On Working. Maybe.

The part-time teaching job has reared its somewhat attractive head again. The Department of Education is theoretically on board (though there's still a lot of red tape with which to deal),  and the principal at the school seems fairly willing to work with my limitations. 

I was at the school yesterday, and as soon as I stepped into the classroom and  smelled the chalk dust, I was ready to sign on the dotted line, but the closer I got to home and The Boy the more I found myself wondering whether this  was really for me.

Pros

• Feeling useful
• Doing something I enjoy doing
• Making some money
• Keeping my skills (and my certification) somewhat current
• I know several of  the teachers at the school so I'll have instant buddies

Cons

• Feeling guilty about leaving The Boy
• A fairly long commute (45-60 min each way)
• Not my ideal age group (middle school instead of high school)

And the biggest con of all: child care.   The job will require my being out of the house from 7:30-4:30 twice a week, and 7:30-1 once a week.*   Our current nanny--whom The Boy already worships--will probably not be able to work those hours, even with my husband covering some of the early morning hours.

Commence wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth.

*Funny, isn't it, how the myth of teaching being a family-friendly occupation endures.   

Comments

[wavybrains]

At least the commute is not every day, and on the 3rd day, your commute home is not at peak time, so that might help. I would say go for it b/c it seems over the past few weeks that you have been really wanting something like this. If it's not a good fit, better to find that out than to always wonder if it might have worked for you. Being out there again, might also open your ears up to other opportunities further down the line that ARE a better fit. But, you are the only one who can really know your gut on this one. Good luck, whatever you decide.

[Amy]

Both of my SILs are teachers and i have to say that once you have school age kids it does seem like a very family friendly profession. They are both off in the summer when their kids are. Their kids do after school activities most days so they are often home before their children so they never have to worry about childcare or their older kids being home alone.

Frankly I wish I had considered that more when making career decisions because as someone who has to work full time (can't afford to live otherwise) with more corperate hours I envy my SILs a lot. Even when their kids were babies they were able to get away with 5-6 hours a day of childcare vs. 8-9 like many full time working moms (since their husband's worked 9-6 roughly and they worked 7-3). And the summers and holidays off are pretty freaking terrific too. If I had really thought it through I might have made very different career choices in that respect

When you have a young baby I don't think anything, short of maybe working at Mothering Magazine where everyone takes their kids to work with them, is really all that family friendly. It is just hard to work and take care of a needy infant or toddler, period. Even when it is what is best for you and your family it is just plian hard to leave a baby with someone all day. I don't know if there is really any way around that short of maybe onsight childcare where at least you could check in every couple of hours for breastfeeding or holding or playing. And unfortunately that is still quite rare.

Good luck whatever you decide. Being a mom isn't easy, that's for sure.

[patricia]

I think this deal looks pretty good, but of course it's all subjective. One thing to remember is that your boy would still be spending the vast majority of his time with you and your husband. And it is kind of nice to "stay in the game." On the other hand, are the odds of getting a similar deal next year good?

You could just wait a year and you might be more ready then.

Child care is a drag, but the boy could undoubtedly love someone else.

[patricia]

I think this deal looks pretty good, but of course it's all subjective. One thing to remember is that your boy would still be spending the vast majority of his time with you and your husband. And it is kind of nice to "stay in the game." On the other hand, are the odds of getting a similar deal next year good?

You could just wait a year and you might be more ready then.

Child care is a drag, but the boy could undoubtedly love someone else.

[Cat, Galloping]

Just because you make the decision now doesn't mean you have to live with it forever. Take baby steps. I told myself I would go back for three months and see how I felt at the end of that time. It was a lot easier to go back knowing that it didn't necessarily have to be a lifetime decision. Maybe with teaching it's a bit different and you'd be committed through June, though?

[Moxie]

I think the big problem is the nanny. If you really like her and The Boy really likes her, then it sucks to have to find a different one.

[MotherLawyer]

I don't have any answers, but I do want to share something my sister said to me, that helped me with my "working mommy guilt":

Motherhood is a relationship, not a career.

Also, another sister said the same thing Cat said, Nothing is forever. There is nothing wrong with making a decision for now and then making another decision a bit down the road for then. If it works, do it, if it doesn't then do something else. IT= working or IT=not working, or a million other things, this kind of thinking will apply all through our parenting years!

Good Luck making your decision, I do know it's hard.

[courtney]

It is a family friendly profession, although I do see the irony in your situation. IMHO your list of cons don't seem to bear quite the weight that your list of pros do (except the guilt of course - that one could stand on it's on, but I digress). Especially if the days that you do work fall on a Monday or a Friday because those are the days that most holidays fall on. Also, like someone else said, the commute isn't every day. And finally, not that you will be the same, but I wanted to teach HS and ended up with MS only to find that I LOVE it. Just my two cents. You'll be fine whatever you decide.

[Am]

I am a teacher who's now a SAHM, and it seems like most of the part-time teachers I know put in FT work for PT pay. Not trying to be a wet blanket, but you know how it can be in school! Wishing you the best.