OK, so you want a taste of my life? Here’s my partner’s blog today:
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…We have done 15 trillion activities but nothing for more than 5 minutes at a time. Let me tell you – that’s a LOT of cleaning up and putting away.
I’m frustrated. I’m tired. I’m lonely (which is odd since I don’t have 10 seconds to myself). I’m tired of hearing “MAMA!” screamed at me. I’m tired of hearing “I want a snack!” “MAAAAAMAAAAAA….you HAVE to!” “MAAAMAAAAAA….Come HERE!”
I’m tired of saying “Come here if you want to speak with me.” “You just ate breakfast/lunch. You can have a snack in a couple hours.” “Actually, I don’t HAVE to do anything. I’m the parent.”
And I’m so over the whining today. The fussing. The tears.
Have I mentioned lately that I haven’t had a child-free moment to myself in weeks and weeks? Good thing nap time is coming.
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What am I to do with this? Being a typical “man” (yes, I am a woman, but have been told that I often behave in a relationship as a man would), I want to solve this problem. Being a woman, I get to feel really guilty about it. I did “get us into this.” In reality, there is nothing I can do. I am already more behind in class than I’d like. By that, I only mean that I am keeping up with the reading, but had no time for extras, and have not looked at the draft of my paper that needs lots of polish before Tuesday. I do not have time to come home and do chores, fix things, clean things, give my partner a break. I’d love to give her a break, but the reality is, if I do not devote tomorrow to school work, I will fall painfully behind. Sunday? Yes, on Sunday I can relieve her for a couple hours.
I know my partner balances her love of our children and her good fortune at being able to stay home with them with the need for a break and some time to herself.
I balance my desire/need for a law education with my responsibilities to my family now. Neither is a particularly enviable position. I did expect evening student challenges, especially considering my daytime job, and having two small children. Reality is setting in.
Insider advice and insights to help you decide if you should pursue a higher degree while raising children, and tips for being successful if you're already on that path, from a woman who graduated from law school in her early 40's while working full-time and helping raise two young children. While most of the blog posts were originally written several years ago, they have recently been sorted for the most relevant materials, and new content is being added.