Short Essay-- Written December 2016

Prompt: 600 to 1000 word essay: Clearly outline three keys to successfully balancing parenthood, working, and excelling in school.

Frustrated, I pressed my head against the steering wheel. Turning left onto the highway with no light is one of many daily patience battles-- it’s the only way home from work, and I have to make the drive twice.

I work at a school, which is a surprisingly exhausting job. As a Paraprofessional, the energy required to corral twenty-five excited seven-year-olds is a world all on its own. The hour-long break I have in the middle of the day is almost an increased stress; although my four-month-old is always a welcome sight, the energy required to drive there, feed him, and drive back within an hour almost feels like a mockery. At the end of the day, I travel home to an evening filled with knee-bouncing, one-handed feats of dexterity, and seemingly endless homework.

Sometimes, as I check my grades, I breathe a sigh of relief-- I’m not entirely sure how they’re still passing, let alone above a ninety! In the course of this brief essay, I hope to effectively share with you some of the things that have saved my sanity throughout the course of my schooling.

My first priority in maintaining order as a working, schooling parent is leisure time. Yes, you heard me right! Although it seems counter-intuitive, leisure time is fundamental in reinvigorating my mind and readying me for the next bout of extensive studying. When I say leisure, however, I’m not referring to social media-- although social media does give my mind a break, I find that rather than feeling energized and ready for the next round, it leaves me just as tired as previously and wishing for something else to engage my senses for awhile to avoid work.

A good example of leisure can be found in family time. Relaxing one-on-one with the children, spending time as a family, or even dropping the kids off with extended family or friends for a much-needed date night are some of the most beneficial for me. Pursuing hobbies and talents is another form of leisure. Find an activity in which your mind is fully engaged; something meaningful and memorable. Returning from such leisure time, you may not find yourself excited to begin work on your schooling, but upon returning to your work you will find it comes much more easily.

My first semester of college, I signed up for an online math class that was left entirely up to me. I had my choice of when to study, when to take the exams, and when to pass off vocabulary. I thought I was doing well when, one day, I looked at my calendar and realized the semester was nearly over and I hadn’t even taken my first exam. Needless to say, the remainder of the class was a flurry of activity in which I never fully caught up-- I was fortunate in that I was taking remedial math at the time, and that grade didn’t stay on my transcript!

Planning ahead is a balance essential. Sit down at the beginning of the semester and make an in-depth plan, including every assignment on your class calendar. Make sure all your assignments end up in one easily accessible place, and set reminders for yourself. This plan may take a few hours or days to complete, depending on how busy you are, but it is an indispensable reference when it comes to meeting deadlines. Refer to it often.

With all this, don’t forget to go with the flow. All too often, flexibility is lost in a sea of expectation. Forgive yourself. Parenthood alone is an incredibly demanding job, requiring patience, adaptation and flexibility galore. When all does not go as planned, forgive yourself. I often think I’ve done less than my best, and yet still end up in tears from the stress of it all. Know that you are doing your best. If your worst college fears come to pass, you will still wake up to a brand-new day with brand-new potential. Embrace the adventure you’re on (or the three, as it were,) and enjoy.