Children, Husband/wife, JOb and Nursing school??!!!

LuvMyGamecocks · Oct 22, 2006

What's working thus far for me....

Children..(I have a 3 and 5yo) If you have a choice between washing dishes or reading a second book before bed, go with the second book. If you focus the time you do have with them on giving them your undivided attention, it goes a long way.

Work...Going to work for me is an easy way to leave everything else behind for a little while. Then again, I enjoy what I do and it's nice to redirect my attention. I feel recharged and ready for whatever's next when I get home.

Husband...Learn/Believe/Accept that intimacy and noticing each other as a spouse doesn't always equal sex. The little moments mean SO much - a playful pinch here, a lingering hug there...it's great for kids to see a loving bond between their parents, so don't be afraid to grab your spouse for a smooch while you're cooking dinner. :blushkiss

Above all, truly believe that the world will NOT fall apart if you don't keep a spotless home.

LilRedRN1973 · Oct 24, 2006

When I went through nursing school, I had a 3 year old, a 6 year old, and a husband who worked 12 hour night shifts. Add to that a part time (24 hours a week) night job and a crazy ex wife who continually switched her visitation hours on us (my husband has full custody) and there were times when I thought I would go crazy. Then we find out my father-in-law had leukemia and dealt with another family member going through breast cancer.

I got through it when I would look at my stepkids. Just knowing how much better their life would be once I finished school was enough (their mother pays $200/month support...not enough for much more than food). Also, knowing that my husband would be there for me every step of the way. He did pretty much all the housework, laundry, and other little menial chores that freed up study time for me. I still did the grocery shopping and bills. Oh, I forgot to mention that my husband was also in school, taking 12 credits each semester. We walked at graduation together :yelclap: The day my stepkids walked onto that stage and put on my nursing pin was one of the most incredible, memorable, and meaningful days of my life. It made the past 2 years just disappear. You should have seen how we spoiled those kids that next Christmas!! It made up for them going without for several years. Amazingly enough, we made it through school with no educational debt (don't ask about the credit cards :uhoh3: ) because my hubby's GI bill paid for not only his schooling, but mine as well.

It's tough but you have to take things one day at at time, much like a recovering addict! Otherwise, you become overwhelmed and want to throw in the towel. I graduated with a 3.2GPA that I'm very, very proud of....others had higher but they also didn't have some of the stressors we did. I found I was stronger than I ever thought I could be!

Melanie = )

BSNtobe2009 · Oct 24, 2006

Well, I'm single, but if I had teenage children and a husband, there would be some SERIOUS division of duties. One person can't do it all.

I remember asking my father once why I always had to do the dishes, his response: "Your mother and I had to do the dishes before you got here and will have to do them after you are gone, but while you are here, it's your job."

Words to live by!

Markthemalenurse · Oct 24, 2006

I got lucky. I had a job that was three days a week (16 hours on Sat and SUN plus 8 hours on Mon). While I was in school the ex-wife was working and my son was at school. When he didn't have school, my mother would watch him.

Cardiac-RN · Oct 24, 2006

sacrificed alot of precious sleep : /

i am still playing catch up : )

it was hard, but keeping the end goal in sight really helped keep spirits up for both me and my family.