Guest Post: Thinking of Going Back to School? How to Balance Education with Motherhood

Today I've got a guest post about going back to school as a mom, which is great, since I'll be starting on my Master's degree come January.

In this modern day and age, women are as much capable of providing for their children as men do. Yet in order to secure better paying jobs and a promising career path that can assure their family's financial stability, single mothers often have to go back to school to accomplish a degree. While throwing yourself back to college may seem physically and mentally challenging, the actual ordeal is balancing your educational responsibilities and family obligations. Absorbing all the things you are taught at school on a daily basis while making sure your baby has enough diapers or formula will be extremely difficult to juggle. Below are key pointers to remember in order to successfully balance education and motherhood.

Have a Plan
Planning thoroughly will help you balance these two exhaustively demanding aspects of your life. A daily and weekly plan will keep your baby needs well supplied while also allowing you to fulfill school requirements. Most colleges provide the privilege of adjusting your subjects and schedules. Make sure you take advantage of this privilege though. Remove as many free periods in between subjects as you can, so that you can go home earlier and attend to your children's needs. During your school breaks, use the time wisely by creating a shopping plan for your baby's supplies. You can also use this free time to accomplish school assignments in advance.

Online Courses
With technology advancing to immense heights, different industries are now able to offer better solutions, one of which is online courses. It is indeed possible and even increasingly prevalent to earn a college degree right from the comforts of your home. There are diverse benefits to securing a degree via the Internet. This option allows single mothers to finish a course while still being able to monitor their children closely. Moreover, it saves time and energy from having to commute back and forth from the facility, resources that mothers could be using to get some much needed rest or to care for their children.

Involve Your Children
If they are old enough, say 8 years old or above, teach your children to perform simple enough chores on their own. This may include tidying up their playroom after their finished playing, putting their dirty clothes in the laundry bin, or cleaning up after they finish eating. This not only helps you conserve time and energy, but also allows your children to establish a sense of responsibility. Of course, as a parent, you must always ensure the activities your children engage in are utterly safe.

Hire a Nanny
If you have a young children, it may be sensible to hire a nanny. Hired helpers can perform general home cleaning and child care while you're away. Though it does cost money, you will be able to ensure that your child is safe and given adequate care and attention during your absence.

Overall, balancing education with motherhood will be a very stressful process. However, given the right plan, family teamwork, and determination to achieve your set goals, the process is completely possible.

Jessica Ford writes about education, parenting and more. Her proudest work is on the best online masters degrees.