Any other mature student SAHMs?

[AbernathysFringe]

I had my DC1 in the middle of my part time MA! I'm 35 and retraining to do secondary school teaching. I hadn't expected to catch PG so quickly. Anyway, DC is now 10 months, I've only got the dissertation to go. A nice 20k words. Since having her, my grades have dropped, I find it much harder to get my academic brain going especially when I mostly only get grandma or daddy to have the baby for 2-5 hours at a time and it takes a while to concentrate. Lack of sleep is just crap. I have to go to bed when she does at 8pm to feel remotely awake, but then that's my free time!
I know I have to timetable some baby-free time to actually get any good research or work done. How are you organising your study time?

I'm not anymore but I did study when DS2 was a baby. I tried to squeeze it in when he slept during the day and in the evenings when he was asleep. If I was too tired in the evening I would go to bed early and then set my alarm for 4 or 5 in the morning to do some work before he woke up.

It was hard work but I'm happy I did! Would not have had my job now if I hadn't.

DC wakes up at 5:30 some mornings or I'd do that, it's a good idea! I'd love to talk to some people going through same, just for moral support really! I've put off the PGCE until next year when hopefully the sleep will improve as I know it's really hardcore!

I have three DC and I'm doing an MSc but my youngest is at preschool and the other two are at school so it's not the same really. I can imagine that it must be really hard trying to do it with a small baby. My sister had two children during her undergraduate degree. She did take a year out in the middle but otherwise kept going, but again, she had childcare so that she could work during the day.

Are you starting again in September or leaving it for another year? Even a few months can make a huge difference in terms of baby sleep patterns. I hope it settles down for you.

Thanks Mis I'm graduating this summer but putting of the PGCE til Sept 2017! She'll be 2 then which is a very scary (and a bit sad) thought!

*off not of! Maybe I should take a typing course while I'm at it...