Would I be completely mad to attempt teacher training with a toddler (and poss baby)?

[Laugs]

Have an interview in a couple of weeks with the headteacher of a school that runs the Graduate Teacher Programme.

I'm too late for this year, so if I got in I'd start in Sept 2009 and do it part-time for two years.

Hopefully will have a second baby by then and DD would be 2.9, so ready to start nursery. Does this sound like a ridiculous idea?

Having worked for an ITT course and seen a number of women (and men) struggling to balance their work and family life, I would say that actually it does sound like a great deal to take on. Mostly because you anticipate having the second child by then.

Our course was full time and very intensive so perhaps the fact you would be undertaking the programme part time will make it viable. The time and effort you need to commit to training and the early years of teaching is great regardless of whether part time.

Anyway, bumping for you - lots of teachers on MN.. good luck.

A friend of mine did GTC as a secondary science teacher. She had a 18 month old old when she started the course. She negotiated to do the course 4 days a week over 4 terms, rather than 5 days a week over 3 terms.

However, she found out she was pregnant halfway through the course, and upped her days to full time so that she could finish before baby number two arrived

You would need to make sure that you have cast-iron childcare in place with both first and second options in case one isn't available.

My friend worked late into the night, every night, and at weekends too.

Personally, I wouldn't want to do it. My training and first two years of working were incredibly hard work, and that was pre-children. I now work part time and I only have one child. That's more than enough. (the part time work I mean!