It's Time For Mom To Go Back To School, Too

Going back to school after you’ve had children and haven’t seen the inside of a classroom for years can be overwhelming.

I’ve recently talked with one of my girlfriends about going back to school, and she doesn’t know where to start.

Being a divorced, single mom with three kids and working, she wondered how would Mom ever be able to crack school books open and try to gain a higher education, not to mention pay for it?

This week we’d like to know how do you go back to school when you’ve “grown up” and have children?

Money is probably the first concern, next to lack of time.

There is money for college, but you have to be willing to go after it.

Fill out the FAFSA, apply for scholarships and take advantage of the fact you are an adult with kids going back to school. There are scholarships and grants strictly for single parents, or rather, nontraditional students.

Time—how in the world would a single mother balance time amongst all of the obligations and responsibilities that come with being a parent?

I have to believe if you want something badly enough, you’ll make the time. Often with making the time, you’ll end up sacrificing a little of one thing for another. But, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

I finished my bachelor’s degree when my son was 3 and my daughter was 8. My daughter would be working on homework, and I’d be working on homework. Though my work went into the morning hours, she saw the effort “mom put into her schoolwork,” and I believe that was a positive influence for my daughter.

Whether you are single or married, going back to school when you have children is difficult. The struggles will be there, but the rewards will outweigh the difficulties you’ll have once you take the step.