[husbandofrn]

I have five kids. My wife did the pre-requisits at night and/or on-line when possible to save some of the daycare costs and be with the kids. You could also take a full course load by only going to school a couple days a week. And schedule your study time for the weekends when your husband is home.

[marilynmom]

We never used daycare. My kids are now 5 and 9, but I started my pre-reqs when my girls were 6 months and 3 years old. I took all of my pre-reqs at night when my husband was home with them. That worked out great. I studied when I could and that meant late nights, when they were napping, playing and of course the weekends. 5 days a week of daycare just seems to drastic to me with children that young.

I also homeschool. My mom helps me out when I need to be gone during the day (class, clinicals, etc). I work 24 hours a week in the PICU at nights and am in a BSN program now as a senior! At least half the people in my class have kids, work full time or part time, etc.

[Logos]

Work FT- M-F 9-5 classes at night and all the kids activites squeezed in to boot. Yes my house is a mess and yes I am tired, but it's not forever- I love my kids as much as any other parent- but I did not stop being me when I became a mom- and the "me" in me loves taking clases and learning new things. I have had the same job for 10 years and love my position too. So I am doing school- work and mom stuff -all of it guilt free.
Yes my 3 year old goes to daycare a few days a week- but some people call that pre-school and it can be a good thing- my son has learned so much and made so many friends at his daycare I can't imagine not sending him.
- Oh and my kids are 10, 8 and 3 years old. I still manage to make it to most school field trips- school parties and I am my daughers GS troop leader so theres all those activites too. I'm busy- but I would be bored if I wasn't busy. I say bring it on. But I will say again- my house is not as clean as it was before I started taking classes- and I'm way far behind in my scrap books- but my husband does all the laundry and cuts the grass- I manage to vacum a few times a week and we both do dishes. My scrapbooking I save for holidays.
It all works out.

[merrick]

I have a 4 year old and a 1 year old. I am going full time this summer and forever after. My school does not allow a part time option in the nursing program. So far I've been managing ok. We'll see how things go.

[angel75]

Although my kids are older 9 and 11 I do feel guilty. I started working on my nursing degree summer of 2004 and I will be graduating this Dec. I do know in the end it will all be worth it. Getting this degree has been something that I have wanted to do for a long time. I know that I am setting a good example for my kids and I will provide them a better future as well. I would be fibbing if I said that it was an easy process. Nursing has taken a lot of time away from them. I spend a lot of time locked up in my room studying. I am very lucky that my husband has been supportive and I have not had to work. Hats off to single parents who work!! We are a military family so my husband does travel often, but it has been manageable. If you have family around (I don't), do not be afraid to ask for help!! Good luck!!

[Ashalee705]

I have a son who is almost 2. I am almost done with my pre-reqs, I take my son to a daycare at school, he loves it there and I just go pick him up when I am done at school. I do feel bad sometimes when I have to study and be away from him but its something that I know I have to do and I want to do. I guess you have to make sure the time you spend with your kids is quality time.

[starzzmom]

Two kids....1 1/2 and 3 1/2. Not sure how I am going to swing daycare this fall if I do get into a program.

[Samma]

No babies as of yet, but I want to have my children young(23-26) so odds are I will have a child during my CNM time

[ffweste]

2 children - 3 yr & 18mo. Have been going to school full-time since June of last year getting all of my pre- req's completed. I did work full-time prior to going to school. The babies are in daycare full-time and I feel bad, but sometimes they are the first ones there and some of the last to be picked up.

I try to make myself feel better by saying, in a few years when they want to go to Disney World, we will be able to do that and hopefully not living paycheck to paycheck anymore like we were even when I was working. Also, when they are at daycare, they are with some wonderful caregivers who spoil my 2 rotten and all of their teachers know it. I feel bad, but I know that they are happier at school than at home with a stressed out mom who is diligently trying to study. Instead, they come home, dinner is ready - a good dinner homecooked while I am studying and I get several quality hours with them, no books no tv - just the babes and Mommy. I love that time together and they don't mind since they love "school". My son cried while we were on vacation that he needed to go to school so he could tell all of his friends about his trip (It was our 2nd day)

Our house is a mess but that's another story - I still get all of their "moments" and treasure Saturdays and Sundays because I don't study until naptime or after bedtime. So far that has been working, study during the day, study after bedtime on the weekdays and during naptime on the weekends. I took 21 credit hours last semester and it worked out just fine - I got a 4.0 and my son was potty trained - so miracles can happen while in school

[rnmomtobe2010]

I see that I am not alone. My husband has decided that he wants to become a truck driver. He will not be home 2-3 weeks at a time.That put me in a bad situation. I don't have any family where I am and I felt like he was being selfish. We need the money so I came up with a plan that just might work. I decided to put my 15 month old in daycare this fall and thankfully my 5 year old is going to kindergarten this fall. My schedule is set up for the fall so I will have 3 hours of study time until it is time fro me to pick my son up and another hour and a half until time to pick up my daughter.I want to have dinner cooked and have them in bed by at least 7:30 so that I can study again until about 11. It will be soooooo stressful until I get use to not having my hubby at home with me. I want this so bad that I have no choice but to work around this mess. Good luck to all!!!