Nursing School and Child Care

[trae55]

For all the moms, how do you handle child care? I am a mom of three and was just accepted into nursing school for fall 2010. The schedule was just posted and it's a mess. Normally, it's a three day a week program, but the clinicals are split over two days next semester, so now it's four days a week. I have to be at the hospital at 6:30 am two days, which make finding daycare really hard. My mother-in-law said she would help out a couple of days a week, but showing up at her house at 6 am would probably be more than she could handle. Lecture is two days a week, but they are all at different times. That won't work for preschool since they start and end at the same time. They are also on set days, too (MWF or TuTh). I've been calling around and spending way too much time trying to work this out. Any suggestions?

[jrsmrs]

This is why I waited til my kids were older before going back to school. We have no family around and there is just no way I could have done it otherwise. Now my kids are older-9 and 14 and I'm in my 3rd year of university. I'm lucky that my husband's schedule is somewhat flexible. On mornings I have to leave early for clinical (2x/wk), he is able to be home to get the kids up and on their school buses. If I have a class that runs late, he will try to be home for our boy (our daughter is older, and in highschool so she gets home later than our son) if possible. If not, I will either pick him up from school and take him with me to class, or rarely, I will skip the class if need be.

Good luck!

[addiesmom]

It is a hard decision to make. I, too, am starting NS in the fall. My only choice was to enroll my daughter in daycare. She is two years old, and I have been lucky enough to spend those two years at home with her. It is going to be very expensive. I still don't know how I am going to pay for it. I have my schedule and there are going to be days when I have to leave the house so early that the daycare center is not open yet. My mother and my mother-in-law have both offered to help. My husband has to leave the house very early in the morning as well, so he is not of much help. His job will be to help take care of our princess in the evenings, when I must study. I also have supportive sister-in-laws that will always watch my daughter if need be.

One thing I learned is never turn away an offer for help, take the person up on it. See if any friends that you have(maybe stay at home moms) would be willing to help you out for a couple extra bucks a week.

Good luck to you!!

[LaughingRN]

Possibly another idea.....

I did a four year program, and in year three I had to move to another city because classes were only being held at the main campus (2 1/2 hours away from where I did the first 2 years). When I moved, I had no family and knew no one.

My son was 6 at the time and I couldn't afford the daycare center next to his school. I looked on our community website (probably similar to craigslist) and made sure that I was very thorough in who I contacted....asked questions, asked for references.... found a wonderful lady with reasonable rates. She not only walked him to school...she took him at 6 in the morning, and watched him until my evening classes were done.

ON top of that, (and maybe this would make your mother in law more comfortable), we came up with an arrangement where I was able to enter in the back door, and quietly tuck my son back into the waiting bed that she had ready for him, and then re-lock the door on the way out. Everyone was then able to sleep until a more decent time (and my son was so much happier!) I would get up up at 5, get ready, and 2 minutes before leaving the house, I would wrap him in a blanket and plunk him in the car. He always fell asleep immediately at the babysitters house...

Keep trying to find a way, try different things and don't give up.