Your Happy Home
Posted by Kim Murphy on 21 Aug 2009 | Posted in: Inspiration and Motivation, Life After School, Meet the Mailbox®
This is a photo of my cat, Newton. She is my baby. (She would like you folks to know that the camera adds ten pounds and the photo was taken at an unflattering angle.) For the years when teaching was my profession, I would leave school and come home to Newton. In other words, my home life was pretty mellow. (I was working on my goal of becoming a crazy cat lady.) However, many of you are with little ones all day and then come home to your own little ones. I’ve long thought that these are the people who should be up for sainthood. Do you have youngsters at home? Do you find it particularly challenging to be with youngsters during the day and the evening? Or perhaps you have a home filled with cats (or dogs). Send me a message and tell me about your home life.
Congratulations to Theresa F. from Glendale, Arizona. She is the winner of a copy of the K-1 Organize Now, May, book.
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This will be my second year teaching Kindergarten. I have four girls of my own at home. They are 15,7,5, and 2 years old. One of the most difficult things has been the balancing act of Mother-Wife-Teacher-Myself. I love each and every individual hat I wear on a daily basis however, it is not always easy to find time for all of them. I usually find the one that gets left out is Time for Myself. I always feel I am being selfish. I am learnng to recognize the importantance of doing this though, or else you will have less to give to the rest. I have vowed to take some time for myself this year. I know all the other parts of my life will benefit from this.
I have two young sons, 4 and 6, and work full time has a 4K teacher. I have found that it is difficult to change hats and go from teacher to Mom, but it also nice for the parents of my students to realize that I experience some of the very same issues that they face. I am working to take less and less home with me, just so I can spend my home time with my family.
Well, the only teacher in my family was my gramma. She was a piano teacher and worked from her home. So, this is my first experience with being a teacher /having a teacher in the family that works outside of the home. I would not envy my girls. I feel it must be really tough to be a teacher’s child. On the other hand, it is hard to be a teacher and a parent. I work with 26 kindergarteners. Then I come home to more children.I don’t always have the patience for my own like I do for my students. It is tough but a job I would not trade!
I am married to the most wonderful man on earth! We don’t have any children yet. We both work at the same church - he as the Director of Media, and I at the school - so we often drive to work together. It’s great to be able to go to work together and arrive home together in the evening.
I have two boys(9 & 16). When I come home my boys and my husband if he is home early know that I need 20-30 minutes of wind-down time. I teach preschool so by the end of the day my energy is zapped. I usually need to recharge by taking a power nap or just sitting with my feet up before I can cook, help the younger one with homework,etc. I love teaching young children they are full of energy. My GUYS are very energetic and keep me busy too!
I have three sons, the youngest just left for college last week. Yes, it was very hectic and busy working all day with kids and then coming home to my own, juggling before and after school care and activities, getting to all of their conferences and special school nights as well as my own, and dealing with homework and projects for them as well as for me. But, I wouldn’t trade it for the world and I am a little sad that it is all over. It really gave me more empathy for kids and parents, and it went by so fast. Cherish each day…they go so fast.
I have two boys ages 9 & 12. I was the one who took them to the babysitter and picked them up. (My babysitter lived across the street from the school where I teach.) Now that they’re both in school, they come to my classroom after school. I teach kindergarten so once my little ones left to go home, my own two came through the door. There have been days when I just tell them “Mom needs a few minutes please.” Now that they’re older, it is easier to ask them to give me some “time”. They walk around the building or go outside. There are days when we get home we all need some time to ourselves. When those days come, we just tell each other on our way home that we need 30 minutes. It is hard to go from teaching to your kids right away after school. But I know I only have 6 more years until my oldest goes to college. I’m not ready for that!
I have three boys of my own (19, 15, and 8). They keep me busy in a good way! I come home to a house full of life. It is NEVER quite. I have two large dogs (Mandy and Max). I am a Pre-K teacher and have been in early childhood education for over 17 years now. I love to teach and the children keep me young at heart. When my boys were little, they benefited because I would try out new ideas and learning games with them first, before rolling it out to my class. Since I always keep abreast of new education developments, my boys got the best toys and games I could find, which in turn goes to my Pre-K class to enjoy! My oldest boys are bigger now and onto new hobbies, but my 8 year old delights in giving me ideas to help young children learn. He tells me that I am his favorite teacher:-) We often go garage “sailing” together to find interesting teaching toys, games or manipulatives.
I have been teaching for over 30 years now, and my sons are 27 and 29 now. It was difficult to work all day and then come home and change hats to mom. I learned not to take work stuff home with me, because my sons needed time with me. You learn to balance things and not compromise being mom. When I would go to a bookstore with my sons, they would say ” Are you buying books for your kids at school or us kids at home?” My reply was usually ” Pick out a book for yourself”..they knew how to get to me.I ended up taking summers off, living on very little income, and planned activities for us to do. As often as possible, I would stop what I was doing at home to see their Lego buildings, pictures drawn, goofy antics, or just talk. It pays off later when they are teens and need someone to talk to. Now, I am a grandma and I still teach preschool. My granddaughters are 20 months and almost 5. Every Wednesday they come over for the evening, so Mom and Dad can have a couple hours for themselves. They call Wednesday “Granddaughter Day”. I am exhausted at the end of the workday, but my husband and I love to make time for them. It is a great reward to have them near. I might be tired the next day, but I wouldn’t give it up for anything. For all you young moms who are teachers too, hang in there and make time for some fun with your kids..it is what they will remember when they are grown up. Did you make your kids at home as high a priority as your kids at school? They just want your attention and love too.
Since, I am a homeschooler and also a chidcare worker, I am always with children. We have three children at home- aged 5, 3 and 2. We also have two beautiful dogs- Seminole, a 13 yr old german shep and Scotch, a 2 yr old scottish terrier. Our house is always loud, but very happy.
I come home to a 28 year old son,who has down syndrone and a husband. Our daughter is married and has our first grandson. Her and her husband along with the baby lives forty five minutes away. I try to see him as much as I can. Most of the time I’m doing home work. I really don;t have much “me” time. What time I’m not at work, I’m going to school.
I, myself have three children, I also have what people call my own zoo of animals, I have five dogs which three of those are puppies, which are on the inside. I also have two cats which the female had kittens ( five ) of them, and they are all on the inside. Which gives me twelve animals, so between the children and the animals i am constantly on the go and now myself and the children start back to school on monday so that calls for another busy day. so you said you were almost the cat lady, well i turned into the animal lady period because i love animals as much as i do children all of my animals feel like they are my children.
I am also a home daycare provider and so my workplace is also my home. Sometimes I think it can be hard to wind down at the end of the day when you are still in your work environment. I try to get out of the house for a little while each day, even if it’s just for a walk to the corner and back.
It helps me to talk with my husband and son. Sometimes they help me with getting things ready for the next day! I always appreciate the extra help
Like the picture…nice cat.
I am a career changer, so I was not a formal teacher when my children were little. I did however teach Sunday School, I was the scout leader, den mother, basketball mom, school room mother and so on.
Then all those things were my escape from work.
Now, that I teach home is my escape from work.
My husband is very supportive and cooks many nights, especially on open house nights or during conferences. I do not know if I could have taught while my children were growing up, I too think the moms and dads that teacher then go home to children, homework,and such deserve a big round of thanks.
I teach Title I reading to Kindergarteners, 1st, and 2nd graders all day long, then come home to my own wonderful children. I have a seven year old boy and a two year old girl. I love them to pieces, and rush to pick up my daughter from daycare, then can’t wait to get home and hear how my son’s day was at school. No matter how stressful my day was, it is always a joy to see my own children when it’s all over!
While I don’t have any children of my own, I do have a cat that is my sanity — after a particularly rough day I’m so glad to have her to help lower my blood pressure
I live 45 minutes away from my school and try and use my drive as my “de-stress” time. I try not to bring my stress home, but can always count on my husband to lend an ear if I need to vent. Also, he is willing to make dinner to allow me time to either catch up on grading papers or workout. While I try not to unload my stress from work on my husband, my dog, Sadie, always seems to know when I need extra love and cuddles! We don’t have children yet, but sometimes I wonder, “how will I go from 20+ students all day to a house of my own children?” I guess time will tell! Adapt, adapt, adapt!
I come home to a happy golden retriever, Samantha who wants to go for a long walk as soon as I walk through the door. I am always accommodating since this gives me a chance to unwind and reflect on my day at school.
I work in a larger city 45 minutes away from my home. I have two sons; one recently moved out on his own and the younger one has football practice every day. Even though my husband and the dog are usually the only ones at home when I return, my husband recognizes my need to have some down time. I’ll practice piano or sit for a bit to catch up on the newspaper or a half hour sitcom. We usually end up ordering take out once a week to give me a totally free night.
I love the picture of your cat!! I used to teach Kindergarten when my children were around the same age. It’s hard to be around children the same age as your own children at home. I always felt sorry for my kiddos because my patience was gone by the time I got home! It got easier as my grade level and my childrens’ ages grew apart. BUT, we also got a kitten and he is my stress relief when I get home. 5-10 minutes of love from him, and I’m ready to do everything that needs to be done at home even after a long day!
I teach a pre-K class three days a week. My own kids are grown and gone from the house. So when I get off work I come home and have “me” time for a little while. My husband works from home and we have “our” time when he finishes work about 6 or 7 pm. Not having children at home allows me to focus on my classroom more and I am always striving to make it a better place for my students.
I run a preschool-type program in my home so though there is no going home afterwards, I do move out of the preschool room and into the other parts of my home. My own youngest child really misses the other kids when they go home at the end of the day and often says that he’d like to go home too. (smile)
During the school week I live in a different town than my husband–so when I get home on Fridays–my dog greets me-sometimes more excitedly than my husband :). The cats in their cat way look and see that I’m home and make checking to make sure that I brought the requisite kitty litter and cat food. I usually bring home a pizza–I get caught up with my husband and enjoy the moment of being home.
I have a home daycare and I have children on all shifts. My children are 18 and 20, so in the evening I go upstairs and take a shower and get into some clean clothes while they watch my 2nd shift children. It makes me feel better and I can get through the rest of my evening.
I teach preschool 5 days a week. This is my 20th year teaching. At first I was working all day and coming home to my husband and 2 sons. On weekends we also had my stepchildren. We also had a dog and for a while a iguana. Now the kids are all grown and we have 7 grandkids and a dog. Teaching is a very demanding job whether you have children or our a empty nester like me. I think in part because no matter what there is always something more you can do for the kids to make the classroom a better place or something more you can do for your family. I have started carving out me time by taking a knitting class. Its 3 hours a week thats just for me and then at home I have a project always going for class. It ensrues I slow down and take care of me for a bit everyday.
Kim,
I love your article and picture of your cat. I too, love cats. We have two, an 11 year old calico and 4 month kitten. Our daughter is in first grade. I direct an early childhood program three days a week. Even though I work part-time, I sometimes put in full-time hours, especially at the start of a new school year. I love children but there are times when I just want five minutes alone at home or work for that matter. My husband and I decided to enroll our daughter in an after-school program two days per week this year. This is allowing me to complete administrative work, do some planning, and have some quiet work time to myself in the afternoons. Our daughter loves the after-school program and we love the price, snack, homework help, outdoor/indoor free-play, etc. This arrangement has saved my sanity this year! Instead of being around children 24/7, I now have a few hours to work in peace and quiet.