Who is working FT, going to school and has a family?

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Anyone want to form a little support group? If I have one more person tell me that I'm going to fail, can never manage it, am a horrible mom etc etc etc I may be seen on the news later tonight. :banghead:

I did have one women come up to me after orientation (where I was promptly flogged by the student panel and told I should either go part time or drop out :banghead: ) to tell me that while she doesn't have a family she did work 60 hours a week at a very non-flexible job and did just fine. So far though that is the only encouragment/support I have received outside of family.

So if anyone cares to share:

Name:

Job:

Family:

A little about your program:

Support System:

Name: Karla (26)

Job: I work FT M-F from 8:30-5:00 as an office manager. My job is fairly flexible meaning if I have to take off a bit early or run down to the school to grab something they're generally okay w/ it. They are also super understanding about sick kids.

Family: Dh Kevin (27) - also works FT and goes to school but mostly online & Peyton (boy) who is 4

Support System: We have a great support system in our family. My middle sister is our day care provider and takes Peyton to and from preschool (M-R 9-noon) as well. My parents are helping out as much as they can, even taking Peyton to swim for us if one of us runs over in work/school. Dh's mom and dad are also awesome about helping and our watching Peyton for a few hours ever Tuesday as that's the only day our schedule overlaps. My baby sister and SIL are also willing to help out w/ childcare any time we need them. Peyton himself is great about being supportive too! He knows that mommy is going to school to get a better job and he'll tell people that! ;)

*Edit* - Forgot to say that i'm in a nights/weekends program so I have class three nights a week and clinicals e/o weekend from 7-1:30 right now. They're pretty good about having time for us night people. The nursing skills lab is open until 9:00 during the week and the library is open until 7.

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Hi Karla...I'm here for you! There are plenty of others in my class at school that are parents and work and have kids, etc.

Here's my info:

Name: Melissa (31...almost 32)

Job: Work FT at a University in the computing department; they have been VERY flexible with me, even letting me adjust my normal 8:30am-5pm schedule to accommodate 3p-11p clinical last semester.

Family:DH - (41, almost 42), he works FT, 2 step-kids, I don't like to post the kids names online, but we have a boy and a girl - both in middle school. Both play sports and have extra-curricular activities which take up a lot of time.

Support System: Well, basically, it's just us. We have the kids bio-mom, but she is typically more of a hinderance than a help...not the most stable person. Between the two of us we manage to cover everything for the kids, keep everyone in the house in clean undies and feed the humans and pets. With out my DH this would never be happening for me. It can be done though.

My program: I'm attending a local community college and I am in the evening/weekend program. I have class 3 nights a week, plus an online component and clinicals. Right now my clinicals are on Sunday's 7a-3p. I'm in my second semester.

hang in there....there are a lot of working parents who go to school....you are not alone!!

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name: candace 24 yrs old :p

job: i work hospice 3 days a week right now & i keep my house clean. lol. my mother is a neat freak and if one thing is out of place or if there is any dust on the base boards- i hear it. so i am constantly cleaning. it is like another job. its one thing to clean and its another to clean constantly - ahhhhh.... its almost impossibe to be perfectly clean with 3 boys

family: i have 3 children - jake 6, zach 2 & elijah 1... since my father passed away i also take care of my mother.

a little about your program: graduated from the cna program in may... now i am starting lpn school - advanced course....

support system: my mom is my rock- she is a great support. and my best friend is also. however, i have a ton of negative people in my life who love to drag me down. even my best friend who is about to get her bsn rn sometimes makes backhanded comments to me. the pressure is on and i feel that my biggest support is god, and i hope that he gives me the strength to endure this upcoming year.

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I am so glad you started this thread! I could really use some support from someone in the same position as myself. I know that I CAN work FT, school FT and take care of my family but I'm having a hard time imagining the time away from my kids :(

Name: Jessica

Job: Air Force contracted medic on Labor and Delivery unit, I work 3-12 hr shifts a week.

Family: Dh Brad (26), Caleb (24 mo), Drew (4 mo). Dh does the same type as work as me and also goes to school 2 full days a week. He should graduate in the spring with a bach of biology and hopes to go to med school eventually.

A little about your program: FT ADN program including Pharm and Micro. My schedule is Mon 8-5, Tues 6:45am-9:00 pm, Thurs 8-5

Support System: Can't say I have much of a support system but I do have a great daycare provider and family nearby if need be. Dh is pretty supportive and helpful around the house but I definitely take on the blunt of the housework and child rearing.

So here is my situation. I LOVE my job- LOVE IT. I talked to them in May about working PT when I found out I got into the program and they said it wouldn't be a problem. School is a week away and they have not got a PT contract worked out for me since it is the end of the fiscal year and they can't hire anyone. I want to stay at my job for 3 reasons (actually I have 10 but I'll spare you ;) ) 1. I love it 2. I need some supplemental income 3. I want to have my foot in the door when I graduate... but I am so worried about being away from my kids! I'll be out of the house 6 full days a week, and I'm the type of person who needs to study a lot. Anyway, Dh and I get the gi bill and combined it covers my income but there won't be much left over, so for now I have to tough it out. I'm going to try to work at least through the first month or two, hopefully they work it out so I can work PT, but either way I think it's going to be exhausting :)

Anyway, I'm here for you and feel for you. I think we will do great!

ETA: What are some ways you guys are getting organized? School starts for me on the 31st so over the past week I've hauled out my house. I've cleaned out the closets, garage and kitchen, it's like I'm nesting all over again :) I NEED organization in my life!

I've also collected a bunch of super easy recipes to have on hand for quick dinners. It is easier cooking at home than it is to lug two kids under two into a restaurant to pick up takeout, and cheaper too! Lots of crockpot and cold meals.

Our classes released the syllabus a week ago so I've been trying to read ahead. I have gotten through Ch 1-6 in pharm which is what my first exam is on Sept 21st. I'm really glad I've gotten that far in just a few days but I'm dreading that Potter and Perry book- it is sooo dry! And there is a ton of writing on just one page, I just know I'm going to have a love-hate relationship with that book!

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Honestly, Organization is the key. I would never say that my house is spotless (I've had to learn to look the other way for some things), but it's neat. What is very organized (or structured) are the things that are necessary to survive each semester.

Meals: each night before bed I get things ready for the next day. I pre-plan meals, pack lunches, set out the necessities for breakfast the next morning and for dinner, if I need to do a lot of cutting or anything, I do it the night before, put the ingredients in tupperware containers and then I can just throw it together at dinner time (or DH can throw it together if I am at class). The crockpot is also a GREAT tool...especially when I can't be home.

Laundry: hmmm....well, this would be the bain of my existence. Has anyone ever noticed how it seems to multiply over night?? Anyway, I get up each morning, put a load in the washer, go about getting ready, then put that in the dryer and another load in the washer. In the evening, I repeat. I do 3-4 loads per day on a good day and 1-2 per day on a bad day. The nice things about laundry is I can do it while I study...put a load in, read a chapter.

School: for myself and the kids, its all about routine. I established a routine for the kids of walking in the door after school, changing their clothes and sitting down to start homework. They've been doing it a long time and now they just do it by habit. They leave everything they've finished out for myself or DH to look over. Bookbags go next to the front door and lunchboxes are left on the counter in the kitchen to be repacked for the next day.

My days are VERY scheduled. Get up the same time, certain times set aside for each thing that needs to be accomplished. I actually have everything written out on a calendar which is posted in the kitchen. It has my schedule for work & school, the kids school schedule and activity schedule and DH's schedule. This would be my Type A personality coming out.

Everyone has to find what works best for them and some of it is trial and error. Hang in there - it can be done!

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here are my tips:

you can pre-make pb&j sandwiches and freeze them- its awesome! pull it out and serve frozen to older kids or let it sit out for 15 mins - then it is ready to go!

ultimate clean up tool - get a box!!!!! i started this when i was 9 mo. pregnant and couldnt bend over.... take the box and go in your main rooms and put everything in it that is out of place.... trash, toys, ink pens that go in your room, your purse, etc.... whatever needs to be picked up. then divide it into rooms and do a quit marathon run to put the stuff away. this is great for cleaning - believe it or not it is fast! and if you are in a big hurry you can just leave the box in your room and work on it later. :yeah:

i have my kids help me clean the house - we play bomb squad. ok here is what i do - i grab the trash can and my 6 yr old.... and sometimes his friends - if i am babysitting.... i use my best military sergant voice to tell my bomb squaders that there are bombs all over the room - and they are disguised as trash. and they must grab them and throw them in my bomb trash can! so while they are playing - i am yelling any and every encouragement their way military style. my favorite is "commander jacob - your arm is going to blow up! move it move it!!!!" be creative. my kids love this game!!! and you are actually playing with them.... this also works with laundry & toys. lol :D

as for laundry to cut down, you can hang your used towels over the rod and resuse them the next day. or if you have huge loads of laundry - you can put some of the towels in a box in the garage and just use a smaller supply. i found it was easier to wash and put away smaller loads of towels more often... then to do huge loads of towels once a week. it makes the put away go by faster.

but most importantly - in our situtions we cannot be in 3 places at once - we cannot study, be a mom and clean at the same time. something has to give. plan out what will fall behind a little and dont feel guilty.

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Well Candace, in that case, the laundry WILL fall behind, and I WON'T feel guilty ;) Your bomb squad game sounds great!! And I do something very similiar as you do with your 'box'. My husband always wonders how I clean so fast and I just think to myself how it's all upstairs in the closet :) And I never even thought about freezing PB&J!

Do any of you have any easy recipes you would like to share?

Probably the easiest thing I cook is Salmon with veggies and rice. Just sprinkle some cajun seasoning on the fish and throw it on the grill. Steamfresh veggies in the microwave for 5 min and jasmine rice in the rice cooker... voila!

Also, bbq chicken sandwiches. Chicken breast in the crockpot with a bottle BBQ sauce. When done shred with a fork and serve on buns.

I've also heard salsa chicken is good but never cooked it. Chicken breast with a bottle of salsa in the crockpot, served on tortillas.

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Quick Lunch stuff I prepare

Tuna Melts or Regular tuna sandwiches with lettuce and tomato

Grilled Cheese sandwiches - with velveta (you can add some deli ham to it too)

Peanut Butter and sliced banana sandwich - kids love it!

Avacodo sandwich

Yogurt parfaits- buy some vanilla yogurt, fresh strawberries, and other fruit - (kiwi or blue berries, etc) just dump it all in

Fruit and Cheese Kebabs- buy some presclide cheese cubes... buy some skewars -(they have them at dollar stores here) and buy some fresh fruit - like strawberry, grapes, bananas, pear slices, peaches, oranges etc)

On lazy nights

I go buy some tyson frozen chicken patties, hamburger buns, and sliced cheese. I bake the chicken patties, toast the buns and throw the cheese on top with some mayo on the bun and ketchup on the side. SUPER EASY - not an every day meal - but great when for finals week. LOL.

I also love home made mac and cheese... I figure if you are going to make mac and cheese with high calories- might as well make it from scratch and it is just as easy

Boil elbow noodles

Add slices of sharp cheddar cheese (you can also add in provolone or a little swiss or whatever)

Mix with some milk and butter

It is great! If you dont have time to chop up a cheese block you can buy grated- but I think the throwing the chunks of cheese in there makes it better. LOL.

THE KIDS LOVE IT!

I think the easiest meal I throw together is

steak (on the grill)

baked yam (cooked just like a baked potatoe, then slice it open add some butter and drizzle with honey)

baked potato

and some sliced french bread

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Great thread!

Here's my info

Name: Jo

Job: Administrative support. I figure I have been at this job 17 years. I have been loyal to a fault and invisible as "just the secretary." My job is so dead-end. There is NO PLACE for me to go. So I want to go to NS and become "just a nurse." I can do that for another 17-20 years, right? God willing I can.

Family/support system: husband, 3 beautiful and intelligent and wonderful daughters, and my mom who lives very close nearby (within a mile. She retired at the beginning of the year and is always avail to pick up the girls, take them here or there, or just get them out of the house for a while so I can study, or nap!)

My two oldest are in high school and my youngest is in elementary.

A little about your program: I start September 8! Orientation is next Wednesday! I'm getting excited now.

I'm going to ITT Tech. The prereqs are rolled into the program. I'll be in the first class in Michigan and feel so honored to be in the initial class. I don't mind being a guinea pig. I have a feeling they are going to do everything they can to make sure we pass. Otherwise, it will look bad on them, don't you think? :p

I loved the suggestion of making a game out of cleaning with the kids. I use my crockpot alot when I'm in school.

My kids are old enough to do some things for themselves and they all have a job/chore to handle. They can do laundry, although they don't always dry things right away or take things out of the dryer. Don't let naysayers get you down! They are probably just envious they can't go to NS! It can be done. We won't be the only ones who have ever gone down this trail. Many others before us have raised kids, kept house, satisfied their spouse (or not), and gone to NS! After us, the same gig. Many more will pull it off too! I'll be checking this thread regularly!

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OOOO this is grrrrreat as tony the tiger would say

Name: Tiffany (29)

Job: I just started working at a hospital as a Nurse Tech in the Float Pool, which I love because I get to work in all areas of the hospital. They are really flexible and let me set my own schedule. I work 12 hour shifts.

Family: DH (25) and a 7 month old baby girl

A little about your program: I am in the BSN program at the University of Texas at Arlington. I am in my 3rd semester (I can see the light at the end of the tunnel). This semester I am in school/clinical 4 days a week.

Support System: My husband works as a waiter right now while I go to school. When I finish, it will be his turn. He stays home with the baby while I am at work/school and he works when I am home, so we hardly get to see each other during school. His parents and my mom are great with watching the baby when I need to get some studying done.

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Specializes in Correctional Nursing, Orthopediacs.

Well I am playing single mother of 3 children 9,6,4 they all go to school at least part time. My mom picks up 4 yr. old and watches him in the afternoon. My eldest two go to full time school. I am responsible for all things at home Hubby has been transferred out of state and I am about to graduate. I have done this before when he trained for a new job. Not fun but doable. You need to decide what you can do and leave the rest. I can feed my kids keep my kitchen clean and try to keep the rest of the house mostly clean. The house has become my job that does not get done.

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Name: David

Job: Receptionist at Hospital, work 40 hrs a week

Family: Just me, live on my own but I help my mom out with her expenses.

A little about your program: I just started the ADN program at my school. After 2 weeks we've had 2 quizzes and I've barely passed them with 80% (75% is passing)

Support System: Nothing really, I'm kind of on my own when it comes to most things......

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