Five strategies for balancing between parenting and academics
Are you studying AND raising a family? Here are five strategies for balancing between parenting and academics.
Advancing your career can sometimes require further study. But what if you’re already juggling a demanding job and raising a family? How do you find time (and energy) to be both a parent and a student?
Effective strategies for balancing parenting and studying
Finding a balance between looking after children and studying isn’t easy – but it can be done. You’ll need to be good at planning, taking advantage of resources around you, and improvising where needed.
Here are five strategies to help you strike the right balance between parenting and studying:
- Plan your study timetable.
- Find your practical balance.
- Make time for yourself.
- Take advantage of your support network.
- Have study sessions with your children.
Let’s take a look at each strategy in turn.
1) Plan your study schedule
Planning your study schedule calls for a comprehensive review of your study calendar. Check your coursework and find out when you have important deadlines you can’t miss, such as assignments, assessments, and major exams.
Once you’ve done your analysis, add the information to your calendar, so nothing will catch you by surprise. By recording all your dates in your calendar you won’t just ensure you meet your deadlines, you can also relax knowing that you’re organised and everything is in hand… no waking up in the night in a panic that you have forgotten something important!
2) Find a practical balance
Once you’ve planned your study timetable, it’s time to find a practical balance. This entails setting time aside for both parenting and academic duties.
For example, if your coursework is laid out in such a way that you have an exam in two weeks, you can set aside more time for studies, and make up for the time not spent with your children once you’ve taken the exam.
At some point, you might have a large workload – maybe even multiple assignments at a time when you are preparing for an exam. Coupling this with making time for your child can be overwhelming, and this calls for making the most of your time.
If you reach a point where your balance is off and you are feeling the stress, you can get reliable help from essay writing service providers who’ll handle some of your academic tasks professionally.
3) Make time for yourself
It’s easy to get so caught up in studies and parenting, that you forget that it is also important to take care of yourself. Too much work without rest can have a huge impact on your efficiency and health. So it’s important that you make time for yourself, and prioritise doing what you love most.
When you are well rested and happy you have more energy to work more efficiently on the tasks that need to get done. It also gives you a valuable break away from your work to evaluate your progress, see what you can change to make things better, and what is working well.
4) Take advantage of your support network
If you have a big deadline approaching and don’t have access to paid childcare, don’t be shy about asking your social support network – parents, siblings, or friends – to help with childcare during your study hours.
If it’s a rare request then they won’t mind pitching in to help the greater cause – your qualification. And would be happy to help you out of a tricky situation. You can always offer to repay the favour in some way later when you’ve met your deadline.
5) Study with your children
Our children observe us and learn from us all the time. So if you want to install good study skills in your children AND get your work done, then study with them.
If they have homework or reading to do, then do yours alongside them. You can even agree a break time to enjoy together as a goal to work towards. By doing this, you’ll get quiet time to work on your own studies, and you’ll help them to learn to be better students.
Being a parent and a student can be tough at times, and it’s important to find strategies that help you strike the right balance and succeed in both areas.
It’s quite possible to study for a qualification and raise a family, but it will call for better planning and organisation. It mean you’ll need to have clear time set aside for your study and assignments, but also to be with your children.
And don’t forget YOU in all this! You can’t pour from an empty cup, so make sure that you prioritise your physical and emotional needs and have time to relax or pursue your interests. You’ll have more energy, brain space and time for your children and your studies when you do.
Diana is a writer and journalist. Her research studies in writing have helped thousands of students achieve better results. She shares valuable insights on writing that resonate within the readers. Her articles at jetwriting.com garner a striking number of views, likes, and shares.
