Student Mamas: How Do You Do It?

Mamas. I'm getting hung up on scheduling. Hardly any of the classes I need to take are offered evenings or online. The Spanish courses, especially, piss me off because they're LIT classes. Let me read my books and write my papers, why do I have to go to class anyway?

I think I need to just suck it up and get a "flexible" job (i.e., not work the typical 8-5, because I need to have a lot of that freed up for school.) But how do you do that with daycare? I haven't talked to my daycare provider about whether or not she'd be willing to make an exception or something and do some alternative hours for us, but I don't think she will happily--she's pretty set on her workouts everyday after daycare's closed. I think I need an ally in this process, someone who can pick H up and watch her evenings or whatnot if I'm working. That is SO, SO much to ask of someone...shit. I don't know how to get this done.

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25/MN and WA. Queer, veg, single, AP mama to DD2.5.

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Are you in the best program for you? Are there other, more

flexible course schedule offers somewhere else in your area? Have you talked to every type of guidance, financial, general campus counselor there is? There are a lot of helpful programs and sneaky loopholes out there and sometimes it's just finding that one person who knows about it. Are you working somewhere now?
I waitressed through school--flexible (late) hours, and potentially bomb pay. I got an amazing babysitter, who I knew through school and was basically a nanny for Q for several years. She played with him, put him down at night, and hung out doing her homework til I got home. I lucked out in having her. When she wasn't available I had a list of backups from random babysitters (post at high schools and community colleges, ask around) to friends, to emergency only relatives and acquaintances. Yes, I put people out. I begged favors. Whatever--it takes a community. I made a friend who was also a working, student single mom. She moved across the street from me and we had each others' backs if needed.

Do you have flexible job ideas?

I'm still researching

I'm still researching programs available, but everything I'm seeing is showing me that it either wouldn't make a difference if I were at another school in this area, or it would be more difficult. Having said that, I feel like there maybe resources on the place I've tentatively chosen to attend that I don't know about, let alone at other schools in the area. I researched one online option as well that would actually have been pretty respectable, but they don't do foreign language subject area certification. *sigh*

I haven't really actively started looking for jobs with non-office hours. Will next week if I don't get this AmeriCorps spot. Honestly, I'm so crappy at this stuff. I can't think of something that would pay well, that I'd be good at, that I'd enjoy doing. Except teaching (which pays well enough, as far as I'm concerned.)

I'm still trying to identify and get more comfortable with the people I can really ask those inconvenient favors of. I do have a few of them, for sure. Just how comfortable I am with leaning on them (hard) is difficult to ascertain...

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25/MN and WA. Queer, veg, single, AP mama to DD2.5.

money helps

Yes it sounds like having someone to pick up H from daycare would be a huge help for you. It's hard to juggle so many things alone, help is essential.
Money helps too, grants, bank lines of credits, student loans.

I have another 10 months before I have my BScNursing.
I have 3 kids (2 teens + a toddler).
My older sons divide their time between my home and their dads.
My middle son is my summer nanny to my two year old.
Daycare doesn't match up to my hospital practicum schedule...12 hour shifts days or nights. CL is still in daycare one day a week- mondays- which seem to be my most consistant day off (why isn't it saturday?).

I don't get help from my family or my husband's family. I do get some grant money, but it's less than half of my tuition usually. My husband works 10 hour shifts 4 days a week (days/or nights) and we get more in debt every month...go figure.

When i'm in class CL is in daycare at my school. This fall will be 4 days a week 8-4. I get us both ready for school and pick him up. Sometimes I ride my bike with him in the chariot to save gas money and get some exercise.
4 days of daycare is expensive -it's actually only $45 per day and the care is GREAT, but it adds up.

In the fall I'll have class/clinical 3days a week and 1day for homework while CL is in daycare.
I almost never get any homework done at night but have a hot bath with my little guy and snuggles and stories. He's still breastfeeding at 25months too which is neat.

When I'm finished school DH will be able to quit his job at the mill and apprentice as a bicycle mechanic and be home more with our son... I'll work 3/4 time (hopefully) and make more than he does now fulltime.

It's hard to go to school and be a parent, but worth it in the long run...(for me anyway...10 months!!!)
What's needed is money, friends, flexible childcare, flexible instructors...a sense of humour? Just keep going you'll get there.

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**Breathe**

i was a student mom with my

i was a student mom with my first son and i ended up doing just what vkitty recommends (loans and loans and grants and scholarships). it really was worth it. i got an anthropology degree and had a job lined up before i graduated that took me and my little family around the world.
i am actually on a leave of absence from my online ma program. i struggle with being online instead of in class. it is better than i thought or had experienced when i did distance learning through community college but working full time, mothering full time (one job you never cut back on hours with), i was too tired to do all the reading and writing required. and endless discussion boards. i hated them. i might have been tired because i was pregnant and didn't realize it. there is that possibility. i know i am exhausted after work now. my teaching job is intensive and i am on my feet from 9-6. i want to finish my master's but not at the expense of missing my kids' youth and stressing all the way out to whatever they call pluto now. i know from finishing my b.a. after six years of mucking around that it was really worth it in the end.
all of this is to say that it is not ever easy but after you finish, you'll be in a much better place. have you considered on-campus daycare? most state universities and community colleges offer them and you can use your student funding to help pay for them. my school had a really great program as the education majors worked there. most of my fellow student moms used the program. i was lucky as my husband worked nights at the time. that of course was when i wasn't so worried about his needs (and he wasn't my husband yet). back when i was young.
you need to ask for help. is there a parenting co-op in your area? someone who would exchange babysitting your kid for babysitting theirs? maybe you could start one.
there are always options. don't worry, you will get this done.
wishing you lots of luck.

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rock, scissors, paper

I can't really use the

I can't really use the on-campus childcare because it's $5/day more expensive than her current daycare and I don't qualify for the "tuition" reimbursement because I already have a degree.

We're kinda trying to start a babysitting co-op through the single parents group, but I don't think I can rely on it this hard. Hmmm...there's one mom who comes to my mind, she's a stay at home mom of two girls and we've done some childcare swapping for longer periods, but not an ongoing scheduled thing. Hmm....

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25/MN and WA. Queer, veg, single, AP mama to DD2.5.

I think finding someone to

I think finding someone to pick up H would be the most helpful. It's really not that much to ask of someone who's a real friend and wants to help. I know how you feel, I have a hard time asking for help.

How I did it was because we have a program at my University called PACE (I can't remember what it stands for, something about adult education or something). The classes came in blocks would be one night a week, one weekend a month, and an independent study, 4 credit hours each. The only degree they offered was Liberal Arts, though. Eventually I changed my major to History, quit my full time job and got a part time job that was more flexible, and took out every student loan, grant, and scholarship I could get my hands on to pay for bills. That way I was able to go to class and work part time in the day while my kid was in school and then be home with him every night. I mean, we're poor, and I'm going to have to pay all of that money back, but it's worth it for the meantime. I'll be done in December Wink .

I wish you the best of luck! And seriously, if you can find a good friend to help you I'd ask them. It's hard to do it alone.

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"Feminists are just women who don't want to be treated like shit." -Su.

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