One year old while in school

WookieeRN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 27, 2015

You just have to schedule your time. My mom did it with a 9mo old, a 3yo, and managed a household too. Get a 24/7 calendar and manage your time wisely.

RookieRoo · Mar 28, 2015

I have a two year old. He was one when I started last year.

It has been hard but doable. The hardest part at times has been daycare! Those times when your kid is sick and your spouse can't leave work, or daycare is closed for a holiday your school doesn't recognize... it's hard. Get backup babysitters, and lots of 'em. But if I can do it, in an accelerated program, with two kids at home and a baby one the way... you certainly can!

AspiringNurseMW · Mar 28, 2015

I have a two year old. He was one when I started last year.
It has been hard but doable. The hardest part at times has been daycare! Those times when your kid is sick and your spouse can't leave work, or daycare is closed for a holiday your school doesn't recognize... it's hard. Get backup babysitters, and lots of 'em. But if I can do it, in an accelerated program, with two kids at home and a baby one the way... you certainly can!

That's what I'm deathly afraid if right now. This past week I had to miss class because BOTH my kids, 4 and 16 months, caught a GI bug, my husband is the primary income earner, and neither of us have family nearby. I start in August, I need to get on that babysitting backup quick!

RookieRoo · Mar 28, 2015

That's what I'm deathly afraid if right now. This past week I had to miss class because BOTH my kids, 4 and 16 months, caught a GI bug, my husband is the primary income earner, and neither of us have family nearby. I start in August, I need to get on that babysitting backup quick!

This is my situation to a Tee. We have no family or even close friends nearby. Classmates have saved my life a time or two when I've had clinicals and they haven't. Otherwise, it's been one big juggling act and praying no one gets sick at the wrong moment!

BeachsideRN, ASN · Mar 28, 2015

I have a 22 month old and several of my classmates have children ranging from 3 months to teenagers. I currently have A's in pharm and nursing class and I am excelling in clinical. You need a solid support system, help with childcare and PATIENCE - lots and lots of patience. You will get creative with your study and sleep schedule. But it can be done. And yes, classmates can be an invaluable resource in a pinch for emergency babysitting!

BeachsideRN, ASN · Mar 28, 2015

Also, in my program, there is some built in "sick time". Granted you don't want to use it but the faculty realizes that we are human and S#!+ happens. We are allowed to miss 12 hours of clinical without penalty in the event that we are sick or there is some other emergency situation.

AspiringNurseMW · Mar 28, 2015

Hopefully, I schedule classes in 2 weeks, I'll be able to schedule clinicals for Thursdays and Fridays, days that my husband has off from work. However he works night shift which means he is sleeping on Thursday. How strict is nursing school in general in regards to lecture and lab attendance?

JTmom915 · Mar 28, 2015

Wow, thanks for all these responses. I really am feeling very encouraged and like I can do this now with some caredul planning! Thank you. :-)

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Mar 28, 2015

I waited until my son was in first grade to start school. I'm a single mom and I really have to plan everything. I scheduled my prereqs for times when he was in school. I had a good friend who helps out and so does my ex-husband. Sometimes he has snow days or a 2 hour delay. Our fall and spring breaks never match up.

Nursing school is very strict on attendance. So I have lots of people to help out and I organize my time very carefully. I have no family out here but have great friends. My son is in the middle of his 2 week spring break right now and I have classes and clinical rotations. I make calendars and make sure I do not miss anything each week. It's hard but your biggest thing is to stay organized at all times and plan for the unexpected.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Mar 28, 2015

I started graduate school with a six-week-old. My savior was a surrogate grandma I found at the neighborhood senior center-- she loved my baby because they had the same birthday. :)

Kiddo started daycare at age 8 months and did fine with it; #2 started at 4 months. The sooner you get them in, the sooner they get all their antibodies ramped up, and then they're never sick again. Mine had permanent gross green snotnoses for about three years, but then other than chickenpox they never missed a day for anything. It's really OK for kids to get sick with those sorts of things you can't immunize for. You can't immunize for colds and the odd barf day. Annoying but not fatal, and a good daycare knows how to manage them too.

Sizzline · Mar 28, 2015

Hopefully, I schedule classes in 2 weeks, I'll be able to schedule clinicals for Thursdays and Fridays, days that my husband has off from work. However he works night shift which means he is sleeping on Thursday. How strict is nursing school in general in regards to lecture and lab attendance?

It is very strict. More than two absences is an automatic fail, and two tardies equals one absence. For lab and clinical, if you do miss it, you not only have to make up the class, you are also requred to do a rather lengthy project in addition.

I have a 2 year old and a 5 year old; I've been in prereqs since my younger daughter was 6 months. I'm in my first semester of clinicals now. It's hard, but definitely doable. I have a big 2-month wall calendar up in the kitchen that I write in my "big things:" tests, skills evaluations, oral presentations, etc. That way, we all know when I am going to really need to be focusing on school (the week beforehand, etc). My husband has had to step up big-time with helping around the house. He doesn't love it, but I just don't have the time to do as much as I did anymore, so it's not an option. I have a calendar that comes with me everywhere, and I write in all of my assignments and all of our social obligations, so I know not to promise to be somewhere on a weekend when I have a test the following Monday. I have had to say "no" to family parties, etc, but it's only for a few years, so it doesn't bother me too much. When my little one naps, I study. I study at night once she is asleep as well, and often am up way later than I would prefer, but it's very had to get it done when she is awake. You can definitely do it. It just requires great time management, commitment, and accepting that life will be different until you graduate.