Starting clinicals next week

[icreated3]

I am about to start my first semester of RN clinicals next week, and I am hoping maybe I can get some organization advice from those who have already been thru this. I am a mom to 3 kids...2 teens, 1 pre-teen. They can be very demanding sometimes, but also helpful at other times. I will be in school during the day while they are in school, and my husband works nights. I will be working Friday and/ or Sat. Nights as an ER tech. My biggest concern is getting everything organized with the house/ kids so that every afternoon and evening isn't complete chaos with their homework, my homework, dinner, activities, etc.Does anyone have ideas to offer? I would greatly appreciate any advice.Thank you.

[missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN]

If you have the time, make dinners you can freeze or easy to heat up dinners. I'll make lasagna in 9x9 pans, use one tray for dinner, freeze one tray. Buy hamburger meat and preform patties with wax paper, put in freezer. Then they can pull it out to heat it up. Search for crockpot recipes that you can make in the morning and they will be ready in the evening.

Otherwise, talk to your significant other about taking over duties like homework. Give your children chores, and while studying start a load of laundry. When it's time to switch it to the dryer or fold, you'll be ready for the five minute break. If my laundry is all caught up, I'll take a 10 minute break after studying for an hour to clean one room in the house. That way everything stays caught up and I get a break.

Hope that helps! Best of luck to you!

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

I found it helpful to WRITE DOWN a schedule and place it in a place suitable for viewing by everyone concerned (assuming kids are old enough to read). For one thing, your schedule may change. For another, hubby and others know when you are not available. Also shows their schedules, indicating their time is as important as yours. Allows kids input (again, depends on age). I also created a 30 day menu. Helped me buy wisely and not forget things and not have to worry about what is for supper. Could always change if needed.

[smf0903]

I have a huge dry erase calendar that I use for schedules and important stuff. I have one daughter and am mostly gone in the evenings, so hubby gets homework duty LoL. I have a weekly chart on the fridge for her chores with things she is to do daily. Also we make up a monthly dinner schedule...it helps both with planning and with grocery shopping. I can prep for the entire week on one of my days off, stick the stuff in the fridge or freezer and we're ready to rock and roll :) I do a load of laundry every day, just so that I'm not spending one of my days off doing a Mount Rainier-size pile of laundry (how do three people dirty so much stuff?!). Breakfasts are simple but lunches I have prepped in the fridge as well so we can just reach in and grab a couple of containers. The key is to keep up, I find if I let stuff go it quickly gets to a point where I don't even know where to start. Good luck to you! :)

[icreated3]

Thank you to all 3 of you for your suggestions! I will definitely make some meals up ahead of time to freeze, and I love using the crock pot! You all have great ideas. I really like the idea of the dry erase board too, that way my kids can leave notes for me as well. Thanks so much!