Hi
I am a new member here and have not been part of an online community for a good few years. I am currently facing some difficult decisions and remembering the excellent advice and perspectives available last time I was involved with a similar site I have decided to join here, so hello everyone!
A very difficult decision has prompted me to seek some valuable advice and opinions. Thanks to my non stop work schedule I do not have many friends outside of work that I feel I want to open up to so I really am really hoping for some honest opinions that may help me make a difficult decision.
I am a secondary school teacher with two children age 8 and 6 plus a fantastic husband. I have only been teaching for around 3 1/2 years and it is something I do love and enjoy very much. However, it has taken over my life and during term time I work until on average 10pm ( I can be lucky and stop at 9pm but it can be much later too). I also work for another 6+ hours at weekends and to be honest I am still not even scratching the surface when it comes to marking! I am so exhausted when the holidays arrive that over Easter I was so rundown and sick that I enjoyed few days with my family. When I am not working, I am thinking about work, I totally neglect my family for my school and students.
I stayed at home until my youngest turned 4 and life was bliss, how I adored those baby years. I was a typical 1950's housewife (apart form completing a degree) and loved every moment. It has to come to a point where I feel enough is enough and I want to be the mother I once was and I am considering leaving my job. I love working with children so am thinking of applying for a supporting role which would pay less than half the salary I receive now but the work load would be far less. I would be able to leave work and care for my family, not work all night long then fall into bed.
However, I have progressed a great deal in my work and have been carrying out a managerial role so working part time in a supporting role will be a massive step down on the career ladder. Yet the prospect of being a good mum to my beautiful children fill me with joy. Although I love teaching, I don't enjoy the endless hours of additional work at home. I also neglect my husband, he works all day and then deals with the kids and many of the chores so I can 'work'.
My heart says, 'go for the low paid job and be a good mum and wife and have a real life'. My head says, 'Don't leave a job you are excelling in, getting well paid for and have wanted to do for a long time'. I suppose part of me is worried about what people might think if I left but the other part says it is only my family that matters.
I need to be handing my notice in very soon if I decide to leave, before I will be able to secure another job, otherwise I will be in breach of contract. Sorry for such a long drawn out message but I am so in need of some advice.
Thanks for reading xxx