In my experience, grad school and young families don't mix so well.
I can get to grad school. I can arrange for a babysitter, get all the kids fed, and get out of the door with the kitchen cleaned up. I can even make sure that if JP has soccer while I'm in class (Monday night class only. Not the Thursday one. No soccer practice twice a week. No way.), he has his kit ready to go, water bottle, snacks for the little guys at the park, and directions for the babysitter. I finally (after doing this masters for several years) worked out that my very good friend and mentor was right. I need extra study time. Despite having to pay for it. It is essential to prevent out family from falling apart. So, now I have study time carved into the week. And the weekends, if the schedule (soccer games times-two, ice-skating, church...) allows. What I cannot do is clinicals, interviews, and constant on-line discussions. Remember when university meant lectures, papers, and reading? No observations (hard to do in philosophy), no clinicals and curriculum development, and no blackboard postings on-line! The hardest thing about my undergrad was the fact that every ten weeks, for each class we had to produce a twenty page paper. At least, that seemed really hard at the time...! I mean, when your life revolves around socializing, library, student union bar, library, student meals, library, and writing fervently to that damn Yankee, 4 twenty page papers seemed frightening. Oh and the fact that my first year of work in undergrad was all handwritten? Amazing.
Fortunately my professor and advisor raised three children while she completed her masters degree and doctorate. But, as she herself pointed out, she didn't have a two year old. I don't think it matters too much how old the kids are. But the little guy makes it impossible to study, write, read, or post while he is awake. And he's totally worth all the raging thoughts about what is due when. But the fact remains, there is a whole lot of juggling going on.
The worrying thing is that when I'm finished (next May??!!), I don't know exactly what my future holds. Teacher? Director? Consultant? Stay-at-home mom? One thing is for certain, those three little men that keep me SO busy and make it harder to finish, will still be here. With their smiles, giggles, dirty fingernails, and pranks (Charlie or JP, it's unclear who, taped the toilet seat down one night), and they'll still look to me for hugs, snacks, stories, and kisses. Although they are only at night when JP is certain that no one can see....
