Calling All Mothers

Nurses General Nursing

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I cannot take it anymore. I need to know what kind of activities do you mothers give to your kids to keep the occupied/busy while you are studying? I don't like to read as it is, and I have honestly motivated myself to start doing whatever it takes to pass. Not reading won't get me too far. I have just come to the conclusion that my success depends upon me and I can't blame anyone but myself if I fail because I am too lazy to do something as simple as read. Now saying all of that, please mothers, give me some good suggestions me keep my 5 year old and my 19 month old busy while I study. All of the interruptions and the he hit me's and the I am bored and the pick me up's have played out with me. Pleas help. I am at the end of the ropes with this one.:uhoh21:

I went to bed just after the kids went to sleep, then woke up every night at 1 am and studied for a few hrs then went back to sleep. It was the only quiet time I had as the kids were 6 mths and 20 mths old.

Gee, is that why I have insomnia now?

I made tapes for the kids, to be used when I needed to study... we had a little kids recorder and I read all their favorite books on to the tapes... sang some songs, etc... I also let them listen when it was bedtime, but the tapes were only for those special times...

You could pay a babysitter while you go elsewhere to study.

Or if you don't want so much time away from your kids, higher an older child to play with them in your home.

I was about ten years old, and my first job was entertaining a neighbor's two kids while she did housework. I was paid about half the pay of a babysitter, but it was a lot of money for me, and I got babysitting experience. The kids thought it was great to have the undivided attention of a "big kid."

I get up two hours before the kids and I study. I also study after the kids go to bed. We have a rule in our house that even my 5 year old understands (my kids are 5, 3 1/2, and 22 months) - after 8pm, I'm off duty. Which means at 8:05pm, I have my running shoes on and I'm out the door (if hubby is home to man the house while the kids are sleeping). When I get back from running, I study for at least 2 hours.

Let me suggest you not study when the kids are up. I know this is hard. But you need to try to read for concept, study the charts, answer the review questions in the back of the chapter, see if you text has a website, use study tools, just plain reading takes up a lot of time and doesn't help anchor the content. I take one morning and one night off every week - so basically, I get 24 hours a week in for study time - without the kids bothering me. I use it wisely - except for now, I'm goofing off!!).

Some quiet time activities we have:

- blank sheets of paper with crayons keep their attention longer than coloring pages

- my kids hate the TV, but will sit to watch a movie if I am in the same room, so I bring a book with me if I really, really need to catch up.

- lace up cards are fun, I have the older help the younger

- music for them to dance to - they love it!

- I've been known to fill out the tub and let them play in the water until they got all shrively, and I've sat on the bathroom counter reading - again, hard to read for detail.

Good luck. Being a mom is the most wonderful, but the most difficult job in the world!

Well, this may sound like a cliche but it is still very true.

Your kids are only young once, enjoy them while you can.

It wont be long before they hit school and bless you with their independence and attitude, then the teenage years when they are not your best friend by any stretch of the imagination. Your grumping at them will be echoed by their backchatting to you. You will realise then how beautiful the younguns really are.

If this studying is causing you to resent your kids instead of enjoy them then hold off on the studying or reduce the load.

Seriously.

Mothering IS your most important job right now. Studying will become a LOT easier when they get older. You may obtain a degree with your current load but at what cost? Stress, anger, resentment, misbehaving children who are acting out due to all the above and making the problem even bigger?

I am a single mother of four. I am lucky in that I achieved my nursing degree before I had children however I did return to Uni when the youngest was 17months old (the oldest was 8.5yrs) and I couldnt do it. Couldnt even open a book till 9pm then fell asleep reading it. I was working 3 days a week, studying, running a household, taking the older two kids to and from school each day. The stress that was lifted the moment I deferred the study was like taking a long overdue holiday. For me, it just wasnt worth it at that time to continue.

I just didnt want to be so stressed. It wasnt fair on the kids who copped a mother who was tired, cranky, irritable and time obsessed.

It has been 5 years since then and looking back at how little and adorable they all were I am so glad I deferred. My youngest is now 6 and my oldest 13. They are all in school. They are all VERY DIFFERENT children now.

So as I suggested, defer your studies or reduce the load and ENJOY your babies. They lose their innocence too soon. The sun will still rise tomorrow and you can get the qualifications you want but at a time that best SUITS you.

Another way to look at for you to see how you are doing is this.

If you were paying a lady to babysit your children, what would you expect her to be doing with your kids throughout the day?

Now, do you do it? Do you do what you would expect others to do?

Would you be upset if she spent the day trying to study and just plonked the kids in front of the TV or asked for ideas on how to keep them out of her hair whilst she got on with her stuff?

I'm not having a go at you,

just trying to let you see what you are missing and maybe that the study, whilst important and noble, isnt as important as what you are trying to avoid.

Good luck,

Jo

p.s. it's not failing or giving up, to defer, reduce or stop your study. It is brave and it does take a lot of courage and it does mean letting go of your immediate goal. But it's not forever.

I hate to admit it too, but the "pop a movie in" advice is the only one that worked consistently for me when I was in college and my boys were 2 and 5. Now I'm back in school, they're 12 amd 15. Things are a little easier, I don't deal with as much whining, more now fisticuffs and arguments over who gets to play the Wii (brothers...sheesh). Now I can just send 'em to their rooms and they usually find something to do to keep themselves occupied quietly.

Ok, this is so sweet I have to share. The other evening I was taking a timed quiz online for my math class...I had to concentrate, but the computer and the TV are in the same room. My hubby and boys wanted to watch a movie, but they came up with a great compromise. They turned on closed captioning, so the sound wouldn't distract me! I thought that was so considerate!

What type of movies do you all suggest? It is not my 5 year old I am particularly worried about. That girl of mine is something else. My son will sit down and watch anything that I put in for him to watch, bit she won't. The only way she will sit still is if I am in the room with her. I absolutely don't get a break from her. I do like the advice that was given about going to bed when the kids go and get up and study. I will have to give that a try and see how it goes.

On top of all of that, I missed a great deal of classes last week because we all had the stomach flu that was going around town and spreading like wildfire. Imagine that!!! All I want to do is get them in some kind routine that works best for all of us. Thank you all for all of this wonderful advice.

Specializes in correctional, psych, ICU, CCU, ER.

Boy, do I feel your pain!! When I would take a class and not be able to study, I would teach my son what I was trying to learn.

1988, he was 6 and I was taking my ACLS classes. I taught him the heart, the rhythms, the drugs, the order of running a code, etc...little did I know how much it helped me to learn.

I had to take him to class with me one day..I gave him a video game to play and headphones, explained to the teacher that, today, we were a package deal, but he would behave or I would leave..she lectured, next thing you know, his little hand is up. (I'm embarassed-"put your hand down")--'no, I'd like to hear what he wants', he asks a question about what she had been talking about...'OK, this kid is 6 and asks what the rest of you should have asked'--(there's one in every class)--the class wanted to shoot me.

2 months later, his Dad was working days, I was working nights, SSSOOO, Dad would drop son off at the hospital on his way to work..me and the son would go home 10 minutes later.....son was at the desk (I know, I know..but times were different then)....administrator walks by, "Oh, do we have a new employee?", just at that time, son yells, "MOMMY!! BED 3 IS IN V-TACH!!!",...the alarms go off seconds later, and we're coding her..she survived...the Administror, later, still astounded...looks at the kid.."So, How'd you know that?????" 'Because my Mommy's a nurse and she taught me'

It worked...

For the little one, I suggest videos, something special that they can only watch when you're studying..

Otherwise, there's duct tape---just kidding, just kidding!!!

Good luck, ley us know how it works out!!!

What type of movies do you all suggest? It is not my 5 year old I am particularly worried about. That girl of mine is something else. My son will sit down and watch anything that I put in for him to watch, bit she won't. The only way she will sit still is if I am in the room with her. I absolutely don't get a break from her. I do like the advice that was given about going to bed when the kids go and get up and study. I will have to give that a try and see how it goes.

On top of all of that, I missed a great deal of classes last week because we all had the stomach flu that was going around town and spreading like wildfire. Imagine that!!! All I want to do is get them in some kind routine that works best for all of us. Thank you all for all of this wonderful advice.

Ok, now keep in mind that this was 10 years ago, but here's the short list of the ones I knew would keep my 2 & 5yo boys engaged...

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Baby Songs (drove me insane, but they were transfixed!)

Willy Wonka (the Gene Wilder one)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Sesame Street (the original episodes from the seventies)

Imaginaria and Animusic (google them)

We're not Disney people, but they did like Aladdin quite a bit.

The thing I liked about hearing the same movies over and over in the background was that after a few times, they stop beng distracting and turn into white noise.

Best of luck to you! You can do it, and even thought homework time is a tradeoff for time with your kids, you're modeling to them that hard work pays off.

I used to take my books to the fenced playground and let my son run around while I parked next to the gate and studied; didn't get as much done as I would have liked but more than if I stayed home at my desk hollering at him.

CSTwannabe, thank you sooooo much. I just had a brain storm :idea:and it led me to our library in town. In the kid's section, there are hundreds of movies to check out for the kids and might I add, they are FREE!! I am feeling better already. I can't wait until tomorrow. Thanks everyone who has taken the time out to keep me from losing my mind.

Please feel free to keep giving me some motivation. It is wonderful to know this world still has people who care.

The library's a great idea! Now the only problem is, when the movies are due, the day after you return them, someone's going to be crying, "I want Roger Rabbit!!!!!" and you'll have to run out and buy a copy before bedtime LOL

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