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Original poster

What to do? Teaching? NHS? Something else?

66 replies

pancakes22 · 18/03/2021 20:40

I am 35 mum of 2 and completely miserable in my job being a PA that I just fell into and kind of just drifted along until 10 years have past. I have 3 years left until my youngest goes to school which is heartbreaking and sends me into mid life crisis thinking what on earth will I do!

Since home schooling I have actually considered going into early years teaching however before that I also toyed with the idea of healthcare assistants particularly maternity.

Teaching
Pros
Term time and family friendly
Little ones
Satisfaction watching them learn

Cons
Might not be as rosy with the more strong willed children
Work in evenings with prep etc
Would always feel less than nhs

NHS
Pros
Would feel so proud to be working alongside people who have my upmost admiration
Learning clinical skills
Helping new mums/witnessing birth has to be incredible

Cons
Hours/Shifts/sleep deprivation/not family friendly
More confrontation which I am not good at
Higher demands
Lower pay as I probably wouldn't go on to qualify as nurse/midwife as I don't think I'm clever enough and 3 years full time would be hard with family

Basically I think I just have an obsession with how amazing I think NHS is and feel unworthy doing anything else! However I know it's not practical and a really hard option. My friend is doing maternity at the moment and every shift she tells me about I'm just in awe.

I want a career that I can get some personal satisfaction from, that helps people but doesn't involve too much confrontation and fits in with the family.

OP posts:
BikeRunSki · 18/03/2021 20:45

I have never worked in a school or the NHS, but every teacher I know (several friends and siblings) would add to the cons - they’ve never been to their own child’s nativity, sports day, Mother’s Day assembly etc.

JeanClaudeVanDammit · 18/03/2021 20:49

I don’t think teaching is particularly family friendly (except for being term time only). DH has virtually no flexibility to be able to do drop offs and pick ups, parents evenings etc. Obviously no opportunity to take any leave outside of school holidays. I have friends who work in healthcare who will do 3 long shifts which obviously means long tough days, but then 4 days of the week they’re off.

BackforGood · 18/03/2021 20:49

Teaching
Pros
Term time and family friendly Ha Ha Ha Ha
Little ones
Satisfaction watching them learn

Cons
Might not be as rosy with the more strong willed children
Work in evenings with prep etc
Would always feel less than nhs Wow. Just wow

NHS
Cons
Lower pay as I probably wouldn't go on to qualify as nurse/midwife as I don't think I'm clever enough and 3 years full time would be hard with family ......... but you are clever enough to qualify as a teacher ? Hmm

I want a career that I can get some personal satisfaction from, that helps people but doesn't involve too much confrontation

Don't go into teaching then

and fits in with the family.

and I say again..... don't go into teaching then

Spudbyanyothername · 18/03/2021 20:52

Definitely find a job in NHS! It will be easier when they are in school but start looking at jobs and courses now!

purplepufferfish · 18/03/2021 20:52

I worked as a healthcare assistant before qualifying and it is a brilliant job.

In most trusts you can choose to do long shifts 7-7:30 day and night or ‘short’ days 7-3 or 11-7 and no nights.

It really is a great job. The pay isn’t amazing but the work is just wonderful. Can be very very stressful (more stressful days than not) and never fully staffed and I did see some traumatic things during the height of Covid but all in all I would recommend it.

I’m not an expert this is just my take! But my advice would be to not focus solely on maternity assistant work as these are hard to come by for the reason that most people (myself included initially) want to do it. There is always the option to pick up bank shifts on maternity wards if you wish.

Any questions please PM would be happy to help if you have any questions

CallmeHendricks · 18/03/2021 20:54

I've been a teacher for nearly 35 years. Family friendly it is NOT.

TheJackieWeaver · 18/03/2021 20:55

Don’t become a teacher. You have completely unrealistic expectations of it.

NovemberR · 18/03/2021 20:57

Neither teaching nor NHS are family friendly.

AllDoneIn · 18/03/2021 20:59

Teaching is not family friendly. Why do people still believe this rubbish? I'm leaving at Easter so I actually have time and energy for my children.

Original poster
pancakes22 · 18/03/2021 20:59

Thank you every one for your responses. Looks like I am completely naive with the teaching!

OP posts:
Chocs44 · 18/03/2021 21:00

Like previous poster said teaching is not family friendly and the entry requirements for training is the same as for nursing or midwifery. How about being a teaching assistant? They do leave school at 3.30 and don't have any preparation to do out of school hours so it's more family friendly.

Original poster
pancakes22 · 18/03/2021 21:01

@Spudbyanyothername

Definitely find a job in NHS! It will be easier when they are in school but start looking at jobs and courses now!
What kind of courses would help? X
OP posts:
BrilliantBetty · 18/03/2021 21:01

All my (many) friends and relatives who are primary ed really don't seem to enjoy it much.

Original poster
pancakes22 · 18/03/2021 21:02

@BackforGood I apologise if my naivety caused any offence. Just been a bad day and had a mind dump without thinking really

OP posts:
CustardGoodJamGoodMeatGood · 18/03/2021 21:03

Not the NHS, my DM missed so many pick ups/drop offs at school, events, Christmases. Her and her colleagues are treated like shit really and you never get shown any appreciation. Her advice to me all the way through life was 'do whatever you want, but don't go in to the NHS'

Original poster
pancakes22 · 18/03/2021 21:04

@CustardGoodJamGoodMeatGood

Not the NHS, my DM missed so many pick ups/drop offs at school, events, Christmases. Her and her colleagues are treated like shit really and you never get shown any appreciation. Her advice to me all the way through life was 'do whatever you want, but don't go in to the NHS'
I must admit I have heard this too. I really don't know what else to think of
OP posts:
1AngelicFruitCake · 18/03/2021 21:05

Do you love working with children? Get excited by it? Have ideas? Be prepared to stay late for parents evenings, fundraising events, meetings etc?

MirandaWestsNewBFF · 18/03/2021 21:05

Would a chat help? I’m a career coach, can happily give you a free half hour. You don’t have to book anything afterwards unless you want to - just thinking it might help you work out your options.

stuckinatrap · 18/03/2021 21:07

Teaching is one of those jobs that starts out hard, gets a little easier and then gets hard again.

My PGCE when my DS was little was harder than my degree. Probably the most gruelling year of my life and worse, even, than studying for my M.Ed which is did while working full time as a single parent of 2.

NQT year was just as hard. Stabilisers were off and the expectations are immediately high (the parents of the children don't know or care that you're newly qualified. You get no slack), then you just MIGHT be fortunate enough to have a year of having found your feet before the extra responsibilities start being piled on. The better and more experienced you get, the more extra stuff you get landed with... usually until it's unmanageable.

I am still in education, because I love it, but I stopped classroom teaching.

I trained in KS1&2, but I have taught in reception and nursery and honestly, Early Years was the hardest work. The energy and planning required is unreal.

I don't know about comparisons with nursing for how intelligent you need to be, but I imagine it's fairly comparable. Teaching qualifications are post-graduate usually. Lots of essays and pedagogy.

Unless you want to work in a private nursery and a nursery worker, which is a different job entirely, but those sorts of nurseries are open in school holidays too and often open long hours, so you wouldn't get the term time only pay-off that you want.

FreddyTheFlute · 18/03/2021 21:08

My nurse friends have a much more family friendly hours / days than teachers. 3/4 days a week. One nursing couple rarely need childcare as they work their shifts that way. They also always go on term tome holidays, which are much much cheaper.

What are your actual current qualifications?

idontlikealdi · 18/03/2021 21:10

I'd stay in the PA role, earn the cash. The others are just stress.

Nextyearwillbefun · 18/03/2021 21:19

Teaching is not family friendly, not good hours at all and not term time. You will need to work a few solid days each holidays for no pay and most evenings during week. Meetings often go on until after 5pm (3 xweek) then planning prep in evenings. Dont forget parents evening that can go on until 8:30pm ish and most school grown if not in by 8am often have briefing in morning too.
Seriously think about teaching before going I to it. What will you do when your child is in a play/competing in a sports say etc? You cant take leave.

FlowersAreBeautiful · 18/03/2021 21:19

Teaching
Pros
Term time and family friendly
Little ones
Satisfaction watching them learn

Hahahah. You get paid for term time but work weekends and hols for free. It is definitely not family friendly. The teaching part is the best bit but you'll get bogged down with data, planning, marking etc.

The grass isn't greener I'd stay where you are!

partyatthepalace · 18/03/2021 21:22

Both sound like great areas to try - you are romanticising both a bit right now, but that’s fine - could you try some volunteer work reading etc in schools, and if you liked that you could TA for a year and then train as a teacher if you liked it?

Ditto could you try some voluntary work in say an old people’s home - and if you like like, try six months or a year as a health care assistant in your local hospital, and then move forward to train.

Teaching is not what I would call actively family friendly, but obviously better than some jobs, nursing can be a bit easier, especially if you don’t need/want to be FT.

Do you have A levels? If you don’t you could do an access to higher education course to get into a teaching degree, or there is a specific access to healthcare course that can get you into a nursing degree. They are both demanding jobs, but at as a general rule teaching will be the more academically demanding degree and career path.

Original poster
pancakes22 · 18/03/2021 21:27

@FreddyTheFlute

My nurse friends have a much more family friendly hours / days than teachers. 3/4 days a week. One nursing couple rarely need childcare as they work their shifts that way. They also always go on term tome holidays, which are much much cheaper.

What are your actual current qualifications?

I have 2 degrees one in psychology which I didn't really use and 1 in HR Management which I did before the PA work

I suppose my comment regarding not being clever enough was poorly written and I meant in terms of the science aspect whereas I think I am more academically suited to the PGCE although I do take on board @stuckinatrap comments about how hard that is and how hard the NQT year is too.

It sounds like teaching is definitely not an easy option. I do love being with the kids but I know in my heart I want my own family to be the priority. I just also want something I can take pride in too because I know these lovely babies are going to grow up far too quickly and I have completely lost myself in motherhood

OP posts:
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