30am leave the house.
7.45 drop ds1 to breakfast club
8am drop dd to school
8.10 arrive at school, drop ds2 into breakfast club
8.10 - 8.40 - photocopying, making from previous day general prep.
Lunch- I eat for 15 minutes and work for 30 minutes - I try to get at least one lot of marking from the morning done.
3.15 - 4.30 - complete marking
4.30 leave shool
4.40- collect ds2 from childminder
4.50 - collect ds1 from afterschool club - phone ahead to dd to pop the oven on
5.30 ish- dinner
6.00 - tidy up/ listen to both ds read
6.30 - bath time/ cuddle/ play Potter
7.30 - bedtime for ds
8.00 - any work I need to do/bath/tv/ spend time with dd
10.00 - bedtime

Honestly term time is pretty manic but I feel lucky as my slt are supportive and I only work 4 days a week. I was asked if I would like 5 in September but declined as I feel without another adult in the house I would be unable to juggle everything.

It is a massive juggle and I work in a single form entry school in a very affluent area so lots of demands from parents 😬 Head is constantly asking for more, staying later, working weekends etc and it’s hard to stick to this schedule but here’s mine 😊

5.30 Wake up, feed animals and eat breakfast
6.00 Shower and get dressed/hair/make up
6.30 Yoga (have to do it first thing or doesn’t happen!) this half hour each day is what keeps me sane!
7.00 Dog Walk
8.00 Drop off my kids at daycare/breakfast club
8.15 Arrive at school, set up classroom and activities
8.45 School starts
No lunch break as have to cover SEN children at lunch 🙄 so with/supervise aggressive SEN child each day and try to eat whilst missing punches/bites/kicks
15.30 Last children go home (we officially finish at 3.15 but lots of the parents are far too busy to pick up on time 🙄)
15.30-17.40 Cram in as much marking/ displays/prep as I can
18.00 Pick up my kids from daycare/after school club
18.15 Arrive home, cook and eat dinner
19.00 Walk dogs
20.00 Tidy/clean/washing
20.30 Put kids to bed
21.00 Attempt to watch something on Netflix

I usually work a couple of weeks in summer holidays to get as prepped as I can and a week of Easter hols, half terms I allocate two days to work and make sure I don’t go over this!

@dreamsofsleep I know this isn’t what you asked but I would be really concerned about going through the utterly life consuming process of learning to become a teacher, whilst being a busy parent.

You’ve had lots of posts from experience teachers who have already figured out their life/ teaching hacks to make it work for them.

I did a PGCE primary pre children and went part time after DC. But by that point I’d been teaching full time. I worked 2-3 days a week in a job share until they were 8 and 10. It was tough when they were tiny but I could wing it when needed and knew the job inside out.

I’m honestly not trying to be negative but be aware that knowing how to juggle teaching and family is very different if you haven’t yet learnt how to pick up the balls before having your children.

So… essentially ignore all timings above in helpful posts that relate things like planning/ preparation , as you will be very much less efficient for the first two years.

If you’ve got a partner who can pick up all of the slack and independent, easy going children then good luck and go for it!

Hello!

I am a current SCITT student, I have two children who are secondary age although, one has additional needs and needs parenting like a much younger child.
I am not going to lie it is tough, I am SLOW at planning and marking, but I am getting quicker. I decided to do a part-time course due to my son's needs which is working well for us - so might be worth considering. Thought it might be helpful to give you an overview of my week.
Mon-Wed I am in school 7.45 - 12.30 one week, then the next I am in 7.45 - 4 on Monday and Tuesday.
Thursdays I am in training 9-3.30.
My time spent planning is increasing the further I get into the course, I currently teach roughly 5hrs a fortnight. I tend to spent around 1.5hrs planning/resourcing each lesson - again because it is a new skill - I am getting quicker - my first lesson took me 4 hrs!!
I spend around 2/3 hours collecting evidence and completing academic work, this is more when I have a report due.
On average I am either in school working or studying 25hrs a week, I know my full-time SCITT colleagues are working around 45-50hrs.
I am also lucky that my placement is close to home so I only have a 15min car drive.