How do you manage to be a mama and student/employee at the same time. Im a newly single mama and Im starting my senior year of high school in September. I'll be graduating in January, but I will have to have some sort of job to have money for Riley, plus taking care of her and school, I dont know how I will be able to do it. I am also starting college in April and again..I dont know how to juggle everything. I dont want to need BD..but I dont know how i can do it without his financial support, and without him to watch Riley when I need to work and stuff.
I believer that most states have a child care program set up. If you're on Public Assistance, generally you can have them pay for the child care while you work.
Marigold- my roommate- is on MFIP (Minnesotas public assistance), and has to work 20 hours, but then gets sixty hours of child care totle so she can go to class.
Also, many colleges and financial aid programs offer child care assistance for while you are in school. Talk to your friends and see if you can work out trades with them- they can watch Riley and you can do them a huge favor in retern. Or find other parents going to your school and work out child care trades for them.
Does your school offer child care IN the school? You could talk to the administration, or student body about starting a child care. Child Psyc kids are REALLY good for low cost/free baby sitting- put a post up on one of the boards.
As for other things, find out where the good dumpsters are, and you can get a ton of food for free. (I just found out about a BEER dumpster around here!)
It's hard, mama, but you can totally do it!!!!
I've been a full time working single mom and student for almost 2 years. I've been re-partnered for bit now, but I was living in my own apartment while going to work and school full time for a little over a year.
The biggest sigh of releif ever was when my kids were accepted into Head Start. Before that, I had to pay a nanny to watch 2 kids and that is very, very expensive. The nannies were taking home more than I was. There were times when my kids were with a new care taker every week, or days when a care taker would be sick and I had to lose a day of work or school.
My biggest struggle is feeling like a lousy mom. I work all day and only have a few hours before the kids go to bed- most of which is spent cooking, cleaning, and bathing them. I'm still trying to get over the plans I had for being a certain type of mother.
I reccomend trying to find a flexible job. Nothing is worse than getting chewed-out or written up because your kid has the flu and you have to take off work, even though you took the afternoon off last week to go to a doctor's apt, and the week before that, your projects were late because it was finals week at school, and last month, your kid had an inservice day at school. At the job I have now, I am allowed to work from home if the kids are sick or have an inservice day.
Another rpoblem I've had is getting into situations of obligation because I depend on someone. For example, I depend on my dad to pick my kids up every tuesday because I have a night class. He nags at me, is sometimes mean, etc and I feel like I can't do anything about it because I need him every tuesday.
It can be done, I'm doing it with 2 kids. The key is organization. Know what you need and how you will get it.
I am not isngle so I don't know if this is welcome but, one of the best things that has worked for me is having a good mama friend nearby who also needs help. My good friend and I are always up for watching eachother's kids when we have time because we know we can always call on eachother. She has three kids and I have 2 so it is always crazy with the five but they are like cousins or extra siblings to eachother. You can totally do it!!
Thanks girls. My sisters pregnant and she works a lot (im living with her for the time being) and I know that weekends she would love to help me out, but during the week is where Im stuck. Thanks again though!