Moms – and Dads – Going to School

The decision to return to school was not an easy one. My husband and I went back and forth over it for weeks. There were so many questions we had to answer — who will take care of the house? Will we have enough money to live on? Who will handle all of the day-to-day chores that need to be done?

But the most important questions we faced concerned our kids. How would they respond to having both parents out of the home all day? Is it right to let them come home to an empty house? How would we keep up with their lives: their schoolwork, their friendships, their extracurricular activities.

Deciding to Go Back to School with Kids
In the end, we decided to lay out all of the responsibilities that we’d have to start sharing if I was to return to University. And we didn’t merely divide them between my husband and myself: the kids would have to start taking more care of their rooms, helping to cook meals, and even doing their own laundry. My going back to school would require help from the whole family.

We reasoned that my going back to school would bring a lot of benefits to the family, and so everyone should pitch in to make the transition easier. First of all, I’ve always regretted not finishing college. But dropping out seemed like the right thing to do at the time, and I don’t blame myself for making the decision.

What I realized, though, is that with my husband’s career beginning to take shape and my kids in junior high, “housewife” wasn’t a full-time job anymore. With a degree, I’d have the freedom and flexibility to start a career of my own by the time the kids were in high school. That’s something I’ve always dreamed of, and it seemed silly to not take advantage of the timing.

The Challenges of Raising Kids While in College
I won’t lie: going to school full time with two children has not been easy. Every week presents a new set of challenges and compromises that have to be made — and I’m usually the one that has to make them. At the same time, though, returning to school has been the most rewarding experience of my life, and I’m sure my children will appreciate the sacrifice they’re making when they’re go off to college.