Any nursing students with small kids?

leekaye · Jun 27, 2012

I've been concerned with this concern myself. I have older kids but my husband travels and my parents are gone. I have no family to help out. My oldest will be ok but my youngest (11) who I have to drag out of bed every morning will be responsible for getting up and ready for school alone since I'll be at clinicals at 6am.

I'm also working part time now while I finish prereqs and am concerned about the workload. I imagine I will be quitting work as keeping up with my own school plus taking care of the kids (homework, running to practices, etc.) will take up every spare minute. On top of that, I'm just beginning the joys of menopause! (LOL) I anticipate that I'm going to be a grouchy, overheated mess on some days. I'm concentrating on one day at a time. Do you have family around to help? Can you line up friends?

The advice I've been given by friends is that it's really just about setting aside a regular schedule for reading and studying and sticking to it. That's hard to do with little ones. Perhaps a teen can come by after school a couple days a week and play with the kids while you study. That will give you more time than just after the kids go to bed.

Good luck!

CDEWannaBe · Jun 27, 2012

Think you can only do it if you have family help. Especially someone willing to cover sick days and other emergencies. Most nursing students take about 9 credit hours, but once clinicals start you'll spend 25+ hours a week in them and be at the whim of the school's schedule.

I tried to set our spare room up as a study room, but the only way I can get uninterrupted study time is if I do it on my lunch hour at work or if my husband watches our son and I go to school or somewhere else to study. Some mom's study early in the morning. I've tried to study after everyone else is in bed but am usually too tired to absorb much.

luvofalex · Jun 27, 2012

I started my pre-nursing courses around three semesters ago. I work at least 40 hrs per week, full time student (13 hours), and a four year old daughter. I am actual taking my last course before I apply for the Jan. 2012 nursing program. I thank god for my family because they have been really supportive. My daughter does not start school until August 2012. In the meantime, my grandmother and my mom keep her. I normally work from 7am-6pm, depending on the weekday. As soon as I leave work I go straight to school. My night classes normally end between 7:45pm-8:50 pm. By the time I get home, I work on my online courses and cook. I am off every weekend which is a plus. On weekends, I try spending time with my daughter, clean our house, and study. When I get a chance to sleep I am normally in a DEEP sleep. My daughter is my motivation. I wont say that it is easy but if you are determined you can do it.

NyLALove · Jun 27, 2012

I am about to be a pre-nursing student beginning this Fall .. and I have been STRESSING out about this already! I have a 10 month old baby boy and even though I don't currently work.. I finish my day EXHAUSTED. My son still doesn't sleep through the night so mom doesn't get to wake up feeling refreshed.

My husband, unfortunately, doesn't know how to care for our baby without me telling him how to . . STEP BY STEP. *frowns* He relies on me on what he should do next and it's so frustrating.

I've already started studying some of the materials that I will be taking this Fall semester.. and he continues to interrupt me despite my nose being in my book! He sees me studying but yet it doesn't dawn on him to leave me alone.

So I may have to do what someone else said ... go elsewhere so that I won't get interrupted.

Good luck everyone!

Rox.G · Jun 28, 2012

I have 2 young boys that are 4 & 6 years old, & I'm about to start applying to nursing programs this fall. Maintaining a high GPA and adequate study time has been rough. My husband is a chef so he works long hours and most of the 'parenting' falls to me. Ive been up to the wee hours studying and either in tears or on the verge of them! It's been tough, & I worry because I'm still just in pre-reqs, so what am I going to do if I actually get into a nursing program?!

What keeps me motivated to keep pushing is of course my children, & I tell myself that thousands of people have survived nursing school and became nurses. I know people do a lot more Ina lot worse situations than mine... I guess where there's a will there's a way right?

Katie71275 · Jun 28, 2012

You can do it! I have FOUR children. Age 9, 7.5, 5.5, and 2.5. I have 1 year left. It IS hard. It requires organization to get things done. You have to be motivated. I don't study until the kids go to bed, and that seems to work.

if you have any questions just ask.

PatchyPu · Jun 28, 2012

I just started my nursing program 2 weeks ago and yes, it isnt easy but it isnt unbearably hard either. Even though I havent eaten the meat and potatoes of nursing school yet, I have experience in heavy workload classes. My youngest is 9 months and my oldest is 2! yes! I did it! I also just graduated June 16th with my associates in biological sciences and physical sciences all while studying for entrance exams, etc etc etc. THE BEST ADVICE is to take a look at your day, your routines, and you kids' personalities. Now, organize your daily routines so that they overlap when your kids dont usually need you, like playing, napping or watching a cartoon or two. My kids play alone without me for hours with an occasional

bottle of milk or changed diaper during that time. YOU CAN DO IT trust me I hear time and time again how mothers do so well in school because we possess a different ability to multitask and make it happen! Also our kids drive us. I just got off the phone with a girlfriend of mine and told her now I do not feel guilty anymore for having to study and focus on school so much. Feel guilty if you dont apply yourself to better their lives later!! Bless you and I hope you experience a great nursing experience!

NyLALove · Jun 29, 2012

I wanted to thank everyone who wrote encouraging comments on this thread. I am so glad I found this thread. I am so eager to start this Fall!

SBJustBreathe, ASN, RN · Jun 29, 2012

I love this thread. I'm starting nursing school this fall and I have a 6 year old and 4 year old. I know it won't be easy but this is reassuring me that it is a possibility.

leekaye · Jun 29, 2012

NyLALove and anyone else kids under 5, I want to encourage you about this time of your life. My kids are now 15 and 12 (both moody girls), and these years are still easier and more enjoyable than the utter exhaustion and isolation of the early years. My husband traveled for a living, and I had no family to help so I often found myself crying from exhaustion and loneliness. And all the well meaning older ladies who told me to "enjoy these years because they fly by soooo fast" only made me feel worse. I adoooored my babies, but those years seemed long to me.

But when they hit 4 or 5, caring for them got so much easier. I make it a point now to encourage young mothers about those exhausting early years. I spent literally every second with my kids. Looking back, I think having an outlet would have made those years easier. So while nursing school will be hard, especially with young kids, I think it will be a positive for you to have something outside of being a mom.

Finally, since even the teen years require time driving them around, late night curfews and the stress of mood swings, this will still be hard, but I remind myself that, not only will I have more income to put them through school, but my girls will see how important an education was to me and be inspired to take their own education seriously.

Stephalump · Jun 29, 2012

I have a 14 month old, a 4 year old, and a 9 year old. I've been in school on and off ever since my oldest was born, and, while I may have to work a little harder to make the grades, I've really enjoyed it. I'm a stay at home mom and my husband drove an 18 wheeler up until last October, so I was a single parent the vast majority of the time. School gave me an outlet to socialize, to use my brain at a higher level, and something of my own to focus on. And, quite frankly, a reason to get the heck out of the house and away from my beloved children for a while!

I think the most important thing is having a support system. If you don't have family and friends to help, a Childcare provider also counts :) When I was younger and only had one kid, I only had him in a Mother's Day Out program twice a week for a few hours. Went to class them and did school work after he was in bed. Now that I'm getting up years (lol), and I have three kids and much harder course work, all three are going to be in school full time. I've yet to put him baby in any sort of care, and it is really going to kill me to do it in the fall, but we'll adjust. He's a lot of reason i'm working so hard :)