SAHM's or other busy people - time management tips

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

Hi! I know this has been brought up before on AN, but all of the posts I could find are a few years old. I want to hear from anyone with time management tips for studying while being home with or caring for children. I suppose a lot of the time management tips would apply to people who work out of home, too. I think the hardest part for me is that I take my kids to and from school daily and attend and drive all of their afterschool activities as well as am home with my youngest kids during the day.

Some study tips I learned this semester:

1. McDonalds is a great place to bring my kids and study. Yes, it's noisy, but it helped me learn how to study under pressure in my classroom-where there is noise. My 4 year old will play all day in the play structure and I can get in several hours of study time. Plus McDonald's has wifi and free refills on coffee.

2. You will adapt to getting by on less sleep than usual and going to be later than usual.

3. Leaving the house to study helps me focus. But, I can bring my older kids with me and have bonding time. We also learn study habits from eachother by doing this.

4. Starbucks is a good place to study.

5. It's a good idea to meet up with friends who aren't studying the same thing as you but who are willing to meet you at Starbucks.

6. Too much coffee will mess up your tummy! I mean over 3 cups per day!

7. Learning speed reading and memorization techniques is helpful.

8. Buy a planner to organize your assignments and use it!

9. It's good to send your kid to his grandma's house at least 1 day per week to study- at least at the begining of the term when you're adjusting.

Future nurses and current nurses, I need more help than this! What works for you? I am trying to get very good grades at my local community college.

I only took 2 classes this term (Gen Chem and English) and want to take 3 eventually. Plus I'll probably earn B's and I need to earn A's. Help me please!

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Specializes in Clinical Partner and CNA.

I think this is great advice! All of it, although I'm not sure if I could do the mcdonalds thing. That takes some serious concentration, hats off to you!! I just finished pre-reqs and will be starting my nursing classes in the fall. I have a 5 yr old and an 18 month old and have been a SAHM for 4 years off and on. I can't wait to see what others have to add to this :)

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I had to find daycare that didn't cost an arm and a leg (no family nearby to help with babysitting). I wouldn't have been able to afford it. I was fortunate to find an hourly day care center. I only paid for the time that I used. It helped so much when I had class or I had to study for an exam. My husband has rotating days off so many times I took my son to daycare on the weekends so I could study.

I also carried a textbook with me every where I went. If I was waiting at a doctor's office, out came the book. Waiting for church to begin, waiting in line of cars to pick up my son from half-day kindergarten, etc.

I used my smartphone to schedule everything on my google calendar. I scheduled my tests, study times, kid's activities, etc. It made life so much more manageable.

I took 4 classes this past semester and managed to get A's in all of them.

Two of the classes were online. This was much easier on the schedule since I could study whenever I had the time.

I also would take Ambien once a week just to catch up on my sleep. Too much caffeine during the day would sometimes keep me up too late. It would turn into a vicious cycle.

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I took classes at night and studied at the library 2 mornings a week while my daughter was in preschool. I utilized lots of flashcards. My 9-year old even enjoyed calling them out to me. I like flashcards because I can take them anywhere and go through them while the kids are playing (at the park, for example). Some evenings I retire to my room early and my husband does most of the tucking in so I can have extra study time. I also have a good friend who is in school and we trade off babysitting so we can study. Sometimes we study at one of our houses while the kids play -then they are happy and we are getting some good study time. Good luck to you! It is a delicate balance.

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Specializes in no experience yet.

Good suggestions, keep them coming! Currently I only have nap time and bed time. Total only about 2 hours a day. I'm NOT a night person so I can't do super late. Plus I have an issue with just needing a break after not that long of a time so it's tough for me. I currently am going part time and pull A's but I haven't broken into the harder sciences yet. That starts next fall. I have 3 young ones, the oldest just finishing K.

Great thread!

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

Sounds like you've got a great start. I've been a SAHM for 7 yrs now and been taking nursing pre-reqs (or pre-reqs for pre-reqs) since fall 08. Another great thing is finding other moms who have kids and doing a swap.You can drop your kid off there for a couple hours to play and you can be home and study in peace. Then, when their child comes over to play, your kid is entertained and you'll just have to look up from your books now and then to make sure there is no bloodshed.

But also remember that you cant spend your whole day with your kid trying to study. I've found if I give my 4 yr old 30 min of undivided attention he will often play by himself for 15-20 min and I squeeze in a bit of studying. So we do that all day long.

I'm *thisclose* to have an A- in Microbiology and an A in English Lit along with keeping up with the house and teaching/raising/loving my babies.

We are supermoms!:anpom:

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Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

I am entering my final semester of nursing school, 7 kids, including an infant. Here are some tips that work for me.

Studying in public places is out, I can never concentrate, and I have to be extra vigilant with the kids. Caffeine is also out, it just gives me the jitters.

ALWAYS read in advance. Read as much as you can, as often as you can. Don't try to memorize, just read for comprehension. When you finish reading something, ask yourself what you just read. Go back to earlier chapters or textbooks if you have to, to refresh your memory. Don't just think about what you need to know for the upcoming test; what will you need to know for the future? Understanding the material will take you a lot farther than memorization.

If your kids want your attention, don't push them off. It will only make them more whiney and demanding and they will make sure you get nothing done that day. Give them attention FIRST: listen to them, feed them, play with them, read to them. When their needs are met it will be much easier for you to settle them with a quiet activity and then attend to your schoolwork.

Get the help you need, when you need it. I know you can't afford it. Neither can I. But the same way you need to pay for school, sometimes you need to pay for help in the house so you can get your schoolwork done. It's an investment. I do not hire help often, I try to manage most of the time, but when I need it I get it without feeling guilty.

Teach your kids to help in the house and clean up after themselves. This cannot be overemphasized. Not that you're turning them into your slaves or handing over YOUR responsibilities to them; you are just teaching them their own responsibilities. Kids can fold and put away their own laundry; they can help with meal preps, they can clean their own rooms, they can set and clear the table. My husband has a strict rule (I'm not as strict myself) that supper does not get served until the floor and table are perfectly clean.

Keep meals simple but nutritious. I believe in fresh, homecooked meals and do not rely on ready-made except in dire circumstances. But fresh and home-cooked doesn't need to take hours and hours. There are websites out there with oodles of simple, family friendly and healthy recipes. When I had school 5 days a week I used the crockpot a lot. I would prepare the meal the night before and put it on the fire in the morning. Now, of course, when I'm not in school, I have no energy to cook at night. But it's amazing what you find the energy to do when you have to.

Watch out with the internet and other time wasters. You may have to put strict limits on yourself so you don't fritter away precious time.

I always took practice tests with all the kids around; then when it came to the real testing situation I literally breezed through it. (No noise? No distractions? Wheeeeeeeeeeee.)

In nursing school you learn delegation and prioritization. That's how it works at home too. You quickly assess the situation in your mind, figure out what needs to get done first before you can attend to other things. Example: getting dinner on the stove or in the oven is a priority; then while it's cooking you can go on to other things. Holding a screaming baby can be delegated to an older child (10 and up) until your hands are free. Obviously anyone who is hurt or injured needs to be attended to first. Studying time is extremely important but you can fit it in chunks aroudn whatever else is going on--actually research in cognitive psychology has shown that it's more effective to study in short sessions throughout the day/week than in one long cram session.

It's great prep for nursing--I think SAHM's who are also in school give floor nurses a run for their money in terms of how many different things they need to attend to at once. ;)

If anyone wants further advice or support I'd be happy to be in touch via PM.

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Specializes in no experience yet.

That is SO helpful! I can't believe you do it with 7! Maybe I should stop complaining! lol. For real though, how do you kids not bug you even if they are say watching a movie or tv show in the same room that you are studying? I can't focus.

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I find it best to study in the a.m. when the older kids are in school. With only a little one or two around, it's easier. I give my little one toys and activities. I study while she is playing next to me. Also, I do homework right after class or that night, if I can. I try to leave a couple nights open--for hubby and the older kids so they don't feel left out.

I have a calendar, and I plan in advance. I understand that some things will not be perfect (state of my house). Sometimes, hubby makes dinner and cleans up. I also study after the kids are in bed, if I can. I run a couple of loads of laundry in between this, and generally clean up my kitchen, etc.

I studied for my Anatomy final a couple of weeks in advance. I keep up and as ahead as I can in class. I never know when something unexpected is going to occur (kid sick, sleepless night, etc.). I take my notes to my appointments, and I try to study while I am waiting. I take my digital recorder to class. I replay the lecture while I am doing errands, running carpool, doing laundry, etc. I find listening to the class again to be very helpful.

I think having good organizational skills are the most important thing. Also, I do not lose too much sleep studying. After several classes where I studied most of the night, since it was quieter, I found that I was spacing out during exams and not doing as well. Now, I organize my day differently, and I only review at night. At midnight or 1, I go to sleep. I feel a lot better the next day, and I do better in class.

I did a deal with myself that I wouldn't surf the net, or read other than school books (something I love to do) during the semester, unless I have a serious break. They are real time wasters. I try to not go out at night, because I think the whole family is sacrificing for my schooling, so I try to be with them as much as possible. Hope this helps.

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Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.
That is SO helpful! I can't believe you do it with 7! Maybe I should stop complaining! lol. For real though, how do you kids not bug you even if they are say watching a movie or tv show in the same room that you are studying? I can't focus.
Well, as I said earlier kids bug you less if you give them attention first rather than if you try to push them off. Right now as I'm sitting here my kids are playing with a ball (indoors, which we have a rule against, but that's a different story). Actually I try not to be on the computer from 4-8pm; that's family time.

My kids like to play on the computer. I sometimes put on videos for them to watch but I don't like relying on the electronic babysitter too much. They have toys, puzzles, games etc that keep them busy, and the older ones have homework. All the kids except the baby are in school/pre-school during the day so that's when I do my work and study. My husband usually is the one to put them to bed, so after 8 I am free to study as well.

Oh, and i happen to be very good at focusing on three things at once. ;) That's why I think I'll make a good floor nurse. Still trying to figure out a way to include that on a resume.

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Wow! Some of you are TRUE Superwomen!

What I've done: been a SAHM for @ 25 years, have 8 kids, (youngest is 7) and have A&PII left to take. I try to take night classes when I can, so I have a quiet house in which to study during the day when the kids are in school. (My supportive husband does dinner and holds down the fort when I'm in class.) I bought a small candy-bar sized voice recorder to record the lectures, which I listen to when I'm driving, doing laundry or grocery shopping (multi-tasking!) I'm more of a visual learner, but I realized I spend a lot of my time driving my kids here and there, so decided to make use of that sitting time and it has helped the info stick in my brain.

The tough times: when my youngest grabs onto me and says "I don't want you to be a nurse, I want you to be with me." :( She is spending less time w/ me because of the studying I must do, but I'm trying to strike a balance. (My kids have come first my entire life, and I don't want to short-change my youngest.)

That's all I have to add -- hard to find anything else that hasn't already been shared.

Good luck, everyone! :)

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"my kids have come first my entire life, and i don't want to short-change my youngest.)"

i've been home about 19 years, give or take a few months where i worked a little (when it didn't interfere too much with my kids). i worry that my youngest (turning 3) will be the one who suffers, and i have to remind myself of that. i didn't stay at home all this time to stint her of her mommy. if your priority truly is your children, you have to try work the other stuff into their schedule.

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