Raising a family while attending school can seem overwhelming. If you’re thinking about going back to school and are simultaneously raising a family, keep these helpful tips in mind to help balance parenting while in school.
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- Get organized. Some people try to juggle multiple calendars for their work and personal life; try consolidating and using one calendar/planner for everything. Color-code your schoolwork, family time, study time, etc. With all of your information stored in one place, you’re less likely to miss an activity or assignment.
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- Schedule both study time and family time. Set aside at least 30 minutes each day (or more depending on your workload) to work on your assignments, study notes, or read. Make sure to also schedule time to spend with your family. Besides time spent after school and taking the kids to athletic events, schedule family time and let your kids choose the activity.
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- When you’re home with the kids, there is no reason you can’t blend family time and study time. Sit down with the kids and study/do your homework together. This will give you extra time to study and is a great way to teach the kids about taking their homework and study time seriously.
In the beginning, parenting while attending school can take some getting used to, but just remember that you’re not alone. Many people make the decision to further their education after having children – you may have fellow classmates in your program who, like you, are learning how to juggle family and school responsibilities themselves. Be a resource to each other and share any handy tips or tricks you have picked up that have helped you find a happy school/life balance.
Contact Arizona College to find out how you can get started on the path toward beginning a rewarding career in healthcare, and learn about the various student resources we offer to help make your time here with us a success.
Information in this blog post is accurate as of July 25, 2013.