If you have kids, when do you study?

mz23 · Nov 10, 2013

I have three kids. There ages are 3, 8 and 9. Generally, their father helps me with them. I study mostly when my oldest two are at school. During that time, my three year old is more manageable. Have you looked into your school to see if they offer daycare to students with kids? My school does and this upcoming semester is the first time I will be using it.

There is a daycare at my school but they do not allow you to apply until the child is 18 mos. My daughter will be 1

months by next semester So hopefully I can get her in. It would be awesome to have her on campus. Very exciting thought lol. I hope everything works out. Thats great you have 3 kids and still manage school. Im having a tough time with just one!

mz23 · Nov 10, 2013

This will be an unpopular opinion: But as a single mother, some of the best studying was done when my kid slept in my bed with me, as I studied next to a lamp. Otherwise, he would just keep waking up and hunting me down.
I'm not saying it was the "right" choice, but that was how I did it.

I dont think anythings wrong with that. You know that sounds like a great deal I do cosleep with my daughter and she has a sixth sense and wakes up when im not there. Honestly, sometimes I fo need some space but studying in bed with her may solve both our problems though I do eventually want her to be able to go down and stay down. But in the meantime I have a test next week haha.

mz23 · Nov 10, 2013

I have an 8 year old (which is in bed by 8) and a 12 month old and I coslept for the first 8 months of her life (i was breastfeeding so it was so much easier to sleep with her) and then I sleep trained her at 8 months.. took a week but it was worth it.. I lay her down at 730 pm and she doesn't wake up again till 630 am and when I say sleep trained I don't mean tortured her.. I basically set a routine which became predictable to her.. 630 would be dinner time 7pm is bath time.. we cuddle/breastfeed and then 730 I lay her in her crib and she falls right to sleep.. room has to be dark and I have a sound machine that makes white noise so she doesn't wake up with any other noises.. the first week she cried and i went in every 5 minutes NEVER TOOK HER OUT OF THE CRIB just kissed her shushed a little patted her back and walked out.. she finally realized she wasn't going to get picked up out of the crib... it was the best thing I couldve done for her and myself... babys need 10-12 hours of sleep because their brains r developing so rapidly and she's become a much happier baby... I've become a much happier mommy as well and after 730pm I sit down at the kitchen table and study. Babies love routine.. they love predictability and knowing what's coming up next. Good luck.. if u have any questions please feel free to ask!!

Funny I just picked up a book from the library about getting baby to sleep through the night. Yes im extremely desperate. Though im not done with the book, it does stress having a routine which I really do not have one. Andi really wish I had been more serious about this when my daughter was younger cause this girl has a lot of will power lol. I must get to the point I can get her to sleep and she stays down. At times I feel like im gonna scream. Im not angry at her, honestly Its my fault. Until prob around 9-12mos, I dont quite remember, id hold her nearly all night! Thank you for your advice.

mz23 · Nov 10, 2013

Hopeful I sleep trained the same way. I have 14 months old, 3 year old and 8 year old along with 15 credit hours. I don't study when they awake as I don't want to give up anytime with them. My babies go to bed at 8 and get up at 6. I study from 8-12 or so then sleep 5/6 hours

What a nice system you ladies have. And I applaud you for being able to manage family life and school.

mz23 · Nov 10, 2013

If you haven't already, speak to her pediatrician about why she isn't sleeping through the night and ways to promote longer sleeping. This will help her get more rest and you too! I also co-sleep as others have mentioned. We get in my bed at 8pm. I study while she watches tv until she falls asleep. This way I get to spend a little more time with her and as a bonus sometimes I practice my nursing assessment on her while she sleeps.
My personal experience is the more that I need to study, the more my daughter acts out or becomes clingy (2yo). They pick up on stress so quickly!! Its ridiculous how they act during finals! When I get desperate I give my daughters things to play with that I wouldn't normally give her (ie playdough, finger paint, pipe cleaners etc) These make huge messes but will buy you some study time.
No one can really tell you what's right for you and your daughter, but hope someone posts something that helps. Best of luck to you!

Those are nice ideas. I need to head to the craft store pronto. My daughter gets tired of her toys fast. Lol your right, the more we stress the more antsy and clingy they get. Its imperative esp when you have kids to not fall behind. Thanks I will talk to her doctor but I truly think she just wants me near her id gladlt accept any advice. Thanks. It can be harder with kids but they also push us.

mz23 · Nov 10, 2013

I know what your going through! I have a 2 year old and I find it hard to study and potty train at the same time. Also I work throughout the week as well. I just got accepted into nursing school and I'm very nervous. I do not study hardly at all right now. I just finished my associates degree and I have never studied at all. I'm afraid I won't know how when I start my program
Congrats for getting into the program. I think we will find a way to make it work in due time. Im in the process of sleep training and *somewhat) potty training lol. O had to get books on both because im not so successful in either...yet : )

Graduation2016 · Nov 10, 2013

I'm a night owl and only work 2 nights a week so the rest of the days I study at night when everyone is sleeping or during the day when the kids are in school. If the kids are here, it is very hard because I want to hang out with them.

vettechtoRN · Nov 10, 2013

Anyone feel like they are abandoning their children? I only have two classes and I work 25 hours a week. I thought it would be no problem but they have taken over my life. Cant wait for nursing school!! I don't remember it being this time consuming the first time around but then again I didn't get A's back then! I guess if I didn't have my 2yo I could study non stop and it would take less time.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Nov 10, 2013

I would take child (toddler at the time) and notes to the park. Child ran around playing on stuff; I would keep one eye on him and another eye on my notes. I would also read my notes to child at bedtime...never failed to put him to sleep :)

I ended up getting a lot of studying done on the commute to and from school--I recorded lectures to listen to, and kept a stack of notecards to review at stop lights or whenever drawbridges were up.

Hopeful0630 · Nov 10, 2013

Funny I just picked up a book from the library about getting baby to sleep through the night. Yes im extremely desperate. Though im not done with the book, it does stress having a routine which I really do not have one. Andi really wish I had been more serious about this when my daughter was younger cause this girl has a lot of will power lol. I must get to the point I can get her to sleep and she stays down. At times I feel like im gonna scream. Im not angry at her, honestly Its my fault. Until prob around 9-12mos, I dont quite remember, id hold her nearly all night! Thank you for your advice.

I know the feeling.. went through the same thing with my 8 year old I was inexperienced and really had no one to give me advice.. I coslept with her till she was almost 4! Yes the older they get the louder they scream lol but trust me if ur consistent it will happen.. reassure her everytime u go in the room.. pat her on the back and she will eventually see that u r not giving in but u r still there for her and she will fall asleep.. another thing u could try is a bedtime bear that she can only cuddle with when its bedtime that way when she sees the bear she knows its about that time and she will get so used to it that she will even start getting sleepy as soon as u give her the bear.. hope it works out for u.. if u do sleep train remember stick with it.. no matter how hard she cries because if u go and pick her up the next time u try she will cry even harder and for longer only because she knows u gave in once already... Goodluck! It will take several days and even as long as a week but don't give up... u will be so much happier and so will she once she's getting the correct amount of sleep at night.

SilenceintheLibrary · Nov 10, 2013

I went through LPN school with a 2 year old, so I feel your pain. As a few others have said, I coslept with my son and often studied while he sat next to me watching cartoons. I also took him to the park while I studied. He had a hard time with it sometimes, like one instance when I took him outside to play and I sat down with my med-surge book to study. Poor little guy wanted attention so he tried to take away my med-surge book, only he couldn't really lift it. He tried so hard to carry it away but just ended up dragging it. I have the cutest picture of him struggling with it. Of course I ended up quitting studying for the day to play with him. You just have to find a way to balance everything, as impossible as that may sound. I actually got most of my studying done in the early morning. That seemed to be when my little guy would sleep the deepest and longest. So I'd crash with him in the early evening, then set my alarm to go off at like 3 or 4. I'd get a couple good hours in before it was time to get ready for class. It took a lot of discipline not to hit the snooze button though! When he got to be 3 I finally trained him to sleep the night in his own room, took a long time but like someone else said the trick is routine. I'd give him his bath, then we'd read a few stories, then I'd sing a song or two. I'd kiss him and tell him sweet dreams, and then leave. I'd hear him in there talking to himself or sometimes playing, but eventually he'd fall asleep on his own. Getting ready to start RN school, but now that he's older it's a lot easier! He entertains himself pretty well, he's a really imaginative little guy. Hang in there OP, it won't be easy, but it's so worth it in the end when you are a nurse and you know you can always provide for your little one. Best of luck to everyone!!

proudnurseRN · Nov 10, 2013

When I was in nursing school I purposely scheduled classes with a 1-2 hour break. That was the majority of my study time. Also, if I had a 10am class I would get to school at 7am and study in the lounge. Also, I am a visual learner... I cannot learn by lecture. So, what worked for me was to study during lecture. I would read the chapter that was being lectured on as the teacher was lecturing. I had the ability to also hear what was being said, so I didn't look ill prepared when called upon in class. I also didn't make it grossly obvious that I wasn't paying attention, but I was a consistent A student so I think the professors got it. Finally, I got side job as a tutor. It reinforced what I needed to know and in downtime I was able to study myself. I almost never studied at home. Sometimes it had to happen, but I would say about 5% of my studying came from the home environment. Papers, on the other hand, were usually done at home on the comfort of my own computer, chipping away 15 minutes at a time.

That being said, I also co-slept, but was never able to study in bed. I always fell asleep.