My husband and I have both been in school for the past couple of years. During this time we have been raising our daughter, working, and trying to keep it all together. When talking to other parents who are considering continuing their education, they often ask how we do it. Mostly we do it as a team, with a lot of forgiveness, and plenty of caffeine.
Here's 10 of our best tips for making it through this chapter of life:
1. You need a system. For everything. Morning routines, laundry, bills. Everything. This allows me to spend time on more important things.
2. Change the way you eat. Break out the slow cooker and Instant Pot and start pinning recipes for hassle free, healthy meals. It's potentially "okay" to eat pizza every night as an 18 year old freshman, but the local delivery guys does not have to be visiting often enough to be comfortable asking to use your restroom. Having a quick, "it's finals week!" meal in the freezer doesn't hurt either.
3. Use a connected calendar. Google calendar works well for our family. I can see what classes and exams are coming up for my spouse and plan schedule my tests around them. This also helps when coordinating the medical appointments, vacations, and work schedules.
4. Take short vacations. We often road trip and enjoy spending quality time together in the car. With jobs, assignments and exams, date nights simply do not happen as often as we'd like, so we play make-up on these trips. A few days on the beach, visiting family, or just seeing a new place helps break up the cycle of work, school, sleep, repeat.
5. Take advantage of student discount offers. From free software products, the coupon book basically forced into your hand your first week on campus, to discounted Spotify premiums, there are so many options for you to save money. We highly recommend Amazon student, for when you are too busy to stop at the store for more floss or other necessities. Be sure to ask for any student discounts on insurance policies and cell phone bills.
6. Prioritize your friendships. You will become disconnected from some, if not many of your friends. You may go years without speaking to some, so put time and effort into those who understand how much work you have, forgives you when it takes days to return a text, and are a stress relief, not a stress out.
7. Pick your sacrifices early. Sleep, clean house, unwrinkled clothes, AND two sets of good grades? You can't have it all. Together pick what is important, and who is responsible for taking care which of tasks. (This is where the forgiveness part comes in.)
8. Develop a support network. If you have family or friends who can help with childcare, meals, or any other ways, let them. If you are unable to rely on close personal relationships find resources in your area. Use the local recreation center for childcare to write that paper, share babysitting with another parent, swap services for help with house cleaning. I recommend a mix of both personal and more business transactions if you can.
9. Walk. Go to graduation. Share this success with your family. They earned this too. Hearing your daughter say "Congratulations Momma! I am so proud of your for graduating!" as she throws her arms around your neck is the BEST thing in the world. I hope her seeing the reward for all the sacrfices we both have made, is a lifelong memory for her and helps teach her the value of education.
10. Remember your why. Whether you hope to earn more money, venture down a new career path, or finally accomplish your dream of earning a degree, you are doing this to better your family's lives. If it gets too hard, too exhausting, too long, remember why you are doing this, and focus on the long term payout. It is worth it, you are worth it, your family is worth it. You can do this!
