Is it just us, or does it feel like working moms in school are impossibly busy? If you’re raising a family while also holding down a job, you know the grind never stops. It can feel like there’s no room to add anything else to your day—especially a big commitment like going back to school. But we also know that moms can do anything for their families. Starting a new career is a great way to enrich your family. Check out these time management tips for working moms to carve time out of your schedule so you can invest in yourself.
Studying In The Pockets Of Your Day
No matter how busy your job and your family keep you, you can probably find time every day to work on your own pursuits. Most moms can find small pockets of downtime throughout the day. Explore these tips for finding extra time in your schedule, both at work and with the family.
On Your Commute
If you work outside the home, you probably have a commute. The hours you spend traveling to and from work can be a goldmine if you need time to study. This extra time is built into your schedule each day. Use part of it to work towards your goals.
Commutes are a great time for listening to media. Lots of moms listen to podcasts, playlists, or radio shows going to and from work. Why not use some of this time to study? If your program includes virtual lectures, try listening to them while you’re commuting. Working moms in school can also listen to audiobooks or podcasts about their new career field.
If you take the bus or train to work, you have even more options. You can bring books, assignments, and other study materials and get some work done. (If motion sickness is a struggle for you, listen to lectures or podcasts instead.)
Lunch Breaks
Breaks are an important part of any worker’s day. People use their breaks to eat, make personal phone calls, socialize with coworkers, run errands, and try to decompress from work. These things can help you feel your best at work.
We’re not suggesting you turn every lunch break into a hardcore study session. You’d miss out on important chances to relax if you did that. But, take a look at your time off the clock. You might be able to spend some of it on school work without burning yourself out.
If you can find fifteen minutes each work day focusing on school, that’s more than an hour of studying every week. Little pockets of time add up!
Working Moms In School Study On The Sidelines
Outside of work, you can try studying during kids’ activities. Whether your family is busy with sports, scouts, religious groups, school clubs, or anything else, you know that moms usually have some downtime while the kids are busy. You can study on the sidelines while the kids get after it.
Keep this strategy for everyday practices, rehearsals, and meetings. We don’t want you to miss opening night, the big game, or any other milestone because you’re busy with school work. It’s a great solution for finding extra time during routine activities, though.
During Other Chores
One powerful way to help time management for working moms is to multitask during chores. Your kids probably already know what to expect during certain parts of the day. For example, most families have a routine to keep kids busy while someone makes dinner.
These habits are a smart way to keep your home running smoothly. Routines let kids know what’s going to happen. This means that they understand what to expect. It also gives you a chance to take care of business.
If you don’t already have these routines in place, start them. Build a structure around doing the laundry, making dinner, cleaning rooms, and more. For example, set your kids up with their favorite toys while you cook. This gives them something to do and keeps them out of the way.
Once the routine is in place, use it to give yourself extra time. You can multitask during lots of chores. Watch class videos while folding laundry, read while making dinner, or even do your assignments while busy with something else.
Lifestyle Changes That Let Working Moms In School Study
Getting started in a new might take some lifestyle changes for the best results. The first part of this article focused on finding extra time in your current schedule. These mom hacks can help you get more done without rearranging anything. But they don’t always deliver a big chunk of time. If you want a bigger impact, think about making bigger changes. Check out our top time management tips for working moms. They’ll help you lifestyle changes that will make a big difference in your plans.
Look At Your Screentime
Outside of work, how much screen time do you get every day? If you’re like most American adults, you spend hours each day TV, checking social media, online shopping, and other internal activities. Since the pandemic started, the average adult watches between 17 and 39 hours of screen time a week! If you put just a little bit of that time towards studying, you’ll breeze through any training program.
Let’s get on the same page. We’re not saying to replace all your screentime with studying. People use TV and the Internet to relax, socialize, pay bills, get good deals, and lots of other necessary tasks. Instead, take a look at your habits and see what you can adjust. If you skip one episode a day and close Facebook earlier than usual, you’ll have the extra time you need.
Make Studying A Family Affair
Your new career will help your entire family live a better life. There’s nothing wrong with getting the entire family involved as you study! Try scheduling family study times where everyone can work on their own quiet projects together. You can get some studying done and make nice memories at the same time.
Encourage the rest of the family to join you, including (and especially) the other adults in the household. Your kiddos can tackle anything including coloring books, craft projects, journaling, writing songs, reading, and more. Make it a special occasion by bringing out your family’s favorite snacks and drinks. If it works for your budget, you can make it an outing to a local coffee house, restaurant, or diner.
Working Moms In School Deserve Help
Raising kids is hard. Going to school is hard. Working is hard. There’s no shame in asking for help when you’re doing all three of these tasks at once!
The people who love you should be happy to support you as you start a new career. Talk to your support system about your plans and what you need from them. Depending on your situation, this might be your spouse, partner, parents, siblings, friends, or other loved ones. Try to be specific about what you need. Maybe you need help with childcare, cooking meals, running errands, or anything else.
You can also look to outside organizations. Churches and other religious organizations often have Mother’s Day Out or other short-term childcare options. Depending on your family’s situation, your kids might qualify for free, high-quality preschool through the Head Start program. Your school might also offer childcare support while you’re in class.
Training programs have lots of connections you might have access to on your own. If you’re struggling to make your busy schedule work, reach out to your school. You’ll be surprised to discover how many ways they can help.
References
Wagner, B. E., Folk, A. L., Hahn, S. L., Barr-Anderson, D. J., Larson, N., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2021). Recreational Screen Time Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the U.S.: A Mixed-Methods Study among a Diverse Population-Based Sample of Emerging Adults. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(9), 4613. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094613
