Tips for Balancing Work, School, and Kids

Written by Christine Kane

It’s becoming more the norm these days for adults to want to go back to school and further their education, whether it’s for a job promotion at their current place of employment or to change careers and pursue a profession they love. It’s hard enough to do this once you’re out of college and in a career; however this becomes even more complicated when you add kids into the mix, and whether you’re one parent of two or a single parent, juggling school, work, and kids can be an arduous task to undertake. To be successful at all three you have to plan ahead.

1.     Have realistic expectations
You will set yourself up for failure by expecting to be able to do everything perfectly 100% of the time, so set realistic goals for yourself. At different times different aspects of your life will have to give a little, and that’s ok! It’s all about finding a balance that works for you and your family.

2.     Set a schedule
When you leave everything to chance it’s almost guaranteed that priorities will end up colliding with one another, which is an instant recipe for disaster. Instead, put together a schedule each week that designates certain times for everything. Whether it’s getting up an hour earlier to cram in studying each day, staying up a little later each night so you can study once the kids are asleep, or taking less school hours to ensure that it doesn’t infringe on work and family, you have to find a schedule that works for you and your kids.

3.     Designate a day specifically for kids
If you’re working Monday-Friday then pick a weekend day where you devote the entire day to doing something fun with your kids. If you’re working a more sporadic schedule then pick a day or night when everyone is home, and then do something fun together. As busy as you may be, setting aside time each week to fully devote to your kids will make them feel important and will leave you less stressed about how busy you are the rest of the time.

4.     Regularly check in with your family

To have a successful balance of work, school, and kids it’s important to regularly check in with them and ask them how they think things are going so you have a realistic assessment of if things are working smoothly or not. This is a good time to discuss any upcoming events that need to be added to the schedule, to make sure that no one is feeling neglected, and to see where improvements can be made so that everything flows more efficiently.

5.     Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Your kids may see you as Super Mom – and juggling three huge responsibilities like this means you pretty much are – but you’re still only one person. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from other family members, friends, or even a nanny to help with household tasks or watching the kids. Stretching yourself to thin will only result in feeling burned out and overwhelmed.

About the author:  Christine Kane is from internet service providers. She is a graduate of Communication and Journalism. She enjoys writing about a wide-variety of subjects for different blogs. She can be reached via email at: Christi.Kane00 @ gmail.com.