advice for single mothers back to school

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Im currently a massage therapist wanting to go back to school for nursing.i have a ten month old daughter, whom im raising alone.its hard enough for me to work as is.its a constant catch 22. Need sitters to go to work but have to work to pay sitters...i know i need to make a career change.ive always wanted to help people in any possible way (hence why i became a therapist :) but now with the baby, i need a more steady and stable financial situation.im not sure how im going to find time to go to school, study, spend time with my daughter, work, sleep...this seems unattainable :/ i know it isnt, but its been on my mind.im willing to make sacrifices but i wouldn't know where to begin.how did you begin to prioritize as a single parent in school? What resources did you utilize and how did you stay focused?

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my long post :)

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Im single mom first time college student i attend community college so my classes start at 9 end at 12 tues,thurs & saturdays .. and i have one online class (math) .. i have my mom to watch my 1 year old while im at school..but it is hard to get things done when u have to watch out for a little one.. i try to do homework/study while shes sleeping.. it is hard though im not going to lie,the only thing that keeps me going is the big prize in the end.. i totally get where your coming from..

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Yeah, im definitely trying to look at the bigger picture.ha, my mom charges me $30 to watch my daughter :/ im hesitant about day care but that may be my only option. Comforting to know others are in the same boat and making it work.thanks for responding :)

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When my little guy was young, I worked a lot of overtime. I was (am) blessed with supportive parents who were able to help me out with childcare in the evenings and weekends, when daycare wouldn't cover it. I scrimped and saved while working so that I could afford to quit and go to school. It also helped that I had quite a bit socked away before I got knocked up (it was supposed to be for a down payment on a house... it turned into diapers before my very eyes!)

Do you have family you can lean on? It might help to sit down with them and share your goals and brainstorm a plan together. If they feel like they are helping you grow and be a better mom (by going to school, yadda yadda), they might be more keen on helping with childcare and expenses.

Best of luck. It will not be fun to be away from your little one, but it's not going to get easier.

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Yeah mom expects payment to watch the baby...have other sitters but its not consistent :/ i wanna go straight for the BSN its gonna be a tough four/five years...still have to take pre-requisites...

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Yeah mom expects payment to watch the baby...have other sitters but its not consistent :/ i wanna go straight for the BSN its gonna be a tough four/five years...still have to take pre-requisites...

Do you have the option of using or forming a childcare cooperative with other single moms? One of my single mom classmates did that when we were in grad school. Even some students who were single helped out to have time with kids and a break from study.

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I am a single mom to a now 10year old. I will be starting the nursing program in January. She has seen me through my pre reqs and knows that school takes a lot of my time. And she understands that I need to go back to school to make things better for the two of us. The lack of sleep, less time with family, etc is only a temporary sacrifice...but boy will it be well worth it in the end. I know it all seems difficult and near impossible right now, but if it is something you can pull off right now then go for it. You are not alone! We will make it through school and give ourselves and our children a better life. (((HUGS))) & Good Luck with whatever you decide.

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Um maybe instead of a bsn do a two year college and go part time. That's what most single parents do, go part time and get your general ed classes done. Then when you child is 2-3 put her into day care/pre school program. Then either transfer to start the bsn or start the actual 2 yr nursing program. See if your state will pay for daycare through a state program. Look for daycares with a sliding scale. As far as work you have to figure that out everyone's situation is different. You are very lucky to only pay 30 dollars my mother used to charge me a lot more when she was a infant.

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Don't be hesitant to ask for help or to accept it when offered. I can't even imagine having really little ones and doing this. My kiddos are 10 and 14. It's been difficult at times bc I was a SAHM for over a decade and their father just walked out after 20 years of marriage. Ouch!

If you have any kind of homeschooling community in your area, it could be a good resource for babysitters. Keep your eye on the goal....one day at a time. I wish I had better words of encouragement.

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