Trying to balance grad-school, full-time work and motherhood...
I don't even know where to start...
My career is taking off, grad-school is almost complete, and my children both have very demanding school and extracurricular work and activities. I feel as if I have so much on my plate not to mention LIFE itself besides all of the above. I feel like I've been in school all my life. I feel somewhat discombobulated. I graduated high school in 2004, was accepted to University of Houston, began that fall 2004, became employed full-time, found out I was pregnant in 2005, still continued college full force with wobbly feet, had baby #1, continued again full force with a transfer to University of Houston-Downtown, became pregnant with baby #2, graduated in 2008 with honors, took a break for a year studying online classes, was accepted to University of St. Thomas in 2010, took a class, transferred to Houston Baptist University in 2011, took part-time classes, decided to go full force in 2012, decided NOT to apply for graduation this fall 2013 so I can continue to receive funding for my LPC and Speech Therapist License in 2014-2015 and apply for a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Counseling Psychology at University of Houston... I will however, be graduating with my Masters December 2014 and can't wait because I'm pretty exhausted from this overload. I feel it's never ending... I sit here sounding as if I am complaining, but, I must like it if I continue to do it, right? Hmmmm, well, I don't know about that. I can truly say I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel and I believe that's what keeps me going. My children are my biggest inspirations for doing what I'm doing. As time gets closer to that date and knowing I have a few semesters left for my LPC after graduation, I can finally breathe and take extra time out of the day to spend with them more than I have spent during these past first few years as a graduate student. It takes a lot out of me, especially balancing the three as they are all of importance. You really have to have your spouse in agreement and willing to assist with filling in the prices while your away. If you have that, you need support from your closest family and friends and then you're set! But even then, you won't feel
Like you're giving your all as a mother and that's important to me. With that being said...
I think I may have mommy guilt! It seems as though I've been spending more time away from my kiddos during the week. I'm studying when I should
be thoroughly engrossed in an afternoon tea party with the dolls and
teddy bears or ninja turtles on the weekends. I'm engaging in intense conversations via lecture in night classes that are passed their bedtime, when I should be prepping dinner from scratch and reading bedtime stories more like I used too. Shoot, I even meet up with classmates that live nearby to grab coffee and review for finals while my kiddos stay with daddy.
I had to come to a realization this semester that I must acknowledge the reality that I am more than just a young mom. Someone once told me that along with being a young mom to the best kids in the world, I am a woman, too, that I am showing my children that I have responsibilities and aspirations that I have to reach for as well. Because of them, this is why I do what I do. And because I know it will all be worth it in the end.
My career is taking off, grad-school is almost complete, and my children both have very demanding school and extracurricular work and activities. I feel as if I have so much on my plate not to mention LIFE itself besides all of the above. I feel like I've been in school all my life. I feel somewhat discombobulated. I graduated high school in 2004, was accepted to University of Houston, began that fall 2004, became employed full-time, found out I was pregnant in 2005, still continued college full force with wobbly feet, had baby #1, continued again full force with a transfer to University of Houston-Downtown, became pregnant with baby #2, graduated in 2008 with honors, took a break for a year studying online classes, was accepted to University of St. Thomas in 2010, took a class, transferred to Houston Baptist University in 2011, took part-time classes, decided to go full force in 2012, decided NOT to apply for graduation this fall 2013 so I can continue to receive funding for my LPC and Speech Therapist License in 2014-2015 and apply for a Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Counseling Psychology at University of Houston... I will however, be graduating with my Masters December 2014 and can't wait because I'm pretty exhausted from this overload. I feel it's never ending... I sit here sounding as if I am complaining, but, I must like it if I continue to do it, right? Hmmmm, well, I don't know about that. I can truly say I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel and I believe that's what keeps me going. My children are my biggest inspirations for doing what I'm doing. As time gets closer to that date and knowing I have a few semesters left for my LPC after graduation, I can finally breathe and take extra time out of the day to spend with them more than I have spent during these past first few years as a graduate student. It takes a lot out of me, especially balancing the three as they are all of importance. You really have to have your spouse in agreement and willing to assist with filling in the prices while your away. If you have that, you need support from your closest family and friends and then you're set! But even then, you won't feel
Like you're giving your all as a mother and that's important to me. With that being said...
I think I may have mommy guilt! It seems as though I've been spending more time away from my kiddos during the week. I'm studying when I should
be thoroughly engrossed in an afternoon tea party with the dolls and
teddy bears or ninja turtles on the weekends. I'm engaging in intense conversations via lecture in night classes that are passed their bedtime, when I should be prepping dinner from scratch and reading bedtime stories more like I used too. Shoot, I even meet up with classmates that live nearby to grab coffee and review for finals while my kiddos stay with daddy. I had to come to a realization this semester that I must acknowledge the reality that I am more than just a young mom. Someone once told me that along with being a young mom to the best kids in the world, I am a woman, too, that I am showing my children that I have responsibilities and aspirations that I have to reach for as well. Because of them, this is why I do what I do. And because I know it will all be worth it in the end.
Read this article below: This was an excellent article. There are many non-traditional college students and I feel that they are often times over looked. I can say from experience, that I was a much better college student and enjoyed school much more after I was married and had children. I look back on those years of attending college full time, going to work full time, and being a mother, only prepared me for the professional world.
I tell my children all the time that they were my inspiration to go back to college and get my degrees. I remember reading or hearing a statistic that children tend to follow their mother’s education level. That was the turning point for me. I decided that I needed to lead by example on what I wanted for my daughter. I wanted her to be independent and self assured. I wanted her to have all the tools needed to be competitive with men when she grew up.
The whole experience made me a better person beyond education.
If I do say so myself you make it all look waaaaayyyy too easy! Love ya chica!
ReplyDeleteLuvBug, it's not as easy as it looks. I stress every day and put on a mommy happy face. :-/ Sometimes I wish I could snap my little finger and "poof" it all come to pass... with no stress. I found grey hairs!!! <new blog soon
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