NS and kiddos/how to get any studying done?

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I have two boys; one is 5 and one is 1 1/2. I work part time whenever i can work around my husbands 3-11 pm work schedule (he has to watch the kids) My oldest will start kindergarten this August (the day after my first day or NS!) and i am wondering what all the nursing student parents did to be able to study during the day with the kiddos around but still give them something semi-productive to do so that they aren't just being baby sat by the t.v. I really don't want to resort to this but remembering how hard it was for my pre-reqs to get any time in (the baby was VERY clingy, he followed me around and screamed at me about all day-everyday but it is a little better now that he is old enough to play with the older one) i feel like i am heading for a disaster of a headache trying to stay up late nights after putting the kids to bed and only then having a chance to get anything done.

We have a nice area where we live and are fortunate enough to be surrounded by family(mostly older family who are not in any condition to watch two young kids) on a hill with four houses total, but there is no designated areas where i can sit and read while watching him because it is down-hill either way you go and we are also surrounded by woods in the back and the street in the front so when he takes off he could be anywhere in a matter of seconds where i cannot find him.

I would really appreciate some advice as to what to do for them to occupy them so i can get some work done here and there when nursing school starts next month!

What is a healthy routine for them so that they aren't completely neglected for the next two years!?

BTW, i find out on the 13th of August during orientation if i will go to school in the morning or afternoon which could significantly change things.....If i go to school in the mornings i will be home in time for my husband to go to work(still no way to study with help of sitter) and if i have afternoon school i will have to get a daycare position for the baby and can study before school everyday while the hubby is home. I KNOW there are so many single parents out there who have done it and succeeded without homes burning down, loss of limbs from children being unattended in a room for short periods of time, children resenting them for neglecting them for two years, etc. so i know it's possible!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

Let's see...when I started prereqs and Worked as a CNA, I found that setting some time away from Home most conducive to studying. I met a study buddy every Sunday to study for 6-8 hrs each week at a coffee shop/restaurant. The time away from my kids was hard for me but that's what worked. I also made myself stay at school a few extra hours a few days per week directly after school and studied in the library. Sometimes with a group and sometimes solo.

I found really creative ways to study, like flash cards, pictures posted and outlines posted on mirrors and on the outside of our shower so that I could study while bathing--with my little one. I'd review concepts out loud and make drawings on the shower door with a soap bar and he'd also draw things. I have fond memories of him drawing viruses, bacteria and DNA strands. I even taught him how to match nitrogenous base pairs. We listened to YouTube songs about science together.

I didn't have a kid as young as your littlest, but let me tell you, I started with A 4 yr old and we studied together. He is now 10 and has learned a lot about anatomy, physiology, microbiology and general nursing because I studied with him. I'd explain concepts to him and label drawings with him.

By the time I attended actual nursing (Lvn) school I was a single (divorced) mommy. I worked only when he was at school or his dad's house for the most part (except for when I worked PM shifts)

My little guy even sat with me while I answered NCLEX prep questions on my ipad and answered questions (correctly) with me.

Now that I'm in rn school, I can study with him at home with me because his electronics and friends occupy him. He's pretty mellow. I can actually study at home now. 😀

Oh and I do use daycare. I used to really be against sending my kids away, but what I've done for last few years is to pay for the max number of hours I need and then on my "short" days, my son still attends daycare for the regular length of time. I use that time for studying.

I also make an effort to spend dedicated time with him. It's penciled on my calendar just like study time and class time are scheduled.

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Wow that is amazing that not only did you learn while spending time with your son but he also learned too!

I wish I would have known my learning style before now but it is what is is and I've been reviewing before school starts.

Thank you for the wonderful advice, it is very helpful! My husband is pretty helpful when it comes to watching them and I've been trying to get him to go out and enjoy riding his motorcycle and any free time he can get now while he has the chance :yes: But I'm going to sit down (again)and talk to him about what I really need from him and how draining it will be on all of us but I will have to be absent even when there is no lecture or clinical just to go and study in "quiet".

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

Yes! Learning your own learning style will be a great benefit! I'm a tactile learner who loves a good thorough lecture.

I also bought a few books to help me learn to study better, in order to maximize my time. One was "how to get straight As" by cal somebody. Another was a book on speed reading. Another was on how to develop memory aids. These served me well!!

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With having ADHD my memory is so poor I plan on heading to the library again next week to get one book for that, I always seem to borrow 10 books knowing I'll barely read through one by the time they're all due back! :no:

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Specializes in ED, Pedi Vasc access, Paramedic serving 6 towns.

Have you thought about just buying a crate or two? Dogs like them, maybe kids do too? :cheeky:

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Oh if only!!!!

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Specializes in Oncology.

I am right there with ya (I have a 2 year old and a 7 year old). Studying can happen anywhere, but in different ways. I study a little longer at school. During bath time I can look at flash cards or something similar. My oldest is in cub scouts (the youngest stays at home with dad or a sitter for meetings) so I bring study items with me to do during his meetings. I make up little songs that my youngest likes to clap along with. Heck, I have read textbooks to my youngest :bookworm: I will explain things to my oldest sometimes to see if I really understand it. The trick is to do things that can be interrupted when little ones are awake and near you. Then I do the reading/writing parts when they are in bed. Good luck to you!

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My youngest son is nine years old and loves to color and draw so I went to the Dollar Tree and bought him a bunch of coloring books, markers and construction paper. That keeps him busy. He also likes to read so I am constantly buying children's books, but I don't mind, its an investment! :yes:

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Thank you ladies! That is all great advice I guess I find myself making excuses as of why I can't make some of those happen and then I thought to myself, I don't really have a choice! If I want to succeed I better suck it up and find a way to make them happen! :nailbiting:

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Specializes in Oncology.
Thank you ladies! That is all great advice I guess I find myself making excuses as of why I can't make some of those happen and then I thought to myself, I don't really have a choice! If I want to succeed I better suck it up and find a way to make them happen! :nailbiting:

I make excuses too. But then I remember that my kids are watching me and learning from me. Sometimes I do my homework while my oldest is doing his, just to enforce the importance of learning for both of us.

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My kids were 1,2, and 8 when I started the program....so definitely a lot of action around my house. During the day when it was noisier, I would watch youtube videos related to what I was studying at the time and read through power points on my phone or tablet. The bulk of my serious study time was done at night while they were asleep. My husband works a lot so getting him to watch them while I studied was impossible. I also made voice memos and listened to them in the car, while I was cooking, and doing laundry. It's hard, but if you're dedicated you can totally do it!

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