overwhelmed

[Easgaskins]

i am returning to school after a divorce. i am enrolled for my bsn and have begun the nursing program. i have 2 daughters. my six year old has been diagnosed with autism and i have a two year old. i am a single parent; their father is 4 hours away. i am having a difficult time with a babysitter willing to work around my school hours then having any time at all to get the assignments completed. i have therapy with my 6yr old 2x/wk. i am working one weekend a month to keep my job, but it doesn't bring in much income. child support is helpful with groceries and rent. i have been lucky that my family has kept hand-me-downs for my girls. i am overwhelmed with all that there is to do. any ideas of ways i can accomplish everything without having a breakdown?

[ashulee89]

This is certainly alot for one person to have on their plate. I dont have any kids, all I can really offer is to take things one day at a time. I work 6 days a week and often feel like I don't have enough time to study. I feel overwhelmed almost every single day. Ive found that when I start to think about the things I need to do and how hard everything is, thats when I start to approach the point of breakdown. So i take a step back, make a list of the things that need to get done, and jump into it. I find it easier to put those overwhelming thoughts to rest and just do what I need to do. Is there anyway that you could stay with family or have someone move in with you to help with the rent and expenses? Is there a possibility that maybe a family member could watch your kids even a couple of days out of the week so that could lessen the time you would need a babysitter? Your situation sounds extremely complicated, but its not impossible. Hang in there and keep doing your very best. Best of luck to you :)

[maccheese]

Try care.com to see if you can find a babysitter that can help. Also, see if anyone in your area is open to a nanny share. The main key to your success at this point is making sure you have childcare. You'll really need full time childcare so you can focus on lecture, clinical, practice, and some study during the day. Then you can come home spend a little time with the kids, get them in the bed, and do even more studying. Do you have too much income to apply for food stamps, wic, or local childcare assistance?

[ckh23, BSN, RN]

Check to see what kind of local resources are available to you. Some municipalities offer assistance with child care. I would also check to see if there are any additional resources available to you and your autistic child through public funds.

[fsh1986]

I think if you check with the Dept of Health, they should be able to refer you to child care agencies who charge less and you can get state assistance with sending them there.

[Easgaskins]

i am actually staying with my parents, but i pay for my mom to watch the kids for me when i am away, but she is going through her own problems with ptsd, depression, and backpain right now. i moved in with them because they said that they would help me as long as i go to school, but i am beginning to feel unappreciative and unappreciated. i know that if i move out, i will have more expenses that i can not manage, but i feel stuck in a bad situation. it makes me want to stop going to school.

[maccheese]

you mentioned keeping from having a breakdown. do you have insurance to access to some type of therapy. i highly recommend alternatives like meditation, hypnotherapy, and body mind/ also, this time in your life is only temporary. try to stay focus on how things should improve when you pass that nclex.

i am actually staying with my parents, but i pay for my mom to watch the kids for me when i am away, but she is going through her own problems with ptsd, depression, and backpain right now. i moved in with them because they said that they would help me as long as i go to school, but i am beginning to feel unappreciative and unappreciated. i know that if i move out, i will have more expenses that i can not manage, but i feel stuck in a bad situation. it makes me want to stop going to school.

[Easgaskins]

thank you. temporary is the key. things will improve. i just have a speedbump that i have to slow down for right now. sometimes when you make a list of all of the things that you have to accomplish, it becomes overwhelming. i don't have to do it all at once, or do it alone. others have accomplished the task i have chosen, i have to work on my management skills. my children are very important to me. i am going to school to make them proud of me and to be able to provide support for them as they age. i will check out some of these other resources to help me with my childcare issue. i have childcare offered through my school, but there are certain requirements such as potty training. my 2yr old is potty trained enough to tell me that she has to go, and stays dry, but she has not mastered taking her clothes down or using the toilet paper yet. thank you for your suggestions to help me down my path.