Juggling 2 under 2 and college

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Specializes in Student.

Hey there! I'm currently a stay at home mom of a 3 month old and 2 year old. I was just admitted into Kent State to attend their ADN program, and will be starting my prereqs in January.

I unfortunately do not have a village. My SO does the best he can but he works some long hours to support out family.

With that being said, does anyone have some suggestions or advice on how to juggle a baby, a toddler, and studying???

My toddler is easier to entertain, but my baby is still very young and breastfed, she is also a total mommas girl and poor dad hasn't stood a chance with her.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

You will need full time daycare.

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Many mothers have walked in your shoes. The fact of the matter is that it is very very hard to juggle it all. It is extremely stressful, but if you are going to commit to a course of study, you are going to have to make compromises. You absolutely will not be able to spend the same amount of quality time with your kids as other SAHMs you know.

You study when they nap, you study after they go to bed, you grab an hour when the toddler is watching an educational video or program. You grab an hour when your husband is home. You have day care or home care or whatever is dependable and safe. You listen to lectures in the car if you can. You make flashcards and use them any minute you get a chance: waiting at the bank or pediatrician's office or the dry cleaners. Every spare minute is spent on school work. You maximize the weekends and hubby just has to deal with the fact that you are no longer available for couple time as you once were. This is a sacrifice.

Plan on feeling the stress to your relationship, guilt feelings that come with having to tell your kid "sorry, honey, mommy has to study," etc.

All that said, it's 2 or 3 years of your life. You will all get through it, and the kids will get over it if you can't attend to their every desire 24/7. At the end of it, you have a career.

Oh, and then the real sacrifices start...

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Specializes in certified orthopedic nurse.

Clinicals and labs may start as early as 5:30 a.m. Do you have access to child care at that hour?

Nursing school time requirements are equivalent to a full time job. With irregular hours. A job that is not unlike riding a bike. Except the bike is on fire. And you are on fire. And everything is on fire.

You will need to get things in order as best you can before you start because things unravel quickly.

And...no biggie, but just so you are using terms appropriately, Kent State offers a BSN, not ADN. ADN degrees are awarded from community colleges.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Sometimes the best approach is to delay enrollment. Or since you are just starting prerequisites- take one class at a time- being mindful of your sciences getting 'old' in timing them.

Nursing school is not going anywhere- it will be there when you are ready.

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Specializes in Student.
On 11/12/2019 at 5:16 PM, Professor X said:

Clinicals and labs may start as early as 5:30 a.m. Do you have access to child care at that hour?

Nursing school time requirements are equivalent to a full time job. With irregular hours. A job that is not unlike riding a bike. Except the bike is on fire. And you are on fire. And everything is on fire.

You will need to get things in order as best you can before you start because things unravel quickly.

And...no biggie, but just so you are using terms appropriately, Kent State offers a BSN, not ADN. ADN degrees are awarded from community colleges.

Kent State does actually offer an ADN at some regional campus locations. I'm enrolled in the program at their Twinsburg location.

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Specializes in Student.
On 11/12/2019 at 5:49 PM, meanmaryjean said:

Sometimes the best approach is to delay enrollment. Or since you are just starting prerequisites- take one class at a time- being mindful of your sciences getting 'old' in timing them.

Nursing school is not going anywhere- it will be there when you are ready.

After meeting with my advisor a few times, I've decided to start out part time. I will be taking one course on campus, and one online per semester this year. I feel this will better suit my family for the time being.

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Specializes in Student.
On 11/12/2019 at 2:35 PM, Horseshoe said:

Many mothers have walked in your shoes. The fact of the matter is that it is very very hard to juggle it all. It is extremely stressful, but if you are going to commit to a course of study, you are going to have to make compromises. You absolutely will not be able to spend the same amount of quality time with your kids as other SAHMs you know.

You study when they nap, you study after they go to bed, you grab an hour when the toddler is watching an educational video or program. You grab an hour when your husband is home. You have day care or home care or whatever is dependable and safe. You listen to lectures in the car if you can. You make flashcards and use them any minute you get a chance: waiting at the bank or pediatrician's office or the dry cleaners. Every spare minute is spent on school work. You maximize the weekends and hubby just has to deal with the fact that you are no longer available for couple time as you once were. This is a sacrifice.

Plan on feeling the stress to your relationship, guilt feelings that come with having to tell your kid "sorry, honey, mommy has to study," etc.

All that said, it's 2 or 3 years of your life. You will all get through it, and the kids will get over it if you can't attend to their every desire 24/7. At the end of it, you have a career.

Oh, and then the real sacrifices start...

I'm curious, what you do mean by "the real sacrifices will start..."??? LOL

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11 hours ago, WolfMoon6 said:

I'm curious, what you do mean by "the real sacrifices will start..."??? LOL

You may have to leave before the kids get up, and by the time you get home, they are getting ready for bed. Zero quality time during working days.

Hubby might be annoyed that he has to cook dinner on work days. If you don't get home until 7:30 or 8:00 or later (depending on commute), he either makes dinner, heats up a pre-cooked dinner, or gets take out. That doesn't always go over very well.

The school calls you at work at 10:00 to say Susie has a fever and to come get her. You cannot leave work; hubby has to do it, and maybe his boss isn't so understanding even if hubby is.

You have to explain to the kiddos yet again that Mommy won't be home Christmas morning because she is low on the totem pole and no one would take her shift.

You just worked your 10th Thanksgiving in a row.

You just spent the 2nd night in row at the hospital because there is a blizzard and hospitals don't take kindly to people not showing up for work and forcing their co-workers to work 48 hours straight.

That's just a few off the top of my head. Add more if you work the night shift.

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