Anyone Here Have Young Kids?

Published

I really want to become a nurse but am wondering if it is even possible right now in my life. I have three kids ages 5,3, and 7 months. My husband works from 7 am to 8 pm and i dont have much family help.

Is this possible? DOes anyone else have kids and how are things going for you?

Thanks,

Cheryl

Specializes in L&D.
I have a 2 year old, 5 year old and I am 6 months preganant. I had attended my first semester of LPN school and it was very hard. Plus I was taking A&PI at the local community college on Sundays. I was so tired. If I probably wasn't pregant I would have been able to get through it, but my body was just too tired. I have decided to do the online program at Deaconess for the LPN if I can get in next month. I have also applied to an accelerated BSN program for the fall which is 15 months. I work full time now, but I am trying to make arrangements to work somewhere part time after the baby is born so I can go to school during the day while the kids are at daycare and maybe work on the weekend and one day during the week. A good family support system is extremely important.

I remember what it was like the first months of pregnancy trying to go to school. I was exhausted all the time and I also worked full-time. I had to drop my night class because of it. Good luck to you!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am a single mom with two kids ages 4 and 7. It is hard for me to go to school and come home and study, but I know what my goal is and I want to do what ever I can to reach it. I don't have very much family support either, so it all falls on me. I try to cheer on my own self when I don't have anyone else to give me that support. You also have to be very disciplined. I have put my children on strict routines. As soon as I pick them up from the sitters, I come in and make dinner, and get them started on their homework. I make sure all clothing is washed and ironed on sunday for the start of the week so I won't have to be running all over the place searching for clothing. I make menus for the month so I already know what I am having and I don't have to stand in front of the refrigerator at 6 thinking oh my gosh what is for dinner. I am part of a internet mailing list called flylady.com and it has been extremely helpful in getting me on routines, and keeping my home clean and just keeping everything in tip top shape. I think that is the key. Organization, and adhering to routines, trust me they will make your life much easier, oh and I just started back working full time as well, so it can be done. I know at the end of all this I will have an R.N. behind my name. Good luck.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB, lactation.
... i make sure all clothing is washed and ironed on sunday for the start of the week so i won't have to be running all over the place searching for clothing. i make menus for the month so i already know what i am having and i don't have to stand in front of the refrigerator at 6 thinking oh my gosh what is for dinner.

on that note, here are some items i have found helpful!!!!!

kids 5-day 7-shelf closet organizer

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/b0000cnqxm/103-4064052-1746260?%5fencoding=utf8&v=glance

$20 a week frugal healthy eating ideas - good thread!

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=119122&highlight=%2420+week

grocery list:

http://organizedtimes.com/grocery.htm

menu planner forms (this site has lots of other good stuff, too...look around):

http://organizedhome.com/printable_forms_9.html

menu budget planner:

http://www.frugalhomemaker.com/downloads/free%20menu%20budget%20planner.pdf

once a month cooking/ make ahead freezer meals:

http://snider.mardox.com/oamc.htm

chores checklists by age:

http://www.printablechecklists.com/checklist11.shtml

here's a 5 week menu and shopping list:

http://www.frugalhomemaker.com/5weekmenu.htm

$30 weekly grocery list & menus:

http://www.frugalhomemaker.com/30perweek.htm

:)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in L&D.
on that note, here are some items i have found helpful!!!!!

kids 5-day 7-shelf closet organizer

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/b0000cnqxm/103-4064052-1746260?%5fencoding=utf8&v=glance

$20 a week frugal healthy eating ideas - good thread!

http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=119122&highlight=%2420+week

grocery list:

http://organizedtimes.com/grocery.htm

menu planner forms (this site has lots of other good stuff, too...look around):

http://organizedhome.com/printable_forms_9.html

menu budget planner:

http://www.frugalhomemaker.com/downloads/free%20menu%20budget%20planner.pdf

once a month cooking/ make ahead freezer meals:

http://snider.mardox.com/oamc.htm

chores checklists by age:

http://www.printablechecklists.com/checklist11.shtml

here's a 5 week menu and shopping list:

http://www.frugalhomemaker.com/5weekmenu.htm

$30 weekly grocery list & menus:

http://www.frugalhomemaker.com/30perweek.htm

:)

wow! do you ever visit the frugal board on ivillage? they have lots of good ideas like these...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB, lactation.

I used to visit a bunch of the parentsplace.com (part of ivillage) boards once upon a time... lately AllNurses is about the only one I've been on regularly :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow Mitchsmom, great websites, I'm gonna check them out, I never turn down great ideas. These sites are very helpful. Thanx!!!!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am going into my 2nd semester of nursing school and have 3 kids. They're 12, 7, and 3.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I really want to become a nurse but am wondering if it is even possible right now in my life. I have three kids ages 5,3, and 7 months. My husband works from 7 am to 8 pm and i dont have much family help.

Is this possible? DOes anyone else have kids and how are things going for you?

Thanks,

Cheryl

Hi Cheryl,

Life is full of seasons and this may not be the season for you to be in school. But there are things you can do, do you have any college education? Perhaps you can start working on clepping basic classes.

I have 4 children, I graduated from high school in 1985, went to college for 4 years, could never decide what I wanted to do with my life so never finished. A couple years later I got married and had my kids.

I didn't go back to school until my youngest was 4. The other 3 children were in school all day. My husband was in the Air Force so I never had help with childcare either. I put my 4 year old in preschool/daycare and used my student loans to pay for half of her tuition. This year she is in all day Kindergarten and once again I am using student loans to pay for half of her tuition. I decided that borrowing to pay for childcare was better in the long run than waiting two more years to get my degree. I will be in the workforce 2 years sooner than if I waited, that $3000 a year I am borrowing is a drop in the bucket of what I will be earning.

Next year all of my kids will be in public school all day and I won't have to worry about childcare, woo hoo!

Life is full of seasons, if it doesn't work out for you right now see what little things you can do to help when it is time. Some places have Saturday and night classes for working adults, start taking English and Math and general eds, that way when you are ready to go back you have some of the annoying stuff out of the way.

In retrospect I am glad that I did things the way I did. I was able to stay home with my children when they were small. Now I am in school with them, hopefully they are seeing how valuable an education is first hand. When I go to work I won't need to worry about childcare or missing important milestones. One of my friends at school is 20, she told me she was envious of where I was, my kids are born and I got to be home with them. She has the pressure of paying off student loans and keeping her liscence current after she has her children.

Follow your heart and it will all work out.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I think that you would be fine in college with young children. I have five children ages 12, 8, 8, 4, 3. Although it takes time management it can be done. Good luck to you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU/Neonatal transport.

You need to evaluate what's right for you. Could you deal with having a full time job right now? If not, take one or two classes to get prereqs out of the way and wait a little bit.

I have a 4.5yo and a 2yo, but my dh is home and I have a ton of family support.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks again everyone for the imput. I will take it slow and get all the pre req stuff out of the way. A few of the pre reqs i can take online so that will be conveient.

Thanks again :)

Cheryl

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I really want to become a nurse but am wondering if it is even possible right now in my life. I have three kids ages 5,3, and 7 months. My husband works from 7 am to 8 pm and i dont have much family help.

Is this possible? DOes anyone else have kids and how are things going for you?

Thanks,

Cheryl

Hey Cheryl,

I have a 7-year-old and an almost 2-year-old currently. I finished my prereqs when they were both a year younger and nursing school this past semester. I am 3000 miles away from any family as my husband is in medical school and is never home - gone from 7 a.m. until 12 midnight. We literally never see him and he is of no help at the moment. I am not sure why I went back other than I had the opportunity where we live and I have always wanted to do it. I question myself, as do people around me, why I am doing this now and not waiting until later and it boils down to my gut feeling and knowing that I can do it, as well as take care of my family. I use day care for my youngest at present, as well as support of friends and my oldest goes to school - currently 1st grade. It is very hard and I feel guilty almost every day that I am not spending enough time with my kids, but in all it can be done and is a decision you will need to make.

I forgot to mention that I am also working two jobs while going to school.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion