How to Balance a Baby and College
You need twenty hands to juggle an infant while going to college. Although moms are frequently referred to as superhumans, they still only have two hands. Learning to balance the two requires organization, flexibility, time and patience. Find out great ways to spend time with your little one while maintaining good grades in college.
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Instructions
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Create a schedule that best suits your needs. If your first priority is college and grades, then base finding a babysitter around your course schedule. If you have a slim selection of babysitters, base your school schedule around your sitter's availability.
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Be realistic. There are only 24 hours in a day and you can't create anymore than that. Don't create unrealistic situations for yourself. Depending on what type of institution you attend, it is unlikely that you will be able to juggle a baby and 18 college credits. Create a schedule that is reasonable for your time restraints.
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Write your schedule down in your planner. Whether you write in a planner or in a PDA, keep your schedule in a written and visible place. With everything going on at home, it's very easy to forget about college. Write down your class schedule, homework, tests, meetings, appointments and even alone time with your family. Write down any aspect of your life that you need to remember. You only have one brain and that will become jumbled often.
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Schedule study time in your planner. With all of the baby commotion, don't forget that you have to set aside time to study. If you can afford it, get a babysitter and study outside of the home. This creates an environment where you can focus on studying and you are not interrupted by your baby's needs, which leads to the next point.
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Maximize the time you spend on planned events. Any activity that you schedule, try your best to give it your all. If you schedule time with your baby, clear your mind of all other things that hinder you, in order to give him your undivided attention. This will ensure that every time you are with him, you are spending quality time, just the two of you. When you are studying, choose a place where there are not frequent distractions, making yourself more efficient and able to cover more ground in less time.
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Buy a breast pump. If your baby is still breastfeeding, you will want to purchase a breast pump so you can go to class and study without having to rush home every two hours. When trying to balance college and a baby, a dual electric pump is the most efficient pump to use.
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Plan your schedule ahead of time. Especially when dropping your baby off with a sitter, make sure you haven't forgotten anything. Make sure all bottles are packed and refill the diaper bag the night before. This will ensure that you do not have to make any unnecessary trips back home once you are off to your college.
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Prepare yourself for haphazard events. Better believe there will be things that arise when you least expect them to, usually when you have another obligation to fulfill. Just take a deep breath and reorganize your game plan.
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Take days off from school only when you need to. Try not to frequently take days off from your courses so when you are absent and miss class, or even a test, your professor has your heretofore impeccable attendance record to refer to.
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Tips & Warnings
Maintain a good relationship with your professor and make sure that she is at least semi-familiar with your situation.
