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Original poster

Teacher mums or dads

24 replies

Mamaux · 09/06/2021 06:03

Hi!
I've recently interviewed and got a full time teaching post starting in September as a NQT (or ECT as we are known now). However, since accepting I have found out I am pregnant.

I'm trying to weigh up my options and have thought about taking just 6 months maternity and going back full time. Has anyone got any experience of working full time as a teacher with a young baby? Is it doable or am I kidding myself?

I do have a 15 year old and had to go back to work when he was young, but that was a completely different type of job role.

Thank you :)

OP posts:

AppleKatie · 09/06/2021 06:05

Have you got a supportive partner? Rock solid childcare?

It’s doable- as in people do but it’s undeniably hard and exhausting.

What’s your subject?

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 09/06/2021 06:08

It's doable, I've done it twice. But I have solid childcare and husband works 4 days not 5.

GiantToadstool · 09/06/2021 06:12

Hmm. I think most people I know go part time to try and cope with the work load and see their child. Its not a massively family friendly job and the first few years can be gruelling.

We didn't have a lot of external support though. If you have daytime childcare and help for a few hours most evenings while you prep you could possibly do it so you finish nqt year.

It will be exhausting beyond belief. Have you thought through if you have a non sleeper?

GiantToadstool · 09/06/2021 06:14

In an ideal world I would take a years maternity.. and go back part time.

But that doesn't mean you couldn't pull out all the stops to make it work if you have everything else in life sorted.

Verbena87 · 09/06/2021 06:16

I wouldn’t go back before a year to a full time post. And actually I returned part time after a year’s maternity leave and would have resigned had school not been able to accommodate my request.

Shieldingending · 09/06/2021 06:18

I'll be honest, as a teacher I don't think this is doable in your first year unless you have childcare that will look after your child if they are unwell, and support with nights if they don't sleep well. Once you have been teaching a few years yes, lots of us do it but your first year is very demanding and you need to prove yourself at school. I'm sorry if that sounds unsupportive but I'd think about taking a year until they are a little older

THNG5 · 09/06/2021 06:18

I went back to full time teaching when my first was 6 months old. For me, it was absolutely fine. Baby went to nursery and my husband is very hands on so home/baby things were naturally split equally.

Kitkatchunkyplease · 09/06/2021 06:20

I had 6 months off and went back to work full time. I thought it was completely fine, probably easier in some ways than if it was an older child in school, as nurseries generally have longer hours so I could get work done at school before collecting. Now I work full time with a 3 year old and an hour commute each way!!! You just have to be really organised and know when to stop-and that's harder when you're an nqt.

cariadlet · 09/06/2021 06:20

It's doable. I went back full-time after having dd. But it is knackering. When dd was young, I used to leave school early so that I could be with her for tea, bath and bedtime. But that did mean working late every night once she'd gone to bed.

user1471530109 · 09/06/2021 06:22

OP, it won't be easy (is life ever?!) but of course you can do it. I've done it twice. First one I went back when she was about 9 months. Second one I took 12 months, but she was born v premature. The advice of going back part time is great-but the reality is that lots of new mums can't afford to do that.

Have a look into childcare now. I used a nursery and many of the babies from my colleagues were there. There is a woman at work currently that has had to have a lot of time off either with her own baby being ill, or the childminder. So think carefully.

GiantToadstool · 09/06/2021 06:23

I physically couldn't have done it. But neither of my children slept well at all.

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 09/06/2021 06:24

It is exhausting especially if they don't sleep. However you don't need a year off. It's becoming increasingly common for female teachers to be the higher earner and need to return once statutory mat pay kicks in.

Have clear boundaries in place over your time and work time. Teaching doesn't have to be all consuimig. If it is, move schools.

Icytundra · 09/06/2021 06:26

When you think about this and ask around, try to find people who did it early into their careers. I've done it twice, but 11 and 15 years into my career, so I don't think my experience would compare with yours....

IamChipmunk · 09/06/2021 06:26

Yes. I teach full time and am also a Head of Year. I went back after 7 months full time with first DC and 9 with the second. Husband also works full time. No family support so kids went to nursery. No issues with that side.

Things to possibly consider...
NQT year is hard work, would you have to delay completing it and getting signed off?
Will your husband share childcare. We do roughly 60/40 split of any child related illness and there can be a lot in the first 6 months of nursery!
As pp has mentioned sleep deprivation can be an issue! I did on occasion have to fudge together lessons where I was barely awake! I had been teaching a good 8 years at this point so not an issue but not ideal if you are not established. And my first DC was a terrible sleeper.

Bottom line its doable if you really want to do it.

Jessicabrassica · 09/06/2021 06:31

My daughter's teacher returned 4 days a week with an 8mo. She looked wrecked and lasted 3 weeks before being signed off sick for the rest of the school year.

Purplepanda22 · 09/06/2021 06:37

If you are recently pregnant I'm assuming you're due jan/feb next year? If so you could do a term of your NQT and then go off until September.
It will be incredibly hard but like others have said doable if you have a partner who will equally share the burden and excellent childcare.
Have you been given a permanent contract or temporary for a year?

Original poster

Mamaux · 09/06/2021 06:38

Thank you all. I am teaching in primary, but I am not completely new to teaching as I have been a HLTA (I don't know if that makes a difference but I found my placements pretty easy).

My partner is self-employed so he can take time off if needed and will have the baby one day a week. My Mum has said that she will also look after baby for one day. The other 3 days would be nursery.

Ideally, I would like a job share when I go back. However, I think I will already have burnt my bridges when they find out I will only be teaching a term before MAT leave 😬 Hence, to keep the peace, I thought I would go back full time xx

OP posts:

Summersunshine3 · 09/06/2021 06:40

I’m not a teacher however I am emergency services and I went back full time when DD was 6 months old. She went into nursery full time.
It is hard work, really hard work. DD didn’t and still doesn’t (20months) sleep through the night. I’m exhausted, totally exhausted.
If you do it, just be prepared that it’s not easy at all, but any stretch. It’s doable but isn’t easy

Glera · 09/06/2021 06:41

It is doable depending on a few factors.

What time can you get into school? When I am on drop off, I feel like the world is against me no matter how prepared I am. Especially if relying on a year group partner to resource joint planning.

What time do you need to leave? Once you're home and you've done dinner , potentially twice, and bed times, work time and marking time doesn't start until atleast 8pm.

Be prepared to feel unorganised or not on your game when you return. This should pass but many people say, and I certainly found 2 terms to feel like me again.

What is behaviour like in school? I used to love working inner city, I had the time and energy to devote to it. Now, I'm not the right person for it as I just would rather use my energy somewhere else. Not to say other people can't do this but it's just not for me anymore.

Original poster

Mamaux · 09/06/2021 06:42

Correct! I'm due February so I was planning on working till I drop and going back a week before the summer holidays. Now the NQT year has changed to 2 years as well.

It is a permanant contract . If it was temporary I would be declining the offer and do some supply teaching. I don't want to give up the job when it is still really early days and anything could happen to the pregnancy.

OP posts:

HercwasanEnemyofEducation · 09/06/2021 06:42

I've just worked out your timing, it's perfect in a lot of ways!

Work until Christmas, return just before summer holidays and then back in September when baby is a bit older. This was my timing (by chance) both times and it worked well.

CassandraTrotter · 09/06/2021 06:49

You don't need to go back before the summer holidays. You can end your mat leave on the first day of the holidays and still be paid. But I know a lot of people like to go back at the end of term to be eased in.

Pinkflipflop85 · 09/06/2021 07:15

I went back full time when mine were 8 months. It is absolutely exhausting trying to juggle everything. I had over 10 years of experience when I returned after my first and I can't even imagine how tough it would be as an NQT/ECT.

A lot can depend on the school you are in as well. Some have ridiculous demands on work load and huge lists of non negotiables which can make the job so much harder.

Purplepanda22 · 09/06/2021 16:51

This happened to a friend of mine - assistant head post in a secondary. The school were wonderfully supportive she took 9 months off and went back to work. She still works there now.

You can do it if you have the right support and you have already worked in schools so know what the pressure and workload is like so not going into this blindly. Good luck xx

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