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Juggling Family Life and College Work
Juggling college and family
I am not going to sugar-coat it and tell you college is all going to be all glamour and glitz (you probably realize this by now). Going through college while taking care of a family is very tough and you are in for an uphill battle.
The consolation is that it is worth every minute, especially in the end when you have that degree in your hand and your future is secure. You will be an outstanding role model for your children and will have achieved an accomplishment in life that many people never have the opportunity to work towards.
Fine-Tune Your Time Management Skills
Trying to juggle family life and college responsibilities can be a huge undertaking. This is where your time management skills will come in handy. If you don't possess time management skills, now is the time to learn them.
Keeping yourself and your family on a consistent schedule will help everyone to know what to expect. There will be no surprises at the end of the day (reasonable surprises anyway) since everyone will know what is going to happen, when it is going to happen and who is going to do what.
A consistent schedule will ease the tension in the household and allow everyone to function accordingly. Now, don't expect miracles, a consistent schedule won't solve all your problems and isn't a cure- for every mishap that life can throw your way, but it will go a long way in keeping everyone on task and feeling as if they are part of the process.
You don't have to be a taskmaster with a strict regime, it is important to be flexible, but try to schedule daily events such as dinner, study time, chore time, bath time at approximately the same time each day. Don't forget to schedule in some time for yourself as well. We all need a few moments of peace, free of any required thought to let our minds recharge themselves.
Keep track of your schedule, appointments and due dates using whatever means works best for you. Try using a schedule book, your PDA, or a software program. Having something to refer to will help you when it comes to keeping track of projects/papers you have due (you and your kids), exams, medical/dentist appointments, ect.
Regardless of what method you choose to keep track of life's responsibilities....USE IT! No method is any good if you don't use it.
College-A Family Affair
Make your family part of your college career. Explain to them the benefits that the whole family will receive once you have completed your studies and obtained your degree. Tell them that you can't do this all alone and need their help. This will make them feel part of your college life, especially when you are overwhelmed with work and not your most attentive self.
Give each family member a weekly chore that is their responsibility alone. If necessary, offer your family members the chores they don't mind or dislike the least. Even if it leaves you with a few chores you strongly dislike, it is better to do half of the chores you don't like than all of the chores that you don't mind. This will ease your burden and make it easier for the family to help you, and feel as if they are part of the college process.
Help Them Help You!
Let your family help you study. If memorization is on your task list, such as for a language class, make up flash cards and have them quiz you. They will love being able to test mom or dad and they will be learning along with you in the process.
Have your family help you make up flash cards and up them all over the house to identify objects for a language course. Your kids may say you are crazy (mine did) but you will find them reading your cards and learning the words. They may come to know them better than you by the time your semester is over!
It's Study Time
Schedule specific study times to allow you to complete assignments, prepare for exams and work on project. Try to work your study time into a block of time when your family is occupied with their own things. In the evenings when your family has settled down and are watching American Idol, playing Guitar Hero on WII, or God forbid, reading a book before bed would be an ideal time.
Make your family aware that this is your time to study and they should not interrupt you unless it is an emergency. Minimize your family's need to interrupt you. Make sure kids homework assignments, baths, and all other chores are complete before beginning your study time. This will give your family less reason to interrupt you.
Make it worth their while to avoid interrupting you during study time. Offer them something special at the end of the week to work towards, such as, a bonus in their allowance, a movie they have been waiting to see, permission to go to a friends house or have a friend over (that bonus won't cost you money).
Be creative, different people have different motivations and you are the one person who should be aware of what motivates each member of your household.
What's for Dinner?
Ah yes, the dinner dilemma. My uncle once said; Call me anything you like...just don't call me late for dinner! As much as it annoys us, our family has to eat...every single, solitary day! What can we do to get through this dreaded chore?
When you are short on time, patience and energy the ideal meal is fast, cheap and easy. Nowadays, your grocer's freezer contains an endless supply of dinner delights that you can cook up fast and easy for your family (though not always cheap).
If your kids are old enough to handle it themselves you can assign each one a night to play 'Chef of the House'. Normally by the 7th grade kids are learning to cook things such as omelets, grilled cheese and macaroni and cheese.
You don't need a gourmet meal every night, and kids love to hear a good word from their parents when they have done a good job at a task (dealin' with your dinner dilemma in this case).
Fast, Cheap and Easy Meal Ideas
The meal ideas listed below may not be perfect healthy meals, but they do cover fast, cheap and easy. Keeping fruit and a bag of salad on hand will help you to get those dreaded fruits and veggies into your family.
- Sloppy Joe Sandwiches
(make sure it ain't your night to clean up)
- Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
(perfect on a cold snowy night)
- Hot dogs with Mac and Cheese
(you aren't American if you don't like this!)
- Frozen Pizza with Mozzarella Sticks
(pizza...need we say more?)
- Chicken Nuggets / Fish Sticks and Fries
(can't go wrong here)
- Hamburger Helper / Tuna Helper
(get your helpin' hand on)
- Voila Dinners
(meat, veggies and noodles - what more can ya ask for?)
- Raumens Noodles
(very cheap and kids love 'em for some strange reason)
- Cooking Bags
(Chicken Ala King, Cream Chipped Beef)
- Frozen Pot Pies
(some kids love 'em, some don't)
- Frozen Burgers and Steak-Um sandwiches
(all the cholesterol your heart desires)
- Eggs - Scrambled, Omelets, Eggs in a Basket
(breakfast makes for an awesome dinner)
- French Toast / Waffles
(can you say yum?)
*Important Note: Try to schedule a family time together where you aren't doing any housework, schoolwork ect. Just spend time doing anything/nothing with your family.
I know this is very difficult to do, but college is at least a four year process and you will need to spend time with your family or it will all zip by in a blur, and before you know it your kids are four years older and you are wondering how they got so old so fast!
College is important, but your family is even more important!
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