How do you mix going to school and taking care of kids altogether?

Jessica - posted on 02/07/2010

First off hang in there!! I also take online classes and I LOVE them. I was on campus my freshmen-sphomore year. Then events happen that made it where i had to move back home but i still wanted to attend the same university and get my degree from them. Thats when i learned about the joy & hard work of taking online classes. With online classes you dont have a teacher or other classmates there to phsyical help you and motivate you. So it is harder you have to push and motivate yourself. With my online classes I have about a week to do every assingment which is great for me. Since i also work 2 jobs. I now have a 3 month old daughter. I had been taking online classes for about a year and a half before I had her. I already had a system down it just had to be tweeked. I write EVERYTHING down in my planner so that way i dont forget when homework is due or when my daughter has a doctors appointment or when i work for that matter. I am lucky that when my daughter sleeps she sleeps for about 3 hours and she has almost always been sleeping thru the night. Those are the times i use to study & get homework done.

I agree with Jennifer. Go slow. start of taking a few classes at a time so that u dont get overwhelmed with school or being a mommy! College is not like high school you dont have a set amount of time you are suppose to finish and its not a race so go at your own pace. Online classes arent for everybody either. I know that there are plenty of schools that have daycares right on campus! which could be a great way for you to go to school and at the same time have a litlle break. Most of all just dont give up I promise you'll get thru it

Good Luck!!

Jennifer - posted on 02/04/2010

I started school at a community college with a 1 year old and a 3 year old. I completed my AA then took some additional time off to stay home with our newborn. I am back at a 4 year university, and am one year away from a double degree. And I'm thinking about continuing on to graduate school.

My advice would be to start slow! Don't overload your first couple of quarters. It's OK for it to take longer so you can do it successfully. My planner is my best friend. Find a really good one that makes sense to you. Write everything in it! I used to use one color pen for school stuff, and a different color for family stuff. If it's all in one place you can't forget anything that might conflict.

I tried to have a schedule for homework, (everyday at 2pm or something). I found it just didn't work for us. With four kids, someone always needed something. I used a timer. If I sat down for homework, I set the timer and everyone knew that until it rang, no bugging mom. Exceptions were blood and fire :) It took a while for them to get it, but you keep up your end by promising to take a break and check in when the timer rings.

School is the most rewarding gift you can give yourself. Don't give up. It's hard, but really worth it in the long run.

Lilly - posted on 02/03/2010

I took some online classes days after I had both of my sons. I arrived home from the hospital both times, and had to get back to work. Multitasking really has helped me, as well as setting a routine for my boys. Around 8 am both boys get up so I get the highchair ready for my oldest son and have the food ready, then I go get him out of bed change him and put him the chair to eat. I turn on the TV and put a Your Baby Can Read Video on. Then I make a bottle and get the newborn change him and feed him. While I feed him I adjust him so that I can feed him at the same time as I am working on my assignments on the laptop. I get about an hours worth of work done, by having them both changed, feed, and occupied. Then I get both of their things ready for a bath and take both of them a bath oldest first, because the newborn has usually fallen asleep for a short while after eating. After that I let my 18 month old roam freely to play around (everything is childproofed so I don't have to worry) the apartment, and lay the newborn down to watch. At this time I get some cleaning done, and by the time I finish cleaning it is nap time for the oldest. I lay him down in the crib with a beverage and feed the newborn again. Once they are both calm I get about another three hours of work done. I also have my time and depending on how much homework I have I workout and of course bath and get ready when they are both napping. When the oldest wakes up, I do the feeding process all over again and get about another hour of work done. I let him loose and get about another hour of work done before I make dinner. By the time by husband gets home my kids are bathed, changed, and feed, as well as a clean home with dinner ready. Then I have about two hours of family time, before I get back to work. All in all I can get about eight hours of homework done in a day as well as taking care of kids. It's all about time management, but I think it would be different if I had more than the two that I have. I've been in school the whole time, through pregnancy and post pregnancy, my boys are 18 months old and four months old and the routine has never failed me. If I have to go somewhere and run errands I get up around five or six to get started, but I only get about 4 or 5 hours of homework done. People think that I'm crazy to get up that early or to not go to too many places, because I focus on school and family, but I have to do what I have to do, because I plan on making a lot of money one day. I just went back to on ground classes and my schedule still works wonders. Hope this helps...

-Lilly

JoAnn - posted on 02/02/2010

Stephanie, first, keep up the good work! There's nothing harder than focusing on school work when you'd rather be spending it with your kids or sleeping. I was in the same situation. I had an in-home daycare to tend to during the day, my husband was always working out of town, and I had no family who could help. I had to do my reading during the kids quite time, and all my homework and tests in the evening, after my son fell asleep. I remember several sleepless nights that ended in tears. It was just pure determination, to be able to provide my family with a better future, that got me through it. The best advice I can pass on to you is to have a schedule and make sure you schedule real active activities that will help wear out the kids so they'll be ready to go to sleep early in the evening. Also, use the weekends, days, or nights that your partner isn't working to get ahead. On Sundays my husband would take my son to church, so I could have a couple of hours to write my papers, then I would cook meals for the whole week. Which saved me an hour or two every evening, where I could study instead of having to prep, wash, or cook. Good luck, you're obviously a strong woman to have done it for this long. Keep it up, I promise it is such a rewarding feeling to finally hold that degree in your hand!
~Jo

Latisha - posted on 02/02/2010

I'm also in school to, I have 2 online and 2 on campus. Its hard but I really enjoy the challenge. I will be graduating in May and I'm so proud of myself. Believe me, if I did it, anyone can. I have the hardest time concentrating, because i would rather spend my time with my family then stick my head in the books. But furthering my education will help the fam. in the long run. My husband and I have to take turns because he's also in school full time, but somehow I have the ability to watch my son and get a lot of reading done. I'm also like Dawn, I tend to work even better at night whenever he sleeps. Or I get up early before anyone else gets up, I really enjoy the early mornings better than the nights because I'm refreshed and I have enough energy to get a lot done. I'm more motivated in the morning because I know that he will be up soon, so it pushes me to get a lot accomplished.

Dawn - posted on 01/29/2010

I am in the same boat you are in. I have to tell you that we do have to multi-task even more now. I have found that doing a bunch of the homework and so forth at night when my son is asleep really helps. It also helps when you get someone to help you out. For example, my fiance helps take care of our son while I do some of my school stuff.

Also, I agree with Kat, have a schedule. It not only helps you, but your kids will be happier for it. I know that even though my son is only 7, almost 8 months, he knows the routine for bed time. We are still working on the routine for nap time.

How many on-line classes are you taking? How long are your classes? Like the school I use, our classes are 10 weeks long and I take only 2 classes at a time. That helps out a bunch! The classes are not so rushed you spend all your time cramming and with only 2 classes I can concentrate easier.

I hope this helps you out.

Valerie - posted on 01/28/2010

Well, having online classes does make it a little harder. I have done both online and physically going to class. You should try a different technique. Wear a certain hat or shirt, or something that will stand out to your kids to let them know something. Be consistent. For instance say you wear a red cap. Sit them down show them the hat, put it on model it. Explain to the children that when you are wearing this, that you are doing homework and need them to be on their absolute best behavior, have quiet contests, pop a movie in, give it a 2 hr time frame. That way when your children see the hat, they know that it is time for mommy to work. A consistent schedule routine needs to be implemented as well. So the same time of everyday, they know mommy has to work.

Kayliecia - posted on 01/26/2010

Stephanie you can do this! my son is 4 months and i have a 3 year old! i go to class and my husband watches the kids the days i dont go to class i watch the kids while he goes to class..i only have a schedule for night time like 5-6 we eat, by 7-8 my kids are in bed..you can put them on a schedule even if the babies nursing, have you tried baby cereal for your baby yet? She may be a tough one but you kinda lay the line down, my kids just go to bed when i put them in bed you know?? i dont do a whole full blown out schedule just a little one for night, try and soothe her such as rock and give her a bath, and feed her before bed. good luck i hope this helps!.

Stephanie - posted on 01/26/2010

Thanks, Kayliecia. My daughter won't fall asleep until midnight, though... She's a tough one. She won't even take a nap.... I try to do my assignments between my son's naps.

Stephanie - posted on 01/26/2010

Britni, I'm sorry what you're having to go through. I don't know the pain and loneliness that you've had to go through with your husband being away. Basically, what I just try to focus on everyday is "I can do it." The main problem is that it's hard to get the energy and balance everything out. My kids come first...but so does my energy to take care of them... It sucks not having family or friends to help me out.... :(

Stephanie - posted on 01/26/2010

Kat, this is a really good idea. I've thought about starting a schedule but then I remembered that my son is only 5 months old and I'm still nursing him. My boyfriend/husband is at work for the most part and I have no family here to help me watch the kids. I don't have an income to even hire a baby sitter so it's been real hard for me ever since I started school in 2007. I can't believe I'm still surviving but it just feels like, lately, I've been falling apart because of the lack of sleep that my son has influenced on me. T_T But, I will look into the schedule idea. The hardest part will be to stick to it... I just need more sleep so that I can have my energy throughout the day.

Britni - posted on 01/26/2010

hey my name is Britni and I just had a 4 month old, and I start school soon but not online, I honestly dont even know how im going to do that and have a baby sitter as well, my husband is in the navy and he pretty much wont be home from now until march 16th and then leaves in may for 2 and half months, and its crazy already its like being a single mom very hard, SO i thought going to classs will kind of be a little break and just do ur work at school if u can.. thats my plan, hopfully it works out for u.. good luck

Kayliecia - posted on 01/26/2010

I find time after my kids go to bed to do my work..also Kat is right make a schedule. You can do it.

Kat - posted on 01/26/2010

It's not easy, but it can be done! The best thing for me is sticking to a schedule. We do the same things at the same times every day. After about 2 weeks of me trying to get my kids to listen to the "rules" about when they could have/do stuff, they mellowed out. I posted my daily routine in another thread on here, if you need an example. But really, it's just about figuring out what works best for you. Good luck! =)