Being a mom is quite a challenge, and being a student at the same time might be too much for some women out there. Of course, being a parent is a responsible mission and you have to put your children on top at all times. However, you should also study hard to make a better future both for yourself and your child. That is why you need to manage your time properly and finish all the important tasks on time to be both a good mother and a successful student. To some, it might seem impossible, but if you stop worrying and just plan everything ahead, you will succeed in all the important things in your life and become the best mom and the best student you can be. Today, we are going to take a look at some of the effective time management techniques for student moms.
Plan Your Time
Planning ahead is essential for developing your time management skills, so you need to make a to-do list for a day/week/month so you can follow it through crossing out one task by another. Of course, having a child means dealing with some surprises from time to time, so you can’t plan everything. Plan your daily routine as well as your finances – it will help you save up some money and spend it on some important stuff. Make a grocery list to make sure you buy important things only and don’t waste money on redundancies. Plan everything, including the time you spend on your social media by controlling your screen time.
Ask for Help
There’s no shame in asking for help. If your parents live nearby, ask them to take care of your child while you prepare for some important test, ask your spouse to spend some quality time with the kid – this will help you carve out some extra hours in your schedule. If your family can help, do not be ashamed to ask for that help, you’ll surely need it. You can also ask for some help with your assignments too, luckily there are people who can help you with that too. Your classmates and just some random people online can surely assist you with some tasks.
Have a Good Time
Have a good time with your child, enjoy simple things, spend a day with your kids, relax a bit. You need to remember why you work so hard and what you are working toward. You work to make a better living for yourself and your kid, but you must not just try to make a living, you must live now. It would be a real shame if all the memories you are going to have of your child’s early years will be you studying. You need to create some memories both for yourself and your child to cherish in the future.
Involve Your Children if Possible
If your kids are more or less grown up and are able to grasp at least something of what you are studying, involve them in the process. Of course, you can’t expect a toddler to understand astrophysics, but if it is something you can explain to a child, why not try to do it. This will help your child learn something new and make the whole process more engaging for yourself. This is a very optional step that would not suit everyone, but it might surely help some of you.
Have a Time for Yourself
It is essential to have a day off sometimes. Though it might sound counterproductive, this is one of the most important time management tips for moms. Having some free time is the key to having enough energy to keep up with all of your routine duties. With all the studying, cleaning schedule, work, and keeping an eye on your child, it is easy to burn out quickly, which is why you need some day-offs. To stay productive and keep up with all of your duties, you need to be a healthy mom, so you should totally have some time for yourself. Rest well, stay healthy, look beautiful, and just be happy – these are the most essential things for staying productive.
Set Up Your Priorities
You need to understand what areas of your life are the most important for you. Of course, your child is a top priority, but after that, you need to make sure everything else is clearly prioritized. If you are a working mom, you should prioritize your job as it is where working moms make money for sustaining their families. If you are a student, your education has to be the next most important priority after your child. All of the projects you embark upon have to be properly prioritized. Take 10-15 minutes a day to think about all the things you need to take care of and plan your day ahead.
Wrap Up
Being a student and taking care of a child might feel overwhelming at times, but if you manage your duties and the time you spend attending to all the matters, you can surely make it a bit easier. I would not go as far as to promise you that life is going to get much easier, but it will surely be much better if you try to prioritize all of your duties and avoid wasting time on redundancies. Go ahead, you are going to make it.
This article was written by Elsa Johnson, a PapersOwl leading academic professional. Elsa gave birth to her first child when she was a third-year student, so she had to keep up with all of her peers while taking care of her daughter. As Elsa suggests, time management is the key to academic success for young mothers.
