Being a mom?

windsurfer8, BSN, RN · Mar 31, 2015

You are grasping at reasons NOT to do it. Listen..you are an adult. If you feel it is not in your childs best interest to go to school then don't. Don't lay the blame on your child. You are a mother and if you can't afford to eat then you need to work and get food and housing. If you need to go to school to get a job then it is up to you. You need to be an ADULT and be confident. There are always reasons not to do something..find reasons TO do it. However it is up to you..not your child..to decide what is in the best interest of your family.

Canadianmummy · Apr 1, 2015

I know it is best in the long run, I'm sure lots of women think about these things before making the decision. I don't take it lightly but I want a better career, one I will enjoy and its going to happen and I just have to do the best I can in all aspects of my life.

AspiringNurseMW · Apr 1, 2015

My kids are 4 and 16 months. I returned to school this past September and will be starting nursing school this Fall. It's really a matter of personal choice. Some choose to only go to school part time or to postpone school until their children are school age.

I'm choosing to go to school while they are still young and in a sense, will remember less of these next grueling two years, get it over with in a sense. My children are thriving at day care and don't necessarily feel right now that they'd be better off if I were home 24/7. Maybe I'm deluding myself, maybe I'm being selfish. But I'm OK with that. I think that often as moms we all to often forget to put ourselves first.

Yea I'm going to nursing school to better my family's situation, but more importantly I'm doing it for me, because I want to and I have a passion for it (or at least for my eventual goal of being a Certified Nurse Midwife). So so far, I haven't had too much guilt. With planning and organizing you can make sure to spend quality time with your family while still succeeding at school.

scjaguar · Apr 1, 2015

I struggle with the same plight. However, I know my children will be fine and that I need to do this for me. At the same time, I'll spend as much quality time with them as I can. I don't want me going to school to be the reason I can't savor this time with them.

TLizS · Apr 1, 2015

I have an 8 year old and 6 year old....both very active in their sports and activities.....we make it work......is it always easy? NO.....there are days when I feel like I am running ragged.....there are days when I feel like I have sent them out to the yard to play and locked myself away to study all day and payed VERY LITTLE attention to them

BUT on the days when we have time to just hang or do fun things we make sure it is GOOD quality time.....my kids have never complained about feeling like I am not here for them.....I make sure that they know that I am always here....some days I feel like I sacrifice my sanity to make sure that everyone has what they need from me

BUT the way I see it.....in the grand scheme of things.....this is very short term.....and the benefits our family will enjoy from these short term sacrifices are well worth it

soooo I guess what I am saying is YES it is very possible to go to nursing school and still have plenty of time for your kids......it's not easy....and likely some days you will feel insane for taking it on....but I feel like it is very much worth it

My biggest advice.....have a good support system.....have dependable child care (whether it is family....a good baby sitter.....or whatever) and a plan for when things don't go exactly as planned (a child is sick and can't go to school/day care.....when you need to go to a study group or extra lab time......a good system for studying)

augurey · Apr 1, 2015

It's possible. It's hard, but possible.

It's all about time management. When I started school in the fall, my daughter just turned 1. My classes were at night, but I had her in daycare or at my mother in laws about half the day so I could get in more studying. I knew that my second semester would get more difficult, so I had her in daycare all day, 5 days a week (my classes were only 4 nights a week).

I saw her for only a half hour each morning. Friday nights were dedicated to family. My weekends were studying/homework, but my breaks were with her/family.

It's really about having a good support system and balance. There are times when my daughter was the absolute priority (sickness, etc) regardless of what I had to do. Fortunately with a good family support system, I had family that was able to help out, even if just for a couple of hours.

My daughter loves daycare. Sometimes I don't think she'd come home if we didn't make her lol The fact that she loves it helps because I know she's at east happy and that she's properly cared for. The start of my second semester was gut wrenching because I felt like I was neglecting her or abandoning her, but I did my best to spend what time I could with her and make every moment count.

There are times where, urgent issues aside, you have to make school your priority. Like if you have a big exam coming up and you have to study or get an assignment done, you might have to skip some play time (or make that time to play but stay up a little later).

It's truly about finding a balance. I just want to get this over with while she's young. She's thrilled with daycare, and, while I know she missed me, she's not going to really remember the times I wasn't able to be around as much. She was still given tons of love and attention from my husband, other family, and myself when I could.

It's not easy, but it's doable.

mrsboots87 · Apr 1, 2015

I have a 2 year old and a 5 year old and will graduate in about 8 mos so I can see both ends of the ages during school. My two year old will likely remember very little if any of the time I had to spend away. Does it make me feel less guilty sometimes? No, I would love to be with her more, but my choice to start my program when she was a year old was based on providing a better future for my family. My husband makes decent money, but I do t want to worry about money and how to give them everything they need. My 5 year old does notice the time away. And as much as that sucks, she also watches me study and sees that education is important which has helped her with her own homework. Basically, no matter what the age, there are pros and cons to starting when kiddo is very young or older. You just have to make the choice based on what you feel will be best in the long run.

Canadianmummy · Apr 1, 2015

Thanks everyone, I know it will be hard but I really want to do this career. I know my daughter will benefit from it in the long run when I can help pay for her college or her wedding some day, I wan to contribute to the family financially, just how I feel and I want to do it by being in a career I will enjoy.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Apr 2, 2015

I had a newborn while in nursing school; she was 9 months old when I graduated w/ my ADN. Now I have five, and I'm weeks from finishing my BSN. It's hard, but it's doable like others have said.

Think of it this way: if you don't do it, but your family still needs your financial contribution, it will take you working MORE hours to make the same money you would as an RN, and thus require more time away from your daughter (Not that it's amazing money, but more than you'd make at most unskilled jobs.) Also, if you really want to be an RN, you will be happier working as one than working an unskilled job. Have you heard that saying "Ain't Mama happy, ain't nobody happy"? If you're doing something you enjoy, your little girl will benefit.

chorses4evr · Apr 2, 2015

I was just accepted to my nursing program and I have a 5 year old. Just taking the pre-req's this past year has been time consuming but I'm so happy with my decision to go back to school. My daughter understands that I have to study sometimes but she loves asking me questions about how her body works and she's learning a lot right along with me :) I think keeping her involved helps a lot, and she is very proud to say that her mom is going to be a nurse. So far, for me anyway, it's definitely possible and worth it!

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Apr 2, 2015

I have a 15 month old

I'm just nervous I guess and hope she doesn't feel like I'm not spending enough time with her.

Your daughter is 15 months of age, correct? She will not remember any of this. I guarantee it 100 percent.

Do you remember when you were 15 months old? I didn't think so.