Many parents decide to continue or even start, studying alongside raising a family. It might be a little trickier than it was before you had small people depending on you, but you are also out there, improving your future job prospects and being an excellent role model for your children.
Here, we look at a few hints and tips that will help you maintain a balance between a parent and a student and make life just that little bit more simple while you study.
Don’t feel guilty
Firstly, get rid of that guilt. Yes, I know you are feeling it, but stop! There will be times when you need to ask your children to leave you alone and play by themselves. There is nothing wrong with putting the TV on and letting them watch some educational cartoons while you study. There will be times when you need to shut yourself away in your room to revise or hit a deadline. There will be times when you have to miss a recital or a game. There may even be times when you are tired, cranky and have next to no patience. No, it’s not ideal, but rest assured that you are not the first or the last parent to do it, and ultimately, you are doing this to benefit your family. Let go of the guilt and give yourself a break. You have got this!
Plan your time
Your time is more valuable than usual when you are studying alongside parenting, so plan it and use it carefully – no more time wasting activities for you! Efficiency is key. At the beginning of the term, and then again on a weekly basis, look at all of your deadlines and important dates. If you have a family calendar, add these in and any other appointments or things that you need to remember. Once you know what time is free, you can plan ahead. For example, if you have a particularly busy week coming up, you can spend some time on the weekend batch cooking and freezing food so you don’t have to think about it later on. If you know your child has a show or performance that week, can you move something else to the following week? Planning and preparation are critical – and will be useful even when you are no longer studying.
Delegate and outsource tasks
Working from home with kids is not the time to be shy about accepting help, taking shortcuts and delegating tasks to other members of the household. If you have to occasionally resort to takeaways or convenience food when you have a deadline, then so be it. If you can afford to, hire a cleaner or someone to do your laundry once a week. If your parents or friends offer to take the kids out for a few hours, let them! Make sure everyone who lives in the house takes on their fair share of duties to take the pressure off you while you study.
Be ready to study anywhere
When you’re studying and raising a family, the one thing you are most likely to struggle is time, and particularly the time you feel like you waste. As parents, we seem to spend an awful lot of time sitting in the car, waiting for children to finish school, waiting for dance rehearsals or football coaching to end. That time can be incredibly valuable when you are studying – if you are ready and have planned for it. Have a bag to hand with your course books, flashcards, printouts, a notebook, stationery, and a fully charged mobile device. When you are sitting around waiting for your kids, pull them out. Can you do some quick research or revision? Use those pockets of time wisely, and you will be surprised at just how much you can get done!
Get the kids involved
Make it a family activity. Can they test you with flashcards? Can they help you devise rhymes, mnemonics, etc for learning new concepts? Children have a fantastic imagination – capitalise on that and use it to help you on your way. You will also teach them some good study habits and methods and spend valuable time with them at the same time.
Have a dedicated study space
Sometimes, you will have no choice but to work in a family space, such as on the couch or at the kitchen table, but having a dedicated space just for you and your things is pretty important. Ideally, this will be away from the hustle and bustle. Make sure you have enough space to spread out your papers and don’t forget to shut or lock the door when you’re not using it, so little fingers can’t mess with them!
Disclaimer : This is a collaborative post.