issue with leaving newborn to return to nursing school

bnb0627 · Feb 11, 2010

I say do it now. You never know what will happen in the future but you if you get your lpn now you will have that for the rest of your life god forbid anything should happen you have that skill to get your family through.

I started taking my prerequistes for an associates rn when my 1st child was 2 and my 2nd was 6 weeks old and I worked a full time job. I worked 8am-4pm M-F and classes 4 nights a week 6pm-10pm for 2 semesters. This was in 2005, then completely unexpected my husband got a job offer in the middle of nowhere but for good money so I wouldn't have to work so we moved in 2006. My thoughts were I could finish school there. Well I didn't realize how far away the closest school was 1 1/2 hours and most of my credits wouldn't transfer. 2007 we moved back home my husband went back to his old job which meant I needed a job. I found a job that paid great however the hours were not great for school. In 2008 we bought our first house, now I couldn't go to school because of my job I needed to pay my mortgage and the nursing program was fulltime days or nights so I applied for nights but kept getting put on the waiting list. In Jan. 2009 I was laid off, have yet to find a job that paid as well, still on the waiting list for rn and about to file for bankruptcy to save my home. I am starting lpn classes next month. I wish I had done it all while my children were younger because it was so much easier. Right now my children are 5 and 6 1/2. I spend 1 hour a night helping my daughter with reading because she's having trouble, then 2 nights a week we go to girl scouts, tball is coming up and in summer cheerleading which is 4 nights a week and a game on the weekend (which I won't be able to coach as I did last year because I will not have time I will need to study). I still want to be an rn so at least I have my pre-reqs done so when I'm done my lpn I will have just nursing classes to take but I will be missing a lot of fun stuff I could be doing with my kids. It's a hard decision, unfortunately for me putting it off has not worked in my favor.

Justanotherday · Feb 11, 2010

Staying home with babies is NOT being a slacker! Oh my goodness, can there be ANYTHING more important?! You have the rest of your life to go to school and become a nurse. I am 42 and my youngest is 5 and my oldest 20. I am just beginning prereqs. It may sound old, but I don't feel it. My schedule is arranged so that I am home with my 5 & 8 year olds during the day (we homeschool), but if we didn't, I would work nursing school around their school schedule.

I haven't experienced anything in life that could compare with the joy of being home with my children every day. I wish more moms were able to have that time.

marineswife0809 · Feb 11, 2010

im looking towards the future because how things are now. i want a solid career i will never know if mt husband wants a divorce and i will be stuck on a cna salary with 3 kids. so im preparing for anything. what i meant by a slacker by putting it off until im older, i dont want to be 30 -40 yrs old gettin paid 11-12 dollars an hour!

jolly_tamale · Feb 26, 2010

This is really a decision only you can make. I took all my prereqs online while I stayed at home with my kids. Once they both started school I decided to apply for the LPN program. Personally, I'm glad I waited. You don't ever get that baby/toddler stage back plus I don't have to worry about my kids all day. I know they have to be at school and I don't have that guilty feeling about being away from them so much like so many girls in my class struggle with. I'm not saying it's bad for you to go though. For some people it is the right decision for their family for them to just get it done. I am blessed that my husband has a job where I didn't have to work and could take that time off, but I realize that's not always an option.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Feb 26, 2010

Tough decision... Remember, having a newborn in daycare they will probably get sick a lot. You will need to miss time from school then as sick kids can't be in daycare. Will you have reliable sick care for the baby? Are you planning on breastfeeding? Being away 8+ hours a day is going to be rough on you finding places and time to pump. I personally would wait a yearish until baby is weaned or at least on solids and has a bit better immune system. I personally would have WAY less guilt putting a 12 month old in daycare vs. a newborn.... There just aren't enough hands sometimes in daycare when each care giver has 4 babies to care for. Some baby is left to cry- Everyone has different thoughts with babies crying. I quit working for 15 months after I had my first, then worked part-time, then quit working for 18 months after I had my second then again work part-time. I couldn't bear not breastfeeding and using daycare for a young baby. I know lots of babies sleep a lot but mine were not great sleepers. I would have been beyond exhausted for that first year if I attempted to go to school when they were that young. Just my thoughts.

Heavenly4505 · Feb 28, 2010

I think it is difficult to leave your children, no matter what age they are. Mine are 5 and 4 (5 year old is in kindergarten this year), but I have worked/gone to school/both since my youngest was just a few months old. My husband and I have tried to work it out where we could work/take classes opposite shifts from each other so that we could avoid daycare, but that is not always an option. Right now, my children are in daycare three days a week because I have no other choice. I am in an LPN program and I work part-time as a home health aide. There is actually one girl in my class who is pregnant right now. She is being induced March 17, which is a Wednesday, and plans to return to clinicals that following Monday! She also has a 15-month old son at home in addition to the new baby that is coming.

I do NOT think it is easier to wait until your children are school-age to return. You are going to miss out on plenty if you wait until that time, and sometimes miss out on even more (parent teacher conferences, sporting events, class field trips, etc.). I am going through that right, and it is hard. I actually wish I would have done this when my kids were babies. I think it would have been easier and better for me. But now, here I am, and I plan to finish one way or the other. Good luck.

jolly_tamale · Feb 28, 2010

There was a girl from the last class that went into labor on a Thursday and was back for her last week of clinicals that that Monday. I just think of that for motivation when I feel like I'm too tired or don't feel well enough to go to school!