Going back to school yourself and homeschooling...

[Sue G in PA]

Okay, so you all who know me well (and have read my post of late) are thinking, "has this chick completely lost ALL her marbles?!?" :001_huh: The short answer...yes. The long answer (for those who care to read on): I have a BA in Psychology and a few graduate classes under my belt (but those are from 13 years ago). Before I had a slew of kids, I had planned to be a counselor. It's always been a thought in the back of my mind. So, recently I've been doing a bit more thinking about it and it's really resonating with me. If you have ever homeschooled while taking classes yourself...how did it work out? Were you completely wiped or did it work out okay? This isn't something I can do (financially) right now, but in the near future I'd like to start taking a class or two a semester (preferably online). Dh and I do not want to stop homeschooling. I also don't want to burn myself out and given my emotional health recently...well, you understand. My goal is this: To have my Masters in Counseling (probably LCSW) by the time my youngest (8 mos.) is 10yo and begin working part-time as a Christian counselor. So, you see, this goal is way out there...10 years from now, but not too soon to start planning, KWIM? So, any thoughts, advice, warnings, sarcastic remarks, etc? :) Thanks!

[cathmom]

One class at a time should be doable.

 

I took a graduate class last year and it was fine.

[Heather in Neverland]

I am taking graduate classes right now, homeschooling and both me and dh are working full time...it can be done but it takes a lot of time management skill!

[Vida Winter]

I wouldn't take more than one at a time. What a wonderful thing to do for yourself! Go for it, Sue. Slow and steady wins the race.

 

~Dana

[Maria from IN]

Right now I am in my second semester of my Masters in Mental Health Counseling. I am taking 12 hours this semester, but that's unusual--we usually only take 9. It's also going to take up my summers for the next two years, because ISU's program is 60 credit hours--more than a lot of programs due to CACREP accreditation. We have 1000 clinical hours to build up besides--100 this semester and 900 next fall and spring.

 

I wasn't really completely wiped, mostly because we are now using Switched On Schoolhouse (which schedules and grades lessons automatically) and my son is now 14. Our classes are not spread out like undergrad classes 3 days a week but lumped together into a day and a half, 3 hours at a time. That gives us the rest of the week to fit in internship hours with our agency. Mondays I am on campus all day so I'm kind of tired, but mostly it's working out well.

 

Now that J's 14 and able to self-start, he can do lessons while I'm at school until he gets stuck on something--when I get home we work on his lessons together.

[SonshineLearner]

I admire you; you have a goal and want to attain it without giving up your family. I'm sure you can do it!

Carrie:-)

[WTMindy]

I got my masters degree online while homeschooling. It was difficult, but do-able. I would say that you will need a lot of support from your dh if you do this because mine ended up spending a lot of weekends and evenings with just the kids when I was studying.

[Aubrey]

I haven't gone to school while hs'ing, but I did do my MA online w/ 2 dc, 2yo & nb; finished when they were 3 & 1. Dh was working on his degree at the same time, but his classes were all on campus.

 

What surprised me about the difficulty of the situation was its invisibility. Dh had to be somewhere; he had a real schedule, & that had to be respected. Since my classes could be done "anytime" they were hard to get around to *ever.* I felt bad to say no to things for school, when *technically*...it never had to be done *right then.* (Although there are deadlines, of course.)

 

I squeezed some work in while Ses St was on, but that wasn't enough. My sis came over to babysit, but she didn't have dc yet. She ended up creating more work. (But she had fun!) I ended up going to campus w/ dh & using the computer there. Mil watched the dc.

 

Honestly, if it hadn't been for that, I'm not sure how I would have gotten it done. And these were really easy classes for me.

 

Otoh, I was taking 3-4 classes at a time. I didn't have any dc big enough to help out.

 

It sounds like a good goal, Sue. I hope it helps to kind-of get a picture of what some of the difficulties might be. I have a friend who has a BA in Psych, too, & she dreams off & on of returning to school. But hers are all tiny, & she doesn't plan to hs. GL w/ a big decision!

[Erica in PA]

I have a possible long-term plan, too. I have a B.S. degree in Biblical Counseling, but I am thinking about going back to school to become a certified teacher. I wouldn't want to start teaching until my youngest, now 6 yos, is at least in 9th grade, so that is in eight years. And, we won't know until we get to that point whether even going to high school will be best for her, or if she'd be better off homeschooling all the way through-- in which case it would be 12 years before I start teaching. I'm going to wait a few more years before starting to take classes, though, because it is so far off, and I want to be sure that I don't change my mind after already spending money on the classes.

 

Speaking of money, that's another important consideration for me... when I go back to work, I do want to make a good, reliable amount of money. Not that teachers are rolling in it, but it's a steady income with good benefits, and you have summers free to do other things to bring in more money, as well. Although I want to do something that I enjoy and that is meaningful to me, I also want to be able to get out of debt and save for retirement, things that we are putting off doing while we're raising the kids. One of the reasons I'm not choosing to go further down the counseling path is because it generally doesn't pay all that well-- something to consider as you're paying for training in that field.

[Sugarfoot]

Hi, Sue,

 

My Master's is in counseling, but I did it all before my first DS was born. My DH was in the first and second year of his residency, so there would have been no way for me to be in school if we'd have had a child at the time. I think that the class work would be manageable in small chunks, but things will get harder to manage time-wise once you get to the clinical hours part of the degree. It was sort of unpredictable, and I saw most of my clients at night. There were also staff meetings weekly, and client charts to complete. The mental stress of counseling others is also something you have to think about. Yes, it's rewarding, but it can also be very draining. By the time you get to that part, your DC will be older, but it's still a major commitment.

 

Good luck with your decision!

[phathui5]

I take one class a semester, homeschool and do childcare in my home.

[Trivium Academy]

:iagree:

 

If you can accept that your ideal may need to be downsized in regards to homeschooling and your dh is supportive, I say GO for it!!! The important part is to take care of yourself. With self-discipline and time management...not to mention a little supportive help from dh— you can do it and do it well.

 

I have a little help by ds4 being in Montessori PreK so while he's gone I can truly focus with dd8 and accomplish my own schoolwork. I work an average 20 hours a week at a part-time job (nights/wkends). I value my time greatly, so much so than pre-work, pre-college.

 

A supportive spouse is priceless, I'm still doing all the housework/home maintenance/bills on top of everything but my own dh is at least feeding the kids while I'm at work.

 

I have to be careful to take care of myself, one self-indulgent night of watching a movie until 1 am (after getting home at 10:30pm) can wreck me for days. Eating healthy and exercising are priority when adding more stress, at least imo.

 

Don't let your dreams wait too long! :)

[dm379]

I'm working on my PhD through independent study while homeschooling and working from home. Taking classes at night or on the weekends would probably be a huge help for you if it is offered. Especially if your DH is supportive and you have reliable child care for when you need to study. You might run into a problem when it is time to do your practicums though. I know I have no clue what I'll do when it is time for my residency.

[MeanestMomInMidwest]

*I* think an intelligent, motivated woman can do anything she puts her mind to....but not without help and not without making compromises in other parts of her life.

 

With that said, I am in grad school. I work full time (but for me that is 3 12-hour shifts per week, and only until my contract runs out in April, then I can scale back). We hs ds8, ds7 & dd4, although dd4 is in preschool 3 mornings per week outside the house and does Kindergarden HS the other days.

 

My dh has an unusual schedule. sometimes he's home, sometiimes he's gone completly. He is able (mostly) to arrange his schedule to be home when I'm at work. He does, literally, more than half the work right now. Of course when he's gone, I do it all, so we feel its a fair division of labor, plus he loves being home with the kids and he's great at it. this is my saving grace. he also supports my education, because when I'm finished, it will mean a better quality of life for the entire family. So, there's my help.

 

My compromise comes in that I do not tell him how to do things. He does not do things the way *I* would, but I have given up control of certaiin things. Less stress for me, less stress for him, happy kids. Win/win situation, but easier to say than do.

I also tip my head at a certain angle and squint my eyes slightly so I don't see the house (floors, toilets, countertops) so clearly. I *must* work on schoolwork above housework. this works for me, because my house is not an extension of my personality/inner self. If someone comes over to a messy house, I don't care. they're coming to see us, not the house.

 

I make time for rest. I have an underlying chronic condition that basically means I *must* be aware of my body and take care of myself. Thankfully, my dh is supportive, so when I get home from work, I basically eat, visit with the kids, and go to bed. I know that my getting adequate time in bed is not "wasting time" If I don't do it, I *will* get sick, be unable to function and that cannot happen.

 

So, make sure you have help & support, be ready to lower some standards where the standards really don't matter, take care of yourself & you can do it. Once you start, stick to your guns, and keep your eyes on the prize!

[Guest greenfin1]

Also taking Graduate class of character education and work in a Software house as well.. full time working :)

[Pamela H in Texas]

I'm taking a full load (online). And I work (going to be about full time at least til hubby gets a new job).

 

My kids were young when I started college the 2nd time (I went for a semester right out of high school, but couldn't pull off working, living, taking care of a baby, my health, AND school at that time). My kids were elementary aged the 2nd time. I also worked part time then.

 

Since you have this goal, it is a good time to get things in order. I know you've been trying, but you just listed your family/personal issues last week as ongoing things. There is nothing wrong with that, mind you, but you'll want to get those things as under control as possible before taking classes. The discipline and the kids set up to do what they need would be CRUCIAL as is delegating out the work in the house. Your middle to older kids are old enough to RUN that household if they needed to. Also, by them having more of a share, they'll feel needed (they are!) and better about themselves too. And they'll be busier. All these things help with behavior too :)

 

Anyway, classes most certainly are an option if you can get the household in reasonable order first :)

[Sue G in PA]

I'm taking a full load (online). And I work (going to be about full time at least til hubby gets a new job).

 

My kids were young when I started college the 2nd time (I went for a semester right out of high school, but couldn't pull off working, living, taking care of a baby, my health, AND school at that time). My kids were elementary aged the 2nd time. I also worked part time then.

 

Since you have this goal, it is a good time to get things in order. I know you've been trying, but you just listed your family/personal issues last week as ongoing things. There is nothing wrong with that, mind you, but you'll want to get those things as under control as possible before taking classes. The discipline and the kids set up to do what they need would be CRUCIAL as is delegating out the work in the house. Your middle to older kids are old enough to RUN that household if they needed to. Also, by them having more of a share, they'll feel needed (they are!) and better about themselves too. And they'll be busier. All these things help with behavior too :)

 

Anyway, classes most certainly are an option if you can get the household in reasonable order first :)

 

Wise words, Pam. We are working to get the house in order. My house (physically speaking) remains in chaos and I'm trying to figure out how to get that in order. It will need to be in order before classes start. I've been praying for somebody to come and help me make sense of all this clutter (homeschool stuff, toys, personal books, papers, etc....you know all the stuff a house of 9 can accumulate!). That's goal #1...to finish that before the summer or at least make a big dent. Children's behaviors are getting better. Much better. There is still fighting and bickering...but we are nipping it in the bud and using natural consequences for behaviors (less punishment and more of a "if you choose to behave like this, then you wil have such and such a consequence...your choice". It's working...slowly but surely. My own mental health is improving (although don't ask me about this morning when dh LOST an envelope with $300 in it...talk about a bad way to start your day :glare:). Anyway, 10 years from now is a long time. I have a lot of preliminary work to do. I'm not going back tomorrow. I'm thinking that perhaps I'll try to save up enough money to take a class in the Fall of 2011. Thanks everybody for the words of wisdom and experiences. I do have a lot to think about and work on.

[Tracey in TX]

Taking one class per semester should certainly be doable, especially if it's online. That eliminates travel time, student distractions, etc. I've looked at doing the same thing, but can't get my desired master's degree online.

 

I would discourage you from beginning large (more than two classes) while continuing to homeschool. One should be relatively easy, two should be almost manageable.

 

Good luck with your endeavor.

[sweetbaby]

Of course, it's doable. One class per semester will be fine esp. if taken online. I'm homeschooling five children and taking classes online (full-time). The first week was a little tough with trying to find a routine but it's getting better. I do most of my studying in the evenings after dinner. I check my courses each morning for new announcements. Assignments are usually given each Monday and are due by the weekend. You can do it!

[G5052]

Since you have this goal, it is a good time to get things in order. I know you've been trying, but you just listed your family/personal issues last week as ongoing things. There is nothing wrong with that, mind you, but you'll want to get those things as under control as possible before taking classes. The discipline and the kids set up to do what they need would be CRUCIAL as is delegating out the work in the house. Your middle to older kids are old enough to RUN that household if they needed to. Also, by them having more of a share, they'll feel needed (they are!) and better about themselves too. And they'll be busier. All these things help with behavior too :)

 

Anyway, classes most certainly are an option if you can get the household in reasonable order first :)

 

This would be my advice as well. I've always worked part-time and homeschooled, and have taken classes here and there all along. DH has been disabled for the last five years and cannot help with the house and really overseeing the kids, although now they're old enough that they manage pretty well even if he's not feeling well. Several years ago I worked through the coursework and then another professional certification with three exams, and it was pretty rough. I juggled everything for two years and then didn't work or homeschool for two months one summer to do a final cram and then take my exams. In March and April I have a cram class for a fairly easy certification exam that I plan to take in May, but one of my jobs is almost over when that starts and the subject matter is an area I've been working in for some five years now. So yes, it can be done.

 

That said, my husband and children haven always been #1 in my list of priorities. If they fall to less than that consistently, you're going to have problems. I am not a super employee, and I am not a superstar student. When something has to go, it is not my family. :001_smile:

[Karen sn]

Going as slow as you plan - totally doable!!!!!!

Go for it. One class at a time should be enjoyable. Something you are doing FOR YOUR SELF!!!

Dive in!

[Mommyof4ks]

Thank you for posting this question. I was wondering the same thing. I got my BS in Psychology, and I would love to go back to get my masters. It is good to hear others have done it! We are finally in a place where I could do it.