A usual morning here goes something like this:
- youngest son wake between 6-7am, once he's awake going back is not an option but he usually likes to get on with something quiet and not requiring much energy, so he will make his way up to my eldests bedroom (he is usually reading by this time and they quietly read stories, play lego until I am up and functioning at some useful level, I am not a morning person!!
- depending on how well my husband slept, he has chronic pain that is especially bad at night and has breathing difficulties which affect my sleep, and how well my youngest has slept, he also has a lot of night time pain that often requires attention and assuming that my daughter has not had any dislocations or movement of joints during the night, I begin my day with a cuppa and a quick tidy round.
- I then gauge everyones level of fatigue and pain and proceed from there.
This morning looked a little different!
Armed with note pad, pens, highlighters and my daughters computer (mine is at the repair shop, grrrr!) I spread the essential tools for my success across the dining room table before the kids woke up. One by one they appeared in the dinning room, looking on with curiosity "What on earth is my mother doing?". Gently I reminded them that for the next six month I will be studying my own course and that if they wanted me to continue taking them to evening clubs and helping them with their work then I would need time in the mornings to complete my assignments. Team work, I explain, was going to be essential if we are to all successed and be happy.
On hearing this my eldest son (12) goes to his work box, takes out his work folder, joins me at the table and methodically works his way through his latin, ICT and history study for the day. My daughter (10) grabs some tracing paper, she's the arty one, some drawing implements and my youngest son (5) and she proceeds to teach him how to trace. An hour and a half later and I feel happy that I have completed enough work, the kids have all been engaged in a useful activity and we are all ready to face the day!
A good first day of study!
Comments
Studying around Children
Your children sound so supportive! What a lovely family.
I currently have a two 1/2 year old and am expecting baby number two in December. I am so anxious about fitting my study around them but really want to push forward to brighten our future in the long run. I am only studying part time and I begin in October so would love some advice if you have any
Good Luck with your future study mornings, I hope they are all as successful as your first.
Steph X
Hi Stephanie
Firstly, congratulations! My two eldest were just over 21/2 yrs apart and it was lovely.
I rememeber doing my PGDip (never took the last module to get the Msc, changed my mind and went into education instead!) when my son was new born. I have a photograph of me on the sofa surrounded by books and paper, feeding my son. I'd then put him back into his rocking crib and use my foot to rock him so that I could get some more work done on the assignments! I am glad I did it when he was younger as managing a 5 and 3 year old might have been an alltogether different experience.
The most important thing I'd say is find what works for you, you can do it never forget that and don't ever think someone else is doing a better job! Often people will come and say 'how do you keep on top of all the house work?' I don't I just keep the bathroom and living room tidy!! Find shortcuts and tricks that make the rest of life work better so that your not being distracted by them and eat a lot of chocolate, or whatever you have for a treat!! Good luck and please let me know how you get on.