Perfecting the balance of parenting and school
March 20, 2013
Balancing motherhood and school is a challenge for many women trying to get an education while taking care of their families. College scholarships for women assist in getting moms to school, but once there, maintaining the role of being a mother can be a trial.
The 62 percent rise in full-time, post-baccalaureate female school attendees between 2000 and 2010, as noted by the National Center for Education Statistics, shows how more women on the whole are bettering their educations. Although this trend is encouraging, mothers in this bracket are often challenged to balance education with parenting.
Additionally, getting through school is not always speedy. However, a Women Employed report outlines streamlined college programs and more compressed courses to accelerate the process. By exploring these options and speaking with a college advisor, women can often find more time for family responsibilities.
In her Wall Street Journal article on motherhood, parenting expert and novelist Erica Jong notes how parents shouldn't feel like they need a surplus of time with their kids, however. She encourages parents not to sacrifice their entire lives for their children, warning that too much attention toward them can actually be harmful.
"We need to be released from guilt about our children, not further bound by it," Jong writes. By saving time through streamlined school programs and heeding Jong's advice, moms may even find a spare moment for themselves between studying and parenting.
