just wondering if there are any moms going back to school. i have babies still. one 2 year old and one 10 month old. children make it difficult. they attend daycare while i go to shcool but at night while i need to study it gets difficult. this past summer i was cracking books open at 11 pm. ahh! and the classes weren't even that difficult. the good thing is i will be taking my kids one day to daycare on a day where i do not attend school just for a study day. thank goodness i have a wonderful husband who supports me. the problem is that he works 50-60 hours/week. well, he is now that i am not working, so he spends more time in the office trying to recoup our losses.
so, i was wondering if any of you are in the same boat. maybe we could give each other some ideas on how to get some extra studying done.
-i must say, the break is nice. i don't feel like there is a coffee bean in the pit of my tummy. haha.
To the mom who needs help figuring out how to pay for it all - I can so relate. Since we had our 4th baby (a surprise), money has been pretty tight. We don't have health insurance, so if someone gets sick, we are in trouble. Another year and a half and the car will be paid off.... That will help. In the mean time we are struggling to get by, but school is important to me. I want my kids to see me going to school. I want them to be proud of me when I graduate. What an example I will set for them. I missed the fafsae (sp?) deadline, so I can't even apply for a student loan this semester. I think I can cover it though. I will make payments or put it on the credit card if I have to. I am taking online classes and evening classes so I don't have to pay for daycare. It just isn't an option. There may be a few hours that my husband can't make it home on time, so I have arranged for a teenager to come to my house at a reduced rate and watch the kids for an hr or two on the days I do go to school so I don't have to miss class. I know it will be hard and Christmas may be a big bust this year..... School just has to be a big priority for me right now or I will regret it later. Come January I will be one of the first to fill out my fafsae so I can get my student loan. YAY! You should do it too. Good luck!
Right there with ya. My husband tends to work at odd hours...doing side jobs and such and while he is at home doing them, he can't watch our daughter. When I have class, he's good about getting my daughter, but when I don't and I'm at home, it's all on me, so no study time! So, it's hard for me to focus. Biggest problem this semester will be that I'm taking an online course...may have to go to the Library a few nights a week just to get some peace and quiet and leave him with our daughter! We'll see.
When I started, I didn't have any kids. I started in summer 2004. Got pregnant in December of 2004 (whoops). So, my daughter will be 2 in September. Being a mom while in school makes it a bit harder, but I figure it out. My daughter goes to bed at 8:00, so I try to do some things then. Now, with Nursing classes, that'll change. I am done with my pre-req's and those are the classes I've had to deal with so far...Nursing classes will be quite different and will require a little more thought into my schedule!
I clean what & when I can...try to just wash dishes right away and do stuff while my daughter is eating. Then when she lays down, I can focus on my studies. I am going to try to figure out a way to keep her occupied so I can study more with Nursing, but I'm sure her attention span won't allow that ...DH will have to step up!
You will be fine - you'll figure out a schedule that works for you...you just do! I've had late nights, but make it work somehow!
And if it makes you feel any better, I work full-time as well and have to go to school at night, so some nights I don't get to study. Hang in there! And good luck!
Oh, and one more thing...crock pots rock!!! I have some chicken at home cooking right now while I am at work...not much effort, but great meals!!! Fall is my big crock pot season and I have a feeling it'll save me during school!
Remember to occasionally laugh so you look like your paying attention to the movie.
LOL!
I have 3 children. An 8 yr old, a 3 year old and an 8 month old.
I am going to be taking a bunch of classes online and a few on campus. I think what I'm going to do is get up at 5 am with my hubby, which is a couple of hours before the kids and try to get those 2 hours in everyday. Then all of the kiddies go to sleep at 8:30ish and so I will have a couple of hours there too.
The middle one will be in school a few hours a week and I will try to get the baby to nap then (although he is a pretty content baby anyway.)
I am also thinking of having someone come over and watch them (or go to my parents house) a few hours here and there so I can get some study time in.
Wow this makes me feel so much better. I have a 2 and 5 yr old. I have been really worried about going back to school. I start in just a few weeks. I am taking 3 classes. My 5 yr old starts kindergarten in a few weeks as well and my 2 yr old will be going to a preschool program 3 days week. This is when I will take my classes. I will have to study when my husband gets home from work or after the kids are in bed. I am sure I will be studying on the weekends if need be too.
I am just really scared about the actual nursing classes when I start the nursing part. I am just on pre reqs right now. It will take me a year and half because I am going kinda slow with the kids. Hopefully by the time the nursing part starts my youngest will almost be in kindergarten. If not she can go to a program at the school that is for 4yr olds and they have the same hrs as the kindergarten does. I just dont know how I would pay for it.
Its tough paying for childcare while going to school. I have to get student loans just to go to school and did not qualify for any grants. So I will be in debt up to my ears after school. Hopefully I will make well enough to pay for it though.
I will need lots of advice on study time and making this work. Its very tough to do with young children. I just wonder if its going to be to much or if I can handle this or if I am smart enough. I sure hope so.
Yes, the childcare costs are RIDICULOUS! I did not qualify for grants and I did not qualify for loans as I had too many previous credits. I had switched my major twice when I was much younger and since this doesn't qualify for a graduate program I am not eligible. I could get a job outside the home but it wouldn't do me any good-it is just that much more daycare I would have to pay for.
It is great seeing so many of us on here w/ same familial based struggles. We all know we will have class work struggles-eek.
I need to work on my two year old. She used to go to bed at 8:30pm on a dime. Now, it is a struggle and getting her down at 9:30pm merits a pat on the back. LOL. Oh-and she/us have made a habit of just letting her sleep w/ us. Over the next couple of weeks of the break I should work on her bedtime routine. Needless to say I won't have to worry about an "oops" baby during my school days w/ her sleeping w/ us. Tee-hee.
To the mom who needs help figuring out how to pay for it all - I can so relate. Since we had our 4th baby (a surprise), money has been pretty tight. We don't have health insurance, so if someone gets sick, we are in trouble. Another year and a half and the car will be paid off.... That will help. In the mean time we are struggling to get by, but school is important to me. I want my kids to see me going to school. I want them to be proud of me when I graduate. What an example I will set for them. I missed the fafsae (sp?) deadline, so I can't even apply for a student loan this semester. I think I can cover it though. I will make payments or put it on the credit card if I have to. I am taking online classes and evening classes so I don't have to pay for daycare. It just isn't an option. There may be a few hours that my husband can't make it home on time, so I have arranged for a teenager to come to my house at a reduced rate and watch the kids for an hr or two on the days I do go to school so I don't have to miss class. I know it will be hard and Christmas may be a big bust this year..... School just has to be a big priority for me right now or I will regret it later. Come January I will be one of the first to fill out my fafsae so I can get my student loan. YAY! You should do it too. Good luck!
Chantel
Good Lord-No health insurance!!! Is there any way to get a medical card? Good for you for making school a priority. I wish you well.
Good Lord-No health insurance!!! Is there any way to get a medical card? Good for you for making school a priority. I wish you well.
Thanks. My husband is just above the cut off for us to get onto the Healthy Families program here in Calif. So for now we wing it. That is just one more reason I want to get into nursing. Good health benefits! We really need a cheaper house to live in, but if we moved into cheaper housing it would be in a dangerous neighborhood. We have too many kids to live in an apartment. My friend only has 2 kids and has been asked to leave because the neighbors complained of the noise. So with 4 kids, we have to pay more for a house in a decent school district and neighborhood, but their safety and education is important as well. You can't have everything.... I take advantage of the free well child check up's when I can and we do pay cash when one of them gets sick and needs to see a Dr. So they do see one when it is necessary. They just don't get the regular physical exams and stuff for now and we pray there is no major medical incidents until we can get insurance!!!
Thanks. My husband is just above the cut off for us to get onto the Healthy Families program here in Calif. So for now we wing it. That is just one more reason I want to get into nursing. Good health benefits! We really need a cheaper house to live in, but if we moved into cheaper housing it would be in a dangerous neighborhood. We have too many kids to live in an apartment. My friend only has 2 kids and has been asked to leave because the neighbors complained of the noise. So with 4 kids, we have to pay more for a house in a decent school district and neighborhood, but their safety and education is important as well. You can't have everything.... I take advantage of the free well child check up's when I can and we do pay cash when one of them gets sick and needs to see a Dr. So they do see one when it is necessary. They just don't get the regular physical exams and stuff for now and we pray there is no major medical incidents until we can get insurance!!!
Chantel
Wow...good luck to you!!! I can't believe you can't get a card...if your that close, maybe they should review it a little closer.
Specializes in Geriatrics, OB, Peds, and Med/Surg..
It is nice to hear that I am not alone in this! I have four children ages 8,5, and twins that are 4 yrs. old. I just graduated in june with two assoc. degrees and I am awaiting my nursing program which I will be starting in spring '08. I sometimes don't know how I made it this far but I would LIVE at Barnes and Noble near my home to study every day and night that I didn't have classes. My husband took care of the kids at night with dinner, baths, etc. so I could do what I had to do. I also keep telling myself that it is only temporary and will benefit the family tremendously when I am done! If any of you would like to talk or have insight to us moms going back to school, let me know! Take care everybody and GOOD LUCK!!!!
It is nice to hear that I am not alone in this! I have four children ages 8,5, and twins that are 4 yrs. old. I just graduated in june with two assoc. degrees and I am awaiting my nursing program which I will be starting in spring '08. I sometimes don't know how I made it this far but I would LIVE at Barnes and Noble near my home to study every day and night that I didn't have classes. My husband took care of the kids at night with dinner, baths, etc. so I could do what I had to do. I also keep telling myself that it is only temporary and will benefit the family tremendously when I am done! If any of you would like to talk or have insight to us moms going back to school, let me know! Take care everybody and GOOD LUCK!!!!
Believer4
Definitely-even just to vent. Or, when we have come up w/ new ways to "dove-tail." Sheesh, I sound like MY mother, dove-tail. Our library is right up the street so I could sneek in there. My kids will be going to daycare one day that I won't be in class so I have about 6 hours to study or get tutoring if needed-or heaven forbid-take a one hour breather. LOL-I don't think I am that lucky. My sister, who happens to be Director of Nursing Admissions for a College here in IL said she would be happy to come over on Sats to sit w/ my kids a few hours while I go to the library. Hubs works on Sats and my sister wants this for me more than I do. She LOVES nursing.
Chantels1
61 Posts
To the mom who needs help figuring out how to pay for it all - I can so relate. Since we had our 4th baby (a surprise), money has been pretty tight. We don't have health insurance, so if someone gets sick, we are in trouble. Another year and a half and the car will be paid off.... That will help. In the mean time we are struggling to get by, but school is important to me. I want my kids to see me going to school. I want them to be proud of me when I graduate. What an example I will set for them. I missed the fafsae (sp?) deadline, so I can't even apply for a student loan this semester. I think I can cover it though. I will make payments or put it on the credit card if I have to. I am taking online classes and evening classes so I don't have to pay for daycare. It just isn't an option. There may be a few hours that my husband can't make it home on time, so I have arranged for a teenager to come to my house at a reduced rate and watch the kids for an hr or two on the days I do go to school so I don't have to miss class. I know it will be hard and Christmas may be a big bust this year..... School just has to be a big priority for me right now or I will regret it later. Come January I will be one of the first to fill out my fafsae so I can get my student loan. YAY! You should do it too. Good luck!
Chantel