Defining My Future

I am so excited to get back into school. I have heard it will be a challenge, which only makes me want to go more! lol I am keeping everyone updated on my progress in nursing school via Mrs. Nurse Mommy So far I have done a ton of research on all of the possible paths to a career and I think I have found the one for me. I am a little nervous given the other online forums and their comments, but I think I will do great.

In the course of planning my degree I have been having some mixed feelings. For some reason I feel like going back to school for two years is somehow going to discount my children's lives. I know they only have a short time before they go to school and I want to be "there" for every minute of it. I don't want to miss anything that I don't have to. I always thought I would go on to something new once my youngest (likely not even born at this point) goes off to school. However, that could be as long as nine years from now! That just doesn't seem like a good idea. I don't like the idea of starting a school career at 33 and finally entering the field at 40. I know people do it everyday, and I am not knocking them, I just really don't want to go that path.

I feel like if I wait to start school then I will be so far behind the other nurses in my field that I will never be looked at for promotion or leadership. I don't want to be the brand new nurse at 40. So I am going to go back now, fear or not, because I know that I need this for me. I still will be there for my kids, I am not going to be putting them in daycare. Chase and I will be going to school at the same time so we will be alternating school schedules in order to cover childcare. Where we can't keep the little ones, I am confident that our family will fill in.

With this plan I will be done with school right as I turn thirty. That leaves me ten years of experience on the other plan. I will be done by the time my oldest is 11 and my youngest will very likely be 2 or 3 years old. I will be able to spend time with the kids while I am in school, I will still be able to drive them to and from school and I may even be able to fit a job in there. I hope that my plan is not too unrealistic. I have heard it will be hard, but if anyone can do it then I can. I have my eyes set on getting through my masters and becoming a midwife while maintaining a stellar relationship with my kids and husband.

*****************Here is to finishing college as a mom and wife! ******************