Do Any of You Have Kids?

Nursing Students General Students

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If so, how many children do you have and what are there ages.

How are you managing going to school and taking care of the kids?

I just started back to school to get my pre reqs out of the way and the classes i am taking are online. However when i get into nursing school that will be a whole different ball game since i wont be taking those online.

My kids are 5, 3, and 7 months(aka my miracle man, he had open heart surgery at 4 days old). I dont have alot of outside help, my husband works VERY long hours.

How do you all do it?

Cheryl

Specializes in LDRP.

i have a 4 year old and a 2 year old. My hubby stays at home during day when im gone and works at night. my classes dont start til 12, but i go early to study at school. i study at night after they go to bed (at 8pm). its certainly not easy, but it can be done. study at school as much as you can to eliminate the distractions. study at night. record lectures so you can just listen to the tapes in the car or while cooking dinner. that is my biggest issue, is time to study with kids.

I have a 4 year old. She is in full time daycare.

My husband is not much help since he works so much (he is in the military).. It is 830 pm and he is still not home yet. grrr..

Specializes in (palliative care/oncology unit).

I live alone. I have my children for a week every other week. They are teens so it does make it easier but still requires a fair amount of time. I give them all the time they ask for and more. They sometimes think it is funny when I tell them to leave me alone so I can study as if I was stealing their line or something :) I do have less time now than I did when I was working and in the accelerated program, I seem to be spending most of my time hitting the books.

At school, several students living alone or not have younger children (like yours) and I take my hat off to them. It is remarkable how most of them manage through brute force and determination. It is amazing what we are capable of when we want something badly enough. I am certain you will make it work. Good luck.

N_T_L

I have 3 year old boy/girl twins.!!! Let me first start out saying Im not married, and live with my mother. It is very possible. This is my second degree, I already have a bachelor's degree in biology. I finished school pregnant and while my kids were young. My children go to bed by 8 pm. So I usually give myself a hour to clean and get things straight. Then about 9 pm I study for about 2 or 3 hours. The good thing about me is I only work on weekends at a hospital. During the day the kids go to daycare so I have my classes and then pick them up. Its a lot, sometimes Im so tired. But its worth it. If you want something real bad nothing will stop you. The best thing I can tell you is plan and schedule. Have the kids on a schedule and keep yourself of a schedule. With a little time management, patience, dedication and lack of sleep (LOL), you can make it.

Good Luck.

Crystal

Yep, I've got kids!! Two great little toddlers, my sons 4 and my daughter is 2. I stay home during the day, go to class and clinicals from 6-9p during the week and on the weekends I work in the ER from 8p-4a. So trust me I know with a lot of help from family it can be done. My husband works 12 hr days so my mother or my mother-in-law stay home with the kids till he gets home. I study when I can, late at night, at work when it's slow and I listen to tapes of lecture in my car and while I clean house. Hang in there and don't worry too much about next semester, speaking from experience it all seems to work out. You'll be tired and stressed sometimes but it will all be worth it to make a better life for yourself and your family and to live your dream of being a nurse!! Good luck and remember you're never given more than you can handle. :)

Specializes in CVICU.

Yep...5 year old boy lives with me. I am a single parent and he was in daycare while I worked full time and did my prereqs. My Mom helped by watching him in the evenings and weekends when I was at school. Last fall I quit my full time job and took a position at as a nurse assistant at a hospital to give me more flexibility when I took my last semester of prereqs. I start a 12 month accelerated BSN program in May. In a twist of fate, my mom has decided to move in with me for the year I am in school. She will help me out with the boy when he is not in school and I am at school or clinical. Also find friends and family to help. I have 4 people to ask to watch my son when I work my 12 hour night shifts at the hospital.

People often remark, "How do you do it...it must be so hard..."etc. I just set my mind to it and do it. I find ways to make it happen where we can both be successful. Take it one day at a time and soon enough...you'll be a nurse :)

I had three children when I went back to school and I waited until the youngest was in 1st grade. I was usually home by 3 p.m.

My mom lived with us and helped out.

It was very hard nonetheless.

steph

Specializes in ICU.

Yep, I have a 3 year old little girl. She is the sweetest person. She actually goes to bed when I tell her "mommy has to study now". She'll give me a kiss and then she's off. I feel sooooo guilty about not being able to spend alot of time with her. She goes to daycare during the day while I study and by the time she gets home, I am going to school and when I get home she's in the bed. We have the weekends together but it's really hard sometimes. If it is daytime, she will not let me study because she'll say "it's not time to study". and then I feel guilty and play with her. It's hard, but I just think about all of the things we'll get to do together when school is all over.

I have a 8 yr old, a 6 yr old, 4 yr old, and a 1.5 yr old. My hubby works 70 hours a week, and I have no immediate family/in laws who live nearby to help. I dunno how I do it...lol....I literally "block" out the noise when they run circles around me, and I actually study my chapters with them in the same room....and I still managed to get a B my first semester. Dunno how, I just **tune out**..lol!! It can be done, really it can, if your heart and soul is into it!:)

I have ages 24, 16, 12, 10 , 7 and 5 living here.

I pretty much live in my office. The kids aren't really too bad, they'd rather watch TV than bother me, except, of course, when they want to watch something different....

The 7 and 5 year olds are the worst, probably considering they are the youngest, and my grandchildren. The 7 y/o has ADHD, so I have to be constantly monitoring him, and the little 5 y/o is always, "Mamaw this or Mamaw that...."

Been taking time at home to study, but when I can, I go to the library at school.

I'm doing my best and hubby does his best to help me out too.....

Specializes in Med-Surg, ER, Mental Health.

Hi there,

I have two boys, ages 11 and 7. They're good boys...my 7 y.o. has ADHD, and we are still in the process of trying to find the best treatment for him, so some days are easier than others...but I am managing -- I haven't pulled my hair out yet, anyway! :p

Going to school and being a mom are not mutually exclusive, but you have to be very organized and you have to really, REALLY want to graduate...because there are days when you feel so overwhelmed, that you need that burning desire to hold on to, or you will wonder "Why on earth am I doing this???" :rotfl:

The bottom line is: don't waste any time. Yes, you need a little down time when you can get it...but the reality is, you are not going to have the same amount of downtime as an 18 year old student. You will have to make every minute of the day count. It can be done! I finished my first degree when my oldest was 3 1/2 and I was pregnant with my second one.

Take care, best of luck...you're going to be fine!

Joanna :)

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