If You Are a Teacher with Young Children

I am engaging in a system called "Managers of Their Homes" found at Titus2.com. I am also beginning to use "Managers of Their Chores" since I have 4 children 9 and under. It's what the Duggar family uses in their home. I am not a public teacher, rather a homeschool mom. And boy does this get hectic and I needed to get a grip...at least somewhat. Goals are the key here. Best wishes.

You have to seriously value your time and sanity. There are so many opportunities to do more, without necessarily performing better.

For school. My advice is from an elementary school point of view. If it's not appropriate, perhaps it will spark some thoughts. Minimize volunteering for all the committees, if you are allowed to. There will be time for that later. Do not make work for yourself, share and receive lessons from other teachers. When you prep your room, make a list of must do's, set a timer for 30 minutes and rip through those tasks. Post a note on your door if it's your prep time or before/after class hours, indicating you are doing prep and are not available. If you have a good teacher friend, ask her honestly if she can think of something you are doing that is not essential to your goals. If your district allows it, visit another teacher's classroom who seems to "have it altogether". You may observe efficient techniques. As for the summer, try not to become engaged in too many workshops or tutoring. And minimize the time it takes you to pack up your room at the end of the year and then set it up again in the summer. Just do it like a mad woman and get home. :)

Keep home to a schedule, lessening the chaos. Consider a cleaning service. I really wish I had done that earlier. Lower your standards for all things that take you away from your priorities - simple meals, simple hair styles, fewer possessions, no "dry clean only" clothes. Go to bed. A full night's sleep will make you better focussed and more efficient the next day.

All my best.

I don't have any suggestions, because I was too shocked after I did my student teaching at the level of dedication I'd need to be the kind of teacher that I wanted to be that I didn't even consider both mothering young kids & teaching at the same time. I tip my hat to you, and would definitely recruit your husband to help out a TON! Teaching is like no other profession--your work follows you home every day, and it is very consuming.

I have been teaching for 13 years and have 3 kids: 7, 4, and 19 months. It has been a fun, crazy ride so far! I find that using little bits of time to do some things helps a lot - Take a couple of minutes one morning to wipe the bathroom sink, etc. Planning ahead makes my mornings work. My husband is gone before the kids are even up, so I'm flying solo getting us all out the door. I pack all lunches and backpacks, as well as get outfits laid out the night before. I do laundry throughout the week - hubby folds and puts it away. I do the bathrooms and vacuuming on the weekends. I have just been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, so now I have a new wrench thrown in! Getting a system going - I come home from work, unpack lunches, and immediately begin packing them to get it over with while I fix supper. I also do alot of that prep on the weekend - snacks into baggies, and I pick out all the outfits for the week. Good luck! It's a crazy, wonderful time of our lives!!

I agree with the advice make sure you get enough sleep (hard to do I know!) but it will help you all day! Carve out time on the weekends for fun with your daughter. Schedule it in so it does not get overlooked while you are doing chores and laundry and errands and shopping. It can be easy to feel like all you do is work at work and work at home and have no time to enjoy your own child. Make it a priority, sign up for a Mommy and Me type class or Music together, whatever would be fun for you! Get her bathed and in her jammies early and make bed time a slow, special time, reading, singing, cuddling, rocking, she will be too grown up for that before you know it! (a slow bedtime is my favorite time of the day!) Once a week (Sunday?)get ready for the week: Pack the diaper bag well, pack the car with extra water bottles and snacks and diapers, fill car with gas. pack a few lunches. Be as organized as possible so you dont waste time: have a prepared shopping list that you can print out and circle items. Many people plan meals in advance to help with shopping and to prep food ahead of time. Can hubby help with shopping and laundry? that can eat up your time. If you are picking up daughter from care then he is in charge of picking up last minute emergency item from store. Make extra at meals so you always have leftovers, freeze some if possible. A big pot of soup, stew, etc. I found an extra under the counter fridge and freezer for free on freecycyle for my garage which helped me stock up leftovers and on milk and yogurt and frozen foods and shop less. I also have a pantry full of pasta and sauce and p.b. and ketchup etc. If you are in the aisle looking at it and you use it why not buy two or three and save time on the next shopping trip? If you can possibly get cleaning help, even twice a month during these busy toddler years, it will free you up so much, if you cant afford it remember it can be temporary... I'm thinking of what is/was hard for me maybe you can be specific about what is hardest for you and get even better advice.....

You lost me at housework.

I can balance teaching, family, and me time... but the housework is desperately calling for a professional to lend (sell) a hand.

It would help to know what you teach and how old your children are. By young, do you mean infants and toddlers, or do you mean elementary age? I may be able to offer better tips depending on your answers to these questions.

I've been teaching for 15 years, so I've been through the younger years with my boys. It was difficult. Now they are 7 and 14, so I still have one that I still consider young; he's in second grade, but it's still so much easier than when he was a toddler/preschooler. I teach AP English, so I have MOUNDS of grading. If you haven't seen what an AP English teacher grades each week, it's difficult to imagine. I have 175 students this year. No matter what you teach, I know you have a ton on your plate as well.

Here's a typical weekday:

I get up at 5:30 and get ready. My 7yo gets up at 6:00 just because he's an early riser. He gets himself ready for school. I leave for school at 6:30 and arrive at 6:45 to tutor students. School starts at 7:35.

My husband takes our 7yo to school. Our 14yo gets ready for school and rides the bus. I teach all day, cramming as much as I can in, and often work through lunch. I check mamapedia before school, at lunch, and once or twice during my conference period as a treat after planning and grading papers. :)

I leave at 3:00 to pick up 7yo from school. We go home and he does homework while I check the mail, sort through bills, let the dog out, etc. Then I start dinner while he plays outside unless it's too cold. He plays legos or something if it's too cold. I start a load of laundry. About an hour later our 14yo gets home. He does his homework while I cook. 7yo comes in and we all chat while I finish dinner. We eat together. I put the laundry in the dryer and then take a bath. 7yo takes a shower when I get out.

We all watch Wheel of Fortune together after that, and 7yo goes to bed at 7:00 after prayers and calling Dad. Then 14yo have time to talk about his day and spend some quality time together. At about 8:00 our son takes a shower and I settle in to do school work. Husband gets home at about 9:00, and we spend a little time together. I go to bed between 9:30-10:00.

My husband is off on Wednesdays, so he cleans the house on Wednesdays (YAY!). I touch up during the week and on Saturdays. The weekends are pretty relaxing, and I do a lot of grading while the kids play or while watching movies. I've gotten really good at hanging out with the family grading papers while they watch movies.

I also do a lot of grading in the car line while waiting to pick up my son from school, and in doctor's office waiting rooms. I take papers with me everywhere.

It really does get easier as kids get older. :)

I also tip my hat off to you. I am a teacher as well with three children...7, 4, 1 and I only teach part time. I continually feel pulled in many many different directions. You just need to take one day at a time,and one task at a time. I try to enlist my hubby and just spread things out throughout the week. So, I don't really have advice so much as I can empathize with you!! Hang in there...it does get a bit easier when the kids are older...

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I also tip my hat off to you. I am a teacher as well with three children...7, 4, 1 and I only teach part time. I continually feel pulled in many many different directions. You just need to take one day at a time,and one task at a time. I try to enlist my hubby and just spread things out throughout the week. So, I don't really have advice so much as I can empathize with you!! Hang in there...it does get a bit easier when the kids are older...

Does being a teacher carry over into homelife ALOT? I work fulltime but as an accountant and work 50 hours a week -ussually i go in one weekend day and do everything esle like housework, family time...but houeswork suffers. I'm J. wondering does teaching make you stay later than the normal 8:30-5 schedule and an extra couple hours here and there/weekend time? I'm not doubting it does J. curious? If it does I'd catch up on cleaning during summer break and let it be messy somewhat til then=)