Help! A teacher mum looking for advice!

[A0792]

Hello everyone,
I’m looking for advice from teachers with families (or anyone with any insight about long commutes/working from home!)
I’m a mum of a 14 month old and I’m a teacher. I started a new school 2 months ago, which I like. However, for lots of reasons, this will be the easiest year (no exam classes, long holidays that are likely to shorten, parking space that maybe won’t be available next year to do the nursery drop off - 2 hours on buses each way if I don’t have it…)

My husband works as a teacher up the road and our son is at nursery 5 minutes away.

I have an opportunity to start a new and very exciting role that will mainly be working from home with 1 day in an office (2 hours away by train) every other week. It’s basically my dream job and something I’ve been training for for the last 6 years.

The money is basically the same after travel costs, but career progression significantly higher in the new role.

My question:

1. Am I silly for giving up the holidays with my husband and my son? Any teachers out there make the move from the classroom and find this difficult?
2. Do teachers with children in primary school find they miss out during term time?
3. Would commuting for 4 hours in one day every other week be hard? Do people do this and find it easy?
4. Am I selfish for tipping the balance again when we are all finally settled and happy?
5. Is working from home enjoyable or lonely?

My husband is supporting whatever I decide!

Really keen to hear people’s experiences!

I think the ideal is probably having one teacher and one non-teacher parent, with small children. One of you is around for all the school holidays; and the other is able to actually book annual leave when needed and WFH could be very useful with sick children.
Plus, if you've been training for the role this must have been the plan?

I'd say do it.

Teaching is becoming less and less desirable. People leaving in droves. I'm retiring next year at 56 from my teaching job. 29 years and I'm done.

My ex DH wasn't a teacher but we did it between us when our kids were little.

Good luck.

Is your husband prepared to do most of the care in the school holidays? I’d say go for it. Your children will benefit from having a mum who is happy in her work and when they are older you can explain to them why you are not present right through the holidays.Use the commuting time to work so you don’t work at home when you should be with your family. Hopefully with career progression you will be able to afford some help at home.