amitymamaThe Attachment Parenting Community

homeschooltotwo · 05-17-2009, 08:46 AM

Anyone else go to college and take a course or two (or a full load) while caring for a newborn? For me it will not only be caring for a newborn in the fall but also attending school online (only 1 class in the fall for now), working from home AND homeschooling. Add to the list the normal housework and errands for a mother and wife and it can sound overwhelming right now. I'd love to hear from those of you that have BT/DT.

hana · 05-17-2009, 06:21 PM

Not typical courses, but I did my dissertation when my son was 0-18 months, and my daughter was 2-4. It wasn't easy, but it was do-able. Also, I teach some online courses, and I often have students who have just had a baby or who give birth during the semester. They are often single mothers, but they don't usually have older children. They usually do fine (at least from what I see on my end), but because their situation is different, I'm not sure how relevant it is to you.

xt · 05-17-2009, 06:28 PM

I'd rather do it with a newborn than a toddler. Newborns sleep, at least.

Seriously, I believe you can do it. I haven't done online classes, but from what I've seen watching a friend do her master's online, it's as much work as classroom work, minus the commute.

I'm not able to report back about the homeschooling kids while mom's in school full time part yet, but I have to leave the house for my classes. I'm barely doing the homeschooling right now. My sitter does it. I suppose I should call it tutoring.

Canon_Girl · 05-17-2009, 06:33 PM

Since I've been trying to finish college for about 17 years and I have four kids ranging from 2 to 14yo, I've pretty much done it all.

In-class with a newborn...didn't work.

In-class with a 2yo...it was okay (one class at a time).

Televised (watched from home) with a newborn and a 4yo...it was okay...even the time I took 4 classes (and finished 3!).

Online I've done with a newborn plus two older kids plus a WAHM gig. It was fine but I didn't take more than 2 at a time and it was easy, just do-able.

The past year I've been doing 2 classes at a time (attemped 4 one term and it didn't work!) with a 2, 4, 10 and 14yo. I do 90% of my work late at night when the house is quiet. I dropped my WAHM gig mostly last fall and haven't spent any time on it (I'm a freelance photographer) really.

The best thing about a newborn is that they love to sleep in the sling and that works out really well with online school.

The other kids are harder to keep happy/entertained. I've considered hiring a mother's helper (or paying my 14yo to work for me a few hours per week) -- is that an option?

LatteLover · 05-17-2009, 07:49 PM

I went full time online with a newborn.. but I didn't have any other kids.

I just did full time online for 2 semesters with a 3 and 7 year old... that was ok too. Really you just have to be organized and have a lot of time.

homeschooltotwo · 05-18-2009, 08:38 AM

It's nice to see others in a similar situation. I've been going to college since 2007 and had planned to graduate next spring

but once I found out I was pregnant in January I knew that wasn't going to happen. I can barely take 2-3 classes without a baby in the house so I know I'll be too stressed with a baby in the house. It's in my nature to get stressed really easily. I also know how I got with my last child when she was a newborn/infant. I was a wreck when I didn't get much sleep and that was just with WAH and homeschooling. And "not" WAH isn't an option for me since I help DH with his business. We can't afford to pay anyone to do my job.

I plan to take 1 class each semester until I'm done and can graduate in another couple of years. I have 2 classes this summer (wish I would have taken more) and 1 in the fall and after that I will do 1 course per semester until I feel like I can take on 2 courses at a time. I only have 8 more classes to go so at least I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I really want this degree in the next two years so I can move on to another school and work towards my bachelors. This is just an associate degree I'm working on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canon_Girl

The other kids are harder to keep happy/entertained. I've considered hiring a mother's helper (or paying my 14yo to work for me a few hours per week) -- is that an option?

Actually, my older kids aren't that much of a problem and get along great and my oldest child does do a lot around the house. He likes to cook and does most of the yard work at this point and helps with the business some, so he's a BIG help. But the 7 y o is still at the point where she would play all day if I let her, so I know it will take some getting used to trying to get her to sit still for her school work so I can fit in time each day to do my school work and tend to a new baby.

Thanks everyone for the replies.

brooken · 05-18-2009, 10:55 AM

I did... ds was 3 months when I started my graduate degree and I thought one online class would be a perfect transition to being back in school...and it was. (I also have an older child in school.)
He typically took really long naps in the morning, so I just made sure to stay disciplined in always getting online and doing school then. Did the whole class with him sleeping in a sling on me while I worked. It went great, never felt stressed about it.

SewEsperanza · 05-20-2009, 08:20 PM

I agree with everyone, I think a newborn would be much easier than a toddler.
I am going to school and working now with a two year old and god help me please.

Bonknbug · 05-21-2009, 05:43 AM

I have been taking classes online since I had my daughter. I am trying to get an AD in nursing to become a RN. My daughter is 19 mo. now and I will be starting on campus classes in the spring. I also have a son who just turned 5 who I've been home with. I haven't done any homeschooling with my kids yet but am looking into it. YOU CAN DO IT!!! Start now. The longer you wait, the harder it will be. Good luck.