I have been struggling with it for some time now but now that we're moved and settled, I'm being forced to really deal with it now.

I've had my dreams set on getting my nursing degree. That's all I've ever really wanted to do. The problem is time. And the fact that my husband is in the military and will never be home to help. And the fact that I have three children that will need care while I'm in school.... and the fact that we simply can not afford care.

I can finish all my prerequisites online... my math, my english, some of my humanities... but once I'm enrolled into the nursing program, you have to do a full load and you have to go into class to do them. I have no clue how I could manage that with Jason never come.

So, I keep rethinking what career I want to have. Would I be better off doing something that I already know? Something easier to finish a degree for? Something that will allow me to do mostly online courses? I'm already familiar with some computer programming and web design.... but would it be as fulfilling? Would I even be able to find a job with that field being so saturated?

I'm just struggling with this because I have no clue how I could make nursing school work. With three kids and a husband that is never home and with one income there is no way we could afford the care that I'd need for them. I just don't know if we can do it. I don't know what to do.

If it was me, I'd explore other careers that are of interest but only IF I really wanted to work within the next couple of years. If my children were as little as yours, I'd just stick to staying home for now while doing what I can online either in the nursing field, knowing I couldn't take a full load until the kids were all in school OR I'd take classes for another career I liked.

But if it's your dream, you're going to find a way to do it. It sounds like you're up against a wall right now though :shrug.

Ya, I definitely don't want to work right away. I'm planning to stay at home with my kids until they're in school and I'm also already busy with the sites and such anyways. So, working right away is out of the question. I just HATE the feeling of not having a degree.... I hate to be a dooms dayer and think negatively but I just hate not having a degree in case something happened that would require me to work. You're right now... it's probably useless to even get a degree in a medical field if I can't use it for a while. :dunno I truly have my heart SET on nursing. That's what I want to do, without a doubt.

If it were me with having the little ones at home I would take online classes to get my AA degree, keeping in mind the pre-reqs you need to transfer into a nursing program like Anatomy etc... and when you are ready ie when the kiddos are all in school and you have Brandi time again, you will have that AA behind you and can focus on the actual nursing program :yes You should be able to finish your entire AA degree online I would think. That way you are still doing school a little at a time, home with the kiddos and can still have your dream of being a nurse... and I can see you as a L&D or Ped nurse... you would be AMAZING!!! :wub

Sounds like you kinda know what you have to do, it just sucks 'cause it can't happen right now. But maybe you can do something that makes you feel like you're making some progress toward it.

maybe you could get your medical assistants degree to start and go from there later?

When the kids are all in school, the school district might have an AM/PM program where the kids can stay at the school (kind of like a daycare with other students) until the evening. I dont think it is as expensive as actually paying a regular daycare...I am not sure though. That might be an option for you though if you were wanting to wait until the kids are in school to do it. Maybe you could start the classes online like a year or so before they are all in school and then do the time intensive stuff while they are in school?

When the kids are all in school, the school district might have an AM/PM program where the kids can stay at the school (kind of like a daycare with other students) until the evening. I dont think it is as expensive as actually paying a regular daycare...I am not sure though. That might be an option for you though if you were wanting to wait until the kids are in school to do it. Maybe you could start the classes online like a year or so before they are all in school and then do the time intensive stuff while they are in school?

I agree. Can you get the pre-req's done before the kiddos go to school and when they are in school start your nursing degree? I know nursing is a demanding major, but you already seem like wonder woman and I am sure you will make a great nurse.