College is hard. Parenting is hard. Mix them together and you get — well, something that is very hard. Millions of people manage family life with their academics every year. It’s a challenge, but with planning
and strategy, you can get it done. In this article, we take a look at tips that will help you balance your time and calibrate your life to fit your educational and family-related goals.
It’s Ok to Ask for Help
Many parents reflexively avoid asking for help with their children. It can be an uncomfortable arrangement but it’s also critical to give yourself the time you need to find success. If you have trusted friends and family members, consider enlisting them as babysitters. Alternatively, if you have a partner, ask them if they are willing to take on some of the responsibilities you normally tackle in the household. You aren’t being selfish: your education will benefit everyone in your family.
Manage Your Time Wisely
Time management is crucial for success in school as a parent. You’re probably going into this feeling like
you already don’t have a second to spare. How can you do schoolwork effectively when you can’t even go to the bathroom without someone asking you for something?
If you take a hard look at your schedule, you’ll probably find things that can be trimmed in favor of schoolwork. Is there a show you like to watch at the end of the night to unwind? Unfortunately, it might have to go.
Also, take a look at how much screen time you are logging. Most phones track this in their settings feature. The number you encounter may surprise you. Delete your social media apps. Don’t surf around on YouTube. Every second counts when it comes to being an efficient student and parent.
Work When the Kids Are Sleeping
Parents everywhere know the value of a sleeping child. Often the moment their bedroom door shuts for the final time is the only opportunity you have to catch your breath during the day. Well, catch it and then move yourself on over to the computer. Sitting down to homework after a long day of parenting is like going into a 5K right after a marathon, but it’s something you’ll probably have to do a lot of during your time in an online school. Remember that learning happens best when you can fall into a state of “deep focus”— uninterrupted concentration where you can tackle a subject over the course of a few hours.
You can’t really accomplish that when a little human is asking you for something every six minutes. If nights are too difficult for you, consider waking up an hour earlier in the morning. Morning work sessions, aided by enormous quantities of coffee are good because the house is quiet, and your mind is usually unburdened. You don’t have an entire day’s worth of stress and frustrations floating through your head. You are free to focus only on the work itself.
Go at Your Own Pace
Your guidance counselor will probably outline the standard amount of time it takes to complete your degree program, stressing exactly what classes you need to take and when. These guidelines are a helpful way to keep yourself on track, but it’s a good idea to think of them more as suggestions than mandates.
Taking on fifteen credit hours a semester — particularly when you remember that each credit hour is supposed to translate into about two hours of homework a week — is a full-time job. Parenting is a full-time job where the boss poops their pants from time to time, and if you work, there are those responsibilities to juggle as well.
All this is to say that you’re going to be extremely busy while you work on getting your degree. Allowing yourself to move at the pace most comfortable to you is a good idea. Keep in mind that you can always adjust your pace along the way. Start out slow. If things are going really well with one or two classes, you can always add on next semester. A degree that takes five years to get is just as valuable as one completed in four.
Good Parents Can Say No
When your kid hits grade school age, you’re immediately hit with constant opportunities to be involved in school and extracurricular activities. It’s fun to contribute to your child’s life in this way, getting the opportunity to see them in a context otherwise off-limits to you.
That being said, it’s very easy to become overwhelmed by an obligation to throw yourself into everything. While you should be involved as much as you’re comfortable with, it’s important to remember that good parents are allowed to say no. You’re still every bit the awesome mom or dad you were before just because you can no longer comfortably handle being the room parent. Before you sign up to host the school fundraiser at your next PTO meeting, ask yourself “Will I really be able to manage this responsibility with my studies?”
You aren’t doing anyone a favor by stretching yourself too thin. And, when you have that degree, you can start signing up for things with reckless abandon again. Until then, pump the brakes a little and give yourself room to breathe.
Balance is Key
It’s important to give yourself enough space to do everything well. Try to find a schedule that lets you be an attentive parent, a hardworking student, and a well-rounded person. This will mean getting in touch with your priorities and making the occasional difficult decision. However, it’s also a critical component of finding success as a student and a parent. Remember that school is only temporary. Eventually, you will graduate and get back into a normal routine. Until then, find the schedule that allows you to best approach all of your goals.
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This content is made possible by Andrew Deen
Photo credit: iStockPhoto
