Juggling Parenting and Nursing School: A Survival Guide with Nurse Lauren

So maybe you work full-time or maybe you have some other commitment when you're finding it difficult to balance everything . So I'm talking to all of you Parenting in nursing school is hard .

Nursing school itself is hard , but you're adding an extra layer and for all of you out there who are doing it , who have made this commitment , you are doing an incredible job . You are showing your kids that it is never too late to improve your life . It is never too late to learn something new , and you are showing them so many valuable lessons .

So you're doing an amazing job . I just wanted to start out by saying that . So I'm so proud of you . Now let's talk about one of the realities Creating more time .

You are going to need to create more time Because we know , from the moment they wake up Until the moment they close their eyes at night , your children , the beautiful miracles that they are , they are need machines from the minute they wake up . So you know they are slowly draining you during the day and we are happy to be drained for them .

We love them more than anything , but that's the reality . So what can we do ? How do we find more time ? Well , here it is . You're going to have to either I called it the late shift or the early morning shift .

You won't have to do this every single night Because you're going to have to sleep in , you're going to have to take care of yourself and listen to your body and all those things .

But there will be days , there will be weeks when you have exams , you have assignments , do whatever it may be , and you will have to either , depending on your style , set your alarm for three in the morning , 3.34 , the wee hours before everybody is awake , and find your time then that might have to be when it gets done or , if you've got the energy and the

kids are in bed , you make a coffee , you do what you gotta do , take a cold shower and you pull a late night shift when you study from 10pm until 2am and you find those extra four hours , three hours , two hours , whatever it is .

You're going to have to make those creations of time for yourself , and one of my favorite times to study was 4am , when nobody was awake . It's so quiet and that's when I did it . Number two ask for help and accept help when it's offered to you . Sometimes it's hard . Sometimes it's hard to say yes , yes , I need somebody to help me .

I need somebody to put the kids to bed . Sometimes I need somebody to help bathe the kids , give them dinner , drop them off at school , pick them up at school , play with them for a couple of hours on a weekend so you can go off to the library . Accept that help , whether it's from your partner , your family , your neighbors , babysitters , whoever it is .

Accept it and know that you're going to need help and it's okay . You cannot do everything . You shouldn't be expected to do everything . You're not put that pressure on yourself . Nursing school will end and you're going to need a lot of support and help , especially as a parent , to get through it .

The time that you do have , number three , use your time extremely well . I say this all the time the time that you have , take advantage of it , use it to your full potential . But as a parent , it's 2.0 . So the time that you have , you've got to be laser focused , do not have any distractions .

Take that phone , put it on silent , put it on the opposite side of the table and set a timer and you are only focused on that one thing that you're working on during that time , because your time is valuable . It's extremely valuable . So if you're spending it studying , you've got to use that time to your full potential .

Do not distract yourself with anything else except for studying , because that's your time and you've got to take it and use it , because you don't have as much time as everybody else . So utilize that time that you have . The sacrifices that you are making , the things that you are going to miss . You will miss things .

You will miss taking your kids to certain activities . You will miss drop-offs , pickups , maybe even a performance here and there that you will have to miss . And it stinks , it feels terrible , but it is temporary and it is a means to an end . And you are not the only one going through this .

There is a network of parents across the world who are going through nursing school while being a parent , and there is a whole community of people who have done it before you , myself included , who are cheering you on , who are holding your hand in spirit and just pulling you along and saying you are incredible , you are doing an amazing job and your kids are

looking up to you . And I know it doesn't always feel that way Sometimes . I know it was so hard sometimes to leave the house when one of my daughters was crying because she didn't want me to go . That hurts , that stinks . You're sitting in your car or you're walking to the train and you're just thinking , oh my gosh , am I doing the right thing ?

Know that you are . You are so doing the right thing , and those moments are few and far between . You are doing the right thing . You are doing a great job . Involve your kids in some way . Involve them , whatever that may be , whatever age-appropriate thing you can do to involve your kids .

I know with my six-year-old she was six at the time we would do practice questions together . Sometimes she would read them to me and it helped with her reading . It helped her get excited for what I was doing . And with my younger one I would have her help me with the assessments , with the stethoscope , with the blood pressure cuff , and it was fun .

It was fun for her to see and it was fun to have her be involved . It will be an adjustment , especially at the beginning , but everybody will adapt . Your children will adapt and they will go through different phases .

Sometimes , if you have more than one child , as I did , they would go through different phases where one of them was having separation anxiety and the other one was absolutely fine , and then they would switch places . So it will change and it will be an adjustment .

You will be okay , you will be better , and they will be okay and they will be better because here's the thing you are making your life better by getting this degree , by becoming a nurse , and their lives , as a result , will be better . You are making your life better and you are making their life better . You are doing amazing . Just keep going .

You can do this , I did it . You can do it too . I know that when you look back , you will say that was really flipping hard , but that was so worth it .

And when you have moments like your daughter goes up to a stranger in the grocery store and says my mom's a nurse now , you think , oh my gosh , I'm so proud of myself that I did this , I'm so proud of them and it's an incredible thing . It's a hard thing , but if it were easy , it wouldn't be so beautiful at the end , and it is .

So just keep going , you can do this . I'm so proud of you , your children are so proud of you , and you've got a whole network . You've got a whole team of people lifting you up and believing in you , and I'm one of them . Until next time , guys . This is Nurse Lauren . It's been a pleasure , and please go to nursingstudentcoachcom to join our mailing list .

Don't miss any of our announcements of exciting things coming your way . You can follow us on social media . I post things almost every day . A little boost of motivation to keep you going in between those classes and clinicals . The handle is at nursingstudentcoach . And have an awesome day , guys . I'm proud of you . See you next time , bye-bye .

Thanks for tuning in to the Nursing Student Coach podcast .