Full time and children balance?

[Picklesandbeans]

So how do you manage fulltime teaching with primary aged children? Tips and tricks so I'm not working everynight and dont feel like a terrible shouty stressed mum!

I couldn't do it. I had to change from state to independent. Then the pace of the days was more manageable so I was able to do my marking and planning during the day and be a mum at home

Thanks @whatyadoingDH I'm quite worried on how to cope! I negotiated 3 days but it was only temporary so fulltime is looming by Easter 🙈

Tried that. I found I was doing my extra work on my days off which, although I could free up time in the evenings, meant I felt I was cheating myself as I was working more that I was being paid for. We relocated in the summer and I looked round and interviewed in a state school but it just reminded me why I'd left state education in the first place. Had I still been doing my old role (12 years in state so I did my time) I would have left the profession. Now I get to teach and love it

It was totally fine before I was a mum - I just put in all the hours - I just realised that if I didn't want my kids to pay, then something had to change.

Hmm not sure what my option are really. Will look around for jobs. This school is nearby, head teacher is great so I dont really want to leave but dont want full time either!

Accept that you can only do your best. Set your hours.
I’m in my 7th year of teaching primary and have never and will never work outside of 8-5. I don’t do anything in most of the holidays, except a couple of days over summer. I work hard in my lunch break and before and after school. I’ve also done this in 2 different schools and am seen as a good teacher.
If you want promotions and to climb the ladder quickly it might not work, but if not accept you just need to be “good enough”

Good advice thank you.

Working close to home and kids primary really helps. I can leave school at 5, pick up kids at 5.10 and be home for 5.20. As does having a reliable breakfast and after school club at kids primary. I aim for an 'early' pick up once a week and leave school by 3.45.

I have accepted that I cannot consider promotion for now and aim just to do my best as a teacher. I try to not bring much home and work through breaks and lunch. Though if I do have to work I try to do that when they are in bed or if DH is doing something with them on a weekend.

We've lowered my standards around the house in terms of tidiness, we order takeaway at busy times and we bought a lot of school uniform so that the washing basket over flowing does not mean someone doesn't have a school jumper.

It's tough and busy and I don't always feel that I do a very good job of managing it all. DH is a teacher too, so school holidays as a family are brilliant and I try not to work more than 1 day in any of the holidays (apart from summer when I'll do a little more).

Supply teaching

Thank you. I've bought enough uniforms and hung up in order, I'm batch cooking etc. DC do asc. Dh takes in morning at moment but may put them into breakfast club.
I'm report writing at moment so accepting I'm working each night but after this I'm setting my hours and will not work every evening and weekend- standards will be lowered all around!

I set my hours and stick to them, breakfast and after school clubs and just don’t work at home really ever. Im in work at around 7.45 and leave by 5.30, I’m lucky my husband picks up the kids though so all at home by the time I get there. It’s a bit relentless at times but I know if I worked part time I’d just waste time and be less efficient. I keep away from too much chat at work as well, this saps so much time!

I second moving to independent!

I'm a single parent teacher. My daughter is secondary age but has some SEN and is probably more like an 8 year old. She has no contact with her dad so I still rely on child care.

I leave home at 6.45 and return by 6pm.
My daughter comes first. Generally if she wants my time, she gets it, but if I'm busy she get the time by joining in what I'm doing. So if she wants to build Lego but I'm sorting washing, I will build Lego but she has to help with the washing first.

I do find that my house is an absolute tip all the time. I'm not tidy so that doesn't help!

At work I do enough to get by. My colleagues are also friends which helps. 8 work for a reasonable Head.

Does she really come first if you are out of the house for nearly 12 hours a day though ?

Probably should have said she comes first at home really 😊. I won't apologise for the hours I work. They are what they are.