Taking pre-reqs and having two toddlers

Hello!

I am hopefully start A&P this Jan. however, I wanted to know if any of you who have a small children, 4 & 2 yr olds how you managed your time? My goal is to get good grades prior to entering nursing school and I am nervous that I will not do well. My husband does give me support but sometimes the kids just want to hang around me. Any words of encouragement will help! Thxs!

I would say that if this is important to you, then you have to make it known to your family. When I need to study, I go into my room and tell everyone unless it's an emergency, please do not knock on this door, and during my study time my husband will pretty much make sure he takes care of what needs to be taken care of. If they dsnt work then I would recommend taking advantage of your school or neighborhood library.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

Hello!

I am hopefully start A&P this Jan. however, I wanted to know if any of you who have a small children, 4 & 2 yr olds how you managed your time? My goal is to get good grades prior to entering nursing school and I am nervous that I will not do well. My husband does give me support but sometimes the kids just want to hang around me. Any words of encouragement will help! Thxs!

Hello, I too have 3 children and hubby, when I started my youngest was 1 yr old.. I spent quite a few nights up late with a&p 1&2, also library time was crucial for me. Less distractions. When you are a wife and mother there are simply some things you cannot avoid if you're in the house. So make time for the library at least 2-3 times a week. my hubby is very supportive, and was able to take off work to allow me some late nights in the library for microbiology studying. Anat&physi lab required a lot of time in the tutorial lab for me, as it has a lot of memorization and our tutorial lab had models for us to practice on for our practicals. Needles to say what I did worked for me I received A's in both a&p 1&2 , and a B in micro. Good luck!

I started pre-reqs when my little ones were 2,3,4. My husband works a lot so I had little if any help with the kids. I tried to take any of my non-science classes online, I love online classes and if your at home you do not need to find or pay for childcare. The other thing that I did was take all of my major sciences on Saturdays (usually from 9:00-2:00), this way I only had to go to campus one day a week. It's a ton of info all at once and you have to make sure you stay on top of it but it is still more convenient than having to juggle childcare for the kids 2 or 3 times a week. Learn how to make the most of your study time which will probably after the kids go to sleep. One of my favorite things that anyone ever wrote on this site was that you do not get a free toaster for finishing your pre-reqs first. Start off with 2 classes and make sure you get A's, if you feel that you can take more bump it up. The last thing you want to do is let your family or school life suffer and if your not balanced it will.

On a side note, if you get all of your pre-reqs and co-reqs done before you apply to NS you will only have to take your core nursing classes once you start the program.

I did all my prerequisites when my kids were 2 and 4. We had a mandatory 2 hour quiet/nap time in the afternoon, which I used to get housework done or a nap for myself (or school assignments/studying if it was urgent) and I did my best studying after they went to bed...sometimes into the wee hours of the morning. If I had something really urgent to do, I'd plug the kids in front of a movie...not my best parenting but I saved that strategy for emergencies.

My biggest frustration was feeling like my kids needing my attention was getting in the way of my studying. I still want to be able to enjoy their childhood with them and have them feel like I was really present when I was with them. So I always do at least one activity (a craft, a game, playing make-believe, a walk, bike rides, etc.) a day and always sit down with them at eat lunch and try not to be distracted by my overwhelming "to do" list. Unfortunately school often takes priority because there is always some test or assignment due, but I want my kids to always feel like they are the #1 priority.

Our A & P class required a lot of lab time outside of class hours which worked out well because I got a lot of good studying done in the lab. I tried to get out of the house as much as possible to study since if I was home, I felt there was too much else to do (laundry, dishes, etc.), plus, somebody was always needing my help with something.

Make use of online resources such as You Tube videos to study the anatomy models and dissections.

Get as many people on board for support as you can...you may need a last minute babysitter when you realize there is a test that you aren't ready for, or a child is sick and you have an assignment due! I bet there are other moms in your class...get together for a study session and the kids can entertain each other, or trade babysitting.

I was terrified about how this was all going to work out, but we managed and my kids are no worse for the wear, and are happy and well adjusted. Don't expect perfection, stay organized and work ahead in case somebody gets sick or some other unforeseen disaster strikes. And don't nag your husband too much (save it for the important stuff!) His standards of what the kids eat for dinner and what a clean kitchen looks like are probably less than yours but as long as he's being supportive and trying, cut him as much slack as you can and try to have a date night every now and then. It's easy to let that relationship take last place but a marriage needs maintenance too. And he's the one who will step up to the plate when you have a final exam you're not ready for and both kids are sick.

Good luck, you can do this!!!

I don't have any kids yet, but my biggest recommendation is to try to do as much work/studying as you can at the library. Having a space away from all the distractions is best. My brother works at home once a week and even with a family member with my niece she is always trying to see daddy. And when her mommy is off work and home she doesn't want to leave her alone for one second haha (she is 15 months old). Good luck!

It's totally doable. I started prereqs with a 9 month old while working full time, was pregnant during my final prereq (still working full time), and applied for school with a 3-year-old and an infant. I just finished my first semester of nursing school with a 4.0, a 4-year-old, and a 1-year-old. It's certainly more difficult than doing nursing school without children, but it's absolutely possible. Plus, you know you'll be a pro at prioritizing and multi-tasking. Good luck! You can do it.

Thank you all for the encouragement!!!! I'm glad for this website and support I am getting! I needed to hear from people who are in my smiliar situation. Thanks again!!! I feel more excited now! :-)