Many parents decide to keep studying or even start studying while raising their children. There are many possible explanations for this. Some people started families when they were young and never got the chance to finish school or go to college. Some people have taken gap years and never went back to school. Some of them had to go to work to get money. Some do not go back to school because they are not ready or do not know what to do. No matter what made them decide to do it, it is more than possible to go back to school and raise a family simultaneously. We are not going to lie. It will be harder than it would have been if your kids did not depend on you, but remember that you are going out there to improve your job prospects for the future and be a good example to your .kids.
We have given you a few tips to help you find a good balance between being a parent and a student and making your life easier in school.
1. Think about learning online or at a distance
Getting out of the house and going to school or college can be one of the hardest parts of going to school or college as a parent. If you have kids who are not old enough to go to school, you need to find reliable, good daycare, which can cost a lot of money. This is especially hard if you do not have a job, and it keeps many parents from even thinking about going back to school. If you are lucky enough to have childcare set up, you still have to worry about getting everyone ready and out the door on time in the morning, which, let us face it, is never easy when you have young children. When you take a course in person, things like lessons, seminars, and deadlines are usually set in stone and can not be changed. The great thing about online or distance courses is that they are not as strict and can usually be done at your own pace from the comfort of your home.
2. Plan your time
As a parent, you probably already do not have much free time, so the time you spend studying will be even more valuable. It is important to plan how to spend that time carefully and not waste a single second of it. Look at your due dates and other important dates, such as when you need to complete your Disabled Students’ Allowance assessment, at the beginning of the semester, once a month, and once a week after that. It is a good idea to keep a family calendar, like the one on Google or a paper one on the kitchen fridge, and add these things to it, as well as any other important dates or events. Add other important things to do around the house, like grocery shopping. Once you have an idea of how much time you have, you can make plans for it. For instance, if you have a very busy week, you could cook a lot of food on the weekend and freeze it, so you do not have to worry about it later. If you know your child has a show, performance, or parent-teacher meeting that week, can you move something else that is not as important to the next week? Planning and getting ready will be very important and will help you even after you finish school.
3. Give tasks to other people to do.
As parents, it can be hard for us to ask for help, take shortcuts, or give other people in the house jobs to do. When you are a parent who is in school, you can not be. There is nothing wrong with getting takeout or a ready-made meal once in a while when you are in a hurry. If you can afford it, pay someone to clean your house once a week or do your laundry. Take them up on it if family or friends offer to watch the kids for a few hours. Make sure everyone else in the house does their fair share of housework, so you do not have to do everything yourself while you study.
4. Be ready to study wherever, whenever
When you are trying to go to school and take care of a family, the one thing you are likely to have trouble with is time. As parents, we spend much time in the car waiting for things to end, like dance recitals and soccer practice. If you are ready and have a plan, that time can be very helpful when studying. Keep your course books, printouts, flashcards, a notebook, some stationery, and a fully charged phone in a bag you always have with you. When you have a few minutes to spare, use them to do a quick bit of reading, studying, or research. When you use those little bits of time well, you will be surprised at how much you can get done.
