Last Updated on May 1, 2022 by Brie
If you’re a single mom trying to make it through college, Teen Mom, or just any kind of mom in general you have probably noticed that life comes in phases. I don’t know about you, but the phases of our life’s change very rapidly. My daughter and I are about to embark on a new phase of our lives which starts when I begin a summer college class.
With this class comes schedule changes, a higher stress level than what we are currently in, and it will also mean I will have a little less time to spend with my daughter because of the studying and actual class, on top of part time work.
This only means I have to make EVERY moment count!
While I was at work today I had been trying to think of different unique and creative ways I can incorporate her into my study time. But my extremely tired brain could hardly come up with any!
I always get a little touchy when I’m under alot of stress, and it’s no lie this upcoming class is going to be difficult! My daughter, in the past anyway absolutely hates it when I study, and don’t give her my full attention. I get so tired at nigh from all the go go going during the day that I go to bed when she does at nights, which eliminates the whole study after she sleeps rule of thumb.
So, needless to say, I have been fretting about it, for a while now.
As I racked my brain to think of ideas on how to deal with my dilemma now that my daughter is mobile, taking, and alot more active. Because every new phase of life comes with its own set of challenges!
So, here’s what I’ve come up with so far, to get my daughter and I excited for entering into this new stage of life:
1.) Have her help me glam up my college supplies!
This was a cute fun way to bring a little piece of her to class with me since the honest truth is I get some separation anxiety/guilt when we are apart. I had her paint with bright colors to match my pink binder, and I slipped the picture in the cover of my binder. For the front of my binder she ‘wrote’ me a little note and I taped it up with some washi tape.
2.) Figure out a time that works best for studying, and an activity for my daughter to do while I’m studying.
So this is a 3 credit hour class that I will be taking and since it is so short, I will have it 6 hours a week, for the next month and a half. As a rule of thumb, I think you are supposed to study 2 hours out of class for every hour you sit in class. So, I will need to study at least 12 hours a week. I am going to try to study 2 to three hours a day (with some off days on the day’s I work), which is about the length of a movie. My daughter loves movies.
The routine that has been working for us this first week is to lay a blanket down on the floor, about 2 hours before I have to leave for class. My daughter lays her head on my knee and I work on my homework/study while my daughter just relaxes and watches a movie. I get my work done, and we get cuddle time too. This works since I take an evening class, and my daughter is ready for a break in her day by this time.
3.) Figure out a place to study.
This one was simple the place to study for me that works is on a pallet on the floor in front of the TV. This might not work for everyone, but since I’m only taking one class for the summer semester, it is working out well.
4.) Make sure to make time for FUN
We definitely make sure to make time for fun, during the day I try to keep up with a go go go lifestyle, where my daughter has tons of fun activities, we go on fun adventures, and out to lunch, etc etc.
5.) Stay motivated for class
For me with this professor, and for this class it is so easy to fall behind because of the shear amount of work, and how sporadic it is assigned. We typically get 3-4 assignment a night and I have class three nights a week. This is because the class is condensed into a little over a month. I say it is sporadic because by it’s hard to tell what’s being handed out in class, wither it’s homework OR notes. And there are so many sheets. Anyway motivation to finish the class is key here. So I have to buckle down and be consistent. Which is harder than it seems because I have several life factors include company and family issue that make this part harder. So how do I stay motivated…I think of the end goal. That I am so close to graduating, I can’t fail now.
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