being a teacher and a parent - kid overload?

[Anonymous]

Years ago, before I had children, I worked as a teacher. I have since been in another field, but now am considering a job opportunity in which I would be teaching again. Now I have young children, and one issue I am wondering about is, will working with kids during the day AND also having my own kids when I come home from work be challenging? So, for teachers working with kids and who are also parents of little kids, does it feel like an overload, or are the two situations different enough?

I enjoy my children, but sometimes they get on my nerves (the interruptions, the inability to sit down and read the paper, etc). I am wondering if my own kids are already expending my quota of patience that I will need for when I am also teaching kids at school. If you work with kids and have kids at home, how is that for you? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

bump [giving this one more try. any thoughts?]

[Anonymous]

I can't answer for me as the parent, but my mom was a teacher. In alot of ways it was helpful. She had the same time off. She was the "expert" when it came to all of that elementay knowledge. I mean, I thought she was freaking brilliant in elementary school. Plus, she was really good at kid activities.

But at times, I admit, I felt slighted, because she'd worry about her students more than me. IF had a problem, she'd say "well I know I don't have to worry about you, but so-and-so has bigger problems." I wouldn't say this ruined me in any way. But something you may want to be aware of - don't let your students overshadow you own kids.

One of the parents at my son's preschool is a teacher and if anything, it makes him a great parent as he is very good about setting limits and sticking with them. He's tough but loving. He said he learned it through dealing with kids all day. Where the rest of us probably cave too often.

[Anonymous]

I teach in a middle school and I have 2 teen kids. I love teaching and interacting with middle school age kids. I don't feel that I am overloaded with kid energy. Well, at the end of the day I do but in the morning when I walk in the building and see my students I feel my mood becoming lighter and happier. My own teens are giving me a run for money at the moment, but that's a whole n'other story!

That said, I'm sure I would feel differently if I taught in an elementary school. I don't particularly enjoy engaging young kids or have a lot of tolerance for little kid energy and needs. I think it is totally dependent on which age group you gravitate toward. The youngest kids I would enjoy teaching would be about 4th grade.

So if I was teaching K - 3rd and my own kids were that age or younger, then yes, I would be pulling my hair out.

[Anonymous]

I am a teacher and yes, I would say this is true to some extent. Unfortunately, my own kids tend to get the short end of the stick on this because I see them in the afternoons after I have been teaching all day and my patience is very thin. We are lucky to have a nanny so what I try to do when I get home is after saying hi to my kids and hanging out with them for a few minutes, I go up to my room and just sit in quiet for about 20 minutes - just to try to recharge a little bit and get that alone time that is lacking during the course of my day. So much of teaching is constant "neediness" from students that it does get tiring and I do sometimes lose patience with my own kids more than I would like. But it is great having the summers off with my kids as well as the break and the hours are good, too. I have been teaching for 10+ years now so a lot of my materials are already prepared and I can just adapt them to each class year. Oh, I teach high school if that makes any difference. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I think so. I taught pre-kids and I was overwhelmed with the job even then. I can't imagine doing it now. Some people have the temperament for it though, and maybe that's you.

My best friend, I used to say, was born to teach. She was always the one doing extra work and volunteering because she truly loved the job. She has a toddler and I honestly didn't think she'd make it through the school year last year. She is a seasoned teacher and came home in tears probably 2-3 times a week, just exhausted mentally.

[Anonymous]

Funny how people think that being a teacher is a cakewalk.

[Anonymous]

I'm no longer in the classroom, but I work with kids on a pull out basis. It's the best of both worlds for me, as I still interact with students and get to plan some fun lessons. But when I come home to my 7 and 3 year olds, I'm not mentally and physically exhausted.

I'm sure my position - with these cuts - will not last beyond next year. At that point, if I transition back to the classroom in my former English teacher position, I'll have to plug along and make the effort to keep my energy going for my classroom kids and own children. But it won't be easy.

My one consolation is my summers off, which I think many of us desrve b/c it's such an exhausting job.

[Anonymous]

OP, I was a teacher for years, stayed home with my kids for many years, and have gone back to work as a teacher.

I do think I have a lot less patience with both groups. I don't think I'm doing a great job with my students emotinoally -- I'm just too preoccupied with my other life at home as a mom to really get invested in my students's lives the way I once did, for instance.

On the other hand, my perspective as a parent definitely makes me a better teacher in other ways.

I do think I want to switch out of the classroom and find a different related line of work, though. Teaching plus having small kids isn't working for me.

[Anonymous]

OOps! I meant to write students' lives, not students's

[Anonymous]

Yep, I'm an early elementary teacher and it has been WAY too much kid time. I've actually taken an administrative/curriculum development job so that I can have a break. I'll probably go back to the classroom once my kids hit 10 or 12...I just can't handle it right now.

[Anonymous]

I'm both and I like it. I get good ideas for my child from work, and good ideas for my work from my child. win-win. Plus I often have brought my own child on the great field trips I plan. It's a nice bonus! Do it! Enjoy! And enjoy the fact that you will have MANY shared vacations with your child--wow. How many working parents can say THAT?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm both and I like it. I get good ideas for my child from work, and good ideas for my work from my child. win-win. Plus I often have brought my own child on the great field trips I plan. It's a nice bonus! Do it! Enjoy! And enjoy the fact that you will have MANY shared vacations with your child--wow. How many working parents can say THAT?

What grade do you teach? I've never heard of a school teacher being allowed to bring his or her own child along on a field trip!

[Anonymous]

Funny you should ask.

I just went back to teaching this fall after about six years off. Before that, I ran my own business, but decided that running my own business was really hard- plus I didn't see eye to eye on things with my business partner on a few key issues.

So, I applied to teach at the school where my children go and was offered a classroom teaching position. I was excited because I thought it would bring more balance into our lives and I thought I would see my children more because we are on the same campus, etc.

Instead, we are all exhausted and our quality of life has declined because we don't get to spend as much time together as a family. I am up at 5:30 most mornings to exercise and then head right into school. I get there between 7:15 and 7:30. My husband brings the kids to school between 8:00 and 8:15. He then goes off to his killer job where he works 60 plus hours a week. He also travels sometimes.

I try to leave school by 4:00-4:15 most days because we then rush to ballet or swimming. When we have faculty meetings I don't leave until after 5:00. The rest of the evening is spent rushing through dinner, baths, and reading. We try to have the kids in bed by 8:00 at the latest because they have to get up so early.

Also, we can never host play dates because of my work schedule.

We do not have a nanny at home or a housekeeper. We do have a cleaning service every two weeks but that's about it. My husband does all the laundry, food shopping, and bills. He is pretty amazing and I am so thankful.

Weekends are spent running errands as I can get nothing done during the week. Forget doctor's appointments. Oh, many weekends I go into the classroom to prep for the next week as I just don't have it in me on Fridays.

My son is in another division in the school and I never get to see him during the day. I might as well be working on Mars.

That said, I do love teaching and I love my students. But, it's just not sustainable for me right now. I feel like I need something that is part time so that I can take care of "life" as well. This may also sound selfish, but I am the kind of person who also needs some alone time to recharge my batteries.

Before I had children, I gladly stayed late, etc. My husband was rarely home before 7:00 and when I was single I had all the time in the world.

[Anonymous]

Kid overload? No, I don't feel that way. I do feel exhausted a lot of the time, but all my friends who are full time working moms feel that way, regardless of their job.