School has started for your kids, and you.  Now what?  Juggling home, school, family, and work can be a daunting task.  But if you keep focused and stay on point, it is possible.

For the last 7 (yes seven) years I have been attending school while managing 2 kids (3 if you count my husband) and work.  I could not have done it without the support of my family and friends.

The hardest part for me has been worrying about what I wasn’t doing.  When I was with my family I was thinking about school, when I was at school I was thinking about work or what I needed to do at home.  Being a multi-tasker by nature, it was difficult to remember that I was only human.  Some days it was like working 3 full-time jobs, and only getting paid for 1.

Being organized and setting a schedule is the key.  It helped us quite a bit to sit down at the beginning of each week and go over the schedule for the family, figure out menus and shopping, and making sure the clothes the kids needed were ready at the beginning of the week and not trying to do laundry at 2 a.m. (although that has happened).  I’m not saying you should be a schedule Nazi, be flexible.  Also, start teaching the kids to do their own laundry.  Their spouses will appreciate that at a later date.

I’m hoping all this hard work will teach my kids to finish what you start.  My poor daughter doesn’t even remember me not going to school.  I feel it is important to show them that education, especially now, is vitally important to their success.  A lot of companies won’t even look at you unless you have graduated college with some kind of degree.

If you are lucky enough to work for a company that values education, take advantage of it.  Setpoint has been great to work with my ever changing schedule.  I know my family and Setpoint will be glad when I am done.  Of course, I will be ecstatic to remove a full-time unpaid job.