Family life and school

jschut, BSN, RN · Jan 27, 2002

Ahhhh!!! Welcome to the wonderful world of "studenthood"!

You will learn thru mostly trial and error how to manage your family and your schooling. I have a fantastic husband that helps with the cooking and cleaning and all the basic stuff, so I can devote more time to study. And, I have 5 children at home, but they know when they can and when they cannot bother me. We try to make trips to the library on the weekends... they go to the children's section, and I sit at one of the study tables right outside so they know where I am if they need me.

Just try different things,don't worry so much about dust, and let some things go a little bit. I used to iron and do laundry at least 3-4 times a week. Now, nothing gets ironed (hung straight out of the dryer) and laundry gets done maybe 2 times a week if we're lucky! And the kids have learned to survive on sandwiches a lot more.

Hang in there..... you'll be all right! And it's worth it!

Julie:)

wannanurse · Jan 28, 2002

I am still trying to figure this out. My DH is also in college. He helps out when he can. He will let me spend all weekend studing too.

angelina28 · Jan 28, 2002

Here at my house DH work's when I'm home from school but he's really good about vaccuming and throwing a load of laundry in if needed. What I did is I set a hour or so which is usually dinner time when I get home and that's my daughter's time. after that she know's mom has to study so she watches tv. We have a 8pm bed time so any time after that is me time for studying. I even get up 1-2 hr's early to just have the quite time with out interuptions in the morning. But you will find as I did that alot of thing's you use to do you don't have the time for any more. So if the dishes sit over night don't worry. Sometime's I get up in morning to do them. When I'm study i take a break here and there to throw a load of laundry in. It don't get hung or taken care of till weekend but does get folded and then I throw some more in and it take's about hr to dry and I take another 10 min. But there are day's you just don't worry about it. I have a support system which is really nice and DH is really good also. I'm getting my LPN now and plan on going on for my RN so he's gotta get use to it...WEll that's a few thing's I do.. YOu will be fine it will just take some time to get into a routine.. Good Luck

Tammy

fnimat1 · Jan 28, 2002

So far so good...I'm going into my 3rd week of the semester this weekend. I'm glad I am taking courses at night this semester. My DH takes care of our children while I'm at school at night...and I'm a SAHM during the day....so it's going well. I get to study during the day along with my housework...... . Should I get into the nursing program for the Fall. I know it's going to be a different story...lol...the classes in the nursing program at my college are all in the daytime. I have already secured my son 2 spots in 2 different day care centers. They are both down the street from my college. I haven't decided which one I want to send him to yet....I love the both of them...lol...I will have decided by June though...I hope...lol. I do know that I will not be able to be as active as a parent in my dd's schools...right now I'm doing everything...class parent (in both of their classes), Secretary of the PTO (at my youngest dd's school) and on the SMT (School Management Team), volunteering for field trips and reading to the children. So I have my hands full. Hopefully, I will have figured out a schedule by then...

Fatima

"RN 2B in 2004"

kario · Aug 29, 2004

:angryfire I'm ready to give up!!!help Anyone out their have uplifting stories l to help me make it through May of 2006.

cherokeesummer · Aug 29, 2004

I work all day and go to school nights/weekends...any suggestions? It has been a long haul for this first semester and the second semester is wearing me down but my Hubby is fine with all the studying.

I do get irritable alot faster and I mean ALOT. I'm tired alot and don't always give him the personal time that I think I should but he seems to be fine with it. Our house is a mess and I am usually pulling clothes from the hamper to wash and then back to the clean hamper and it is a cycle, nothing ever gets hung up, I don't do it anyway. Hubby does hang up his clothing but he is good about that kind of thing.

So yeah it is hard. It does affect life, but sometimes you have to do what feels right and sail on through or should I say roll with it! My body is what is the most affected I think...I'm always tired, have no energy and get irritable very quickly. But - over itme hopefuly it will adjust! Or I will be able to lessen the load and work part time, but for now I cannot. :):):):)

tbtc1234 · Aug 29, 2004

I have a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old that I stay at home with. I am taking a full 18 credit load this semester (A&P1 + lab, micro + lab, nutrition, eng 2, pysch hd). My husband is also taking an online course working towards his master's degree in IT. It is crazy but I love it!

3 nights a week I meet him downtown where his work is and also where my school is. When he gets off work we switch cars (he takes the minivan w/ the 2 kids and our dog) and heads home with them. The poor guy gets up so early in the morning to get to work so he can get out of work by 4:00. The other days of the week he works from home. Once he is done working I will hang out with them for awhile and then go upstairs to study. I help him with bathtime/bedtime for the kids and then we both go into our office and sit across from each other and study together. We truly have created the optimal evironment for me going to school. This is also why I feel comfortable taking so many classes at one time. My husband is super supportive. I wish my friends and the rest of our family could be. They often only offer up negative comments about the situation.

Also, I have to study quite a bit during the day while I am home with the kids. My 3yr old goes to preschool 2xs a week for 3 hours each day and I put the littlest one down for nap at that time and I study. Also, I try to get in reading in during the day in spurts, taking frequent breaks to play with the kids. (I still spend quite a bit of time playing w/ my boys and reading to them.) We also have our basement equipped as a toy room with a desk for me to sit and study. I take them down there only once a day and it is such a special treat for them that they usually play about an hour and a half by themselves and so I can sit down there at the desk and study. On weekends I study while hubby watches the kids and I take frequent long breaks to spend time w/ them and give him a break too. I tend to retain more info when I take many breaks while studying vs studying straight through. Each weekend day I plan a stretch of at least 4 hours that we all go do something together and there is absolutely no studying involved. I still want to feel like I am apart of my family! Also, forgot to mention that 4 of my classes are online. I only take 1 class + 2 labs on campus.

Once I am done w/ my prereqs and starting the clinical portion - I have NO idea how I'll handle it. However, I am a very creative person and I can usually fit more things into a schedule than most people can possibly dream of! The part that is not going to be fun about that portion of the BSN is finding (and paying for) childcare!

Good luck and try to stay as positive as possible. As the old, but true saying goes: If there is a will, there is a way!

kario · Aug 29, 2004

[i shouldn't complain because I don't work. I just have to learn to roll with the punches. I am rather anal when it comes to cleaning and my kids.

But I am going to have to" let go and "let God" a bit.. My husband says he helps by getting the kids lunches made and doing the dishes. It's amazing he could do that much and manage to work??!!! :coollook: Women are the ones that can do 10 things at once, not men!!

Thanks for your support:rotfl: !!Kario

QUOTE=cherokeesummer]I work all day and go to school nights/weekends...any suggestions? It has been a long haul for this first semester and the second semester is wearing me down but my Hubby is fine with all the studying.

I do get irritable alot faster and I mean ALOT. I'm tired alot and don't always give him the personal time that I think I should but he seems to be fine with it. Our house is a mess and I am usually pulling clothes from the hamper to wash and then back to the clean hamper and it is a cycle, nothing ever gets hung up, I don't do it anyway. Hubby does hang up his clothing but he is good about that kind of thing.

So yeah it is hard. It does affect life, but sometimes you have to do what feels right and sail on through or should I say roll with it! My body is what is the most affected I think...I'm always tired, have no energy and get irritable very quickly. But - over itme hopefuly it will adjust! Or I will be able to lessen the load and work part time, but for now I cannot. :):):):)

kario · Aug 29, 2004

:chuckle :coollook: :imbar Sadly, I can tell you that it will affect your family life. You have to have a husband that is willing to support you. I just started nursing school this week and got a taste of culture shock. The housework is going to have to be cut short, the foods will be mac n cheese and hotdogs more frequently, the kids are going to start to do for themselves a bit more. And the husband will either adjust or not adjust. I think if my husband wants to eat on a regular basis that he will chip in. I don't think that he wants me to make it, but that will make me more determained. GIRL POWER:rotfl: :balloons: :balloons: Good Luck to you!!

Are any of you a parent that's in nursing school and trying to manage your family as well as school? I was wondering how you manage it all? I am a scared that my schooling (starting next fall) will interfere with my family's life so much it causes problems. Any suggestions?

dollama · Aug 29, 2004

sorry double post:imbar

dollama · Aug 29, 2004

After writing this I looked back and the original post is over 2 years old. Well, I am going to go ahead and respond anyway.

There was areally good thread that has been active recently about tips for students with families.

I think my favorite post in it was from the guy whose wife was an ICU nurse manager (I think) who suggested we all get off the message boards and study! LOL. She did have a good point but you do need some down time.

I was only full time for one quarter this past year and it was part of a medical coding specialist cert, so it was A&P, Med Terms and Typing (LOL could you believe the typing course was my biggest time sucker?But now I can type fast enough to be a medical transcriptionist). It was all online so it saved me a lot of time. As far as when your professional curriculum begins, you probably won't have any online classes and I have no good suggestions except to get into really good time saving habits right now so you are an expert when the time comes.