The Challenges of Pursuing an Education with Children

There are so many challenges that arise when you seem to be trying to better yourself. It’s always the smallest problems that come up just when you are about to do good. It’s even more so when you have a child and you’re trying to better yourself. It could be the smallest issue but it snow balls into the biggest problem ever. Whether it be missed classes because your child’s sick, or being unable to study because your child has now decided that he or she wants to play and doesn’t take no for an answer. It could be the fact that in the moment, you’re the only one around and maybe you’re the only one that can provide the comfort your child needs. Seeking an education with a child is not easy task by far, it takes persistence, determination but most importantly it takes discipline. You have to be a great multitasker and a great problem solver. How to entertain your child while dong your homework? Below are a few ideas.

1. Coloring – Coloring is a great distraction, it helps keep your child entertained and at the same time helps you to focus on what you’re doing. You will not only be able to keep an eye on your child, you will also be able to focus.
2. TV – Oh, the horror, no one wants their child to be consumed by TV. Especially now a days when the things that are being promoted aren’t so kid friendly. Yet if you find an appropriate channel some suggestions would be, Tree house or Family channel, and let them sit there for an hour and half or so you can get some serious work done.
3. Toys – Kids have a short attention span, so if you are going with the toy option, then it’s best to have different options in the toy category. For younger kids toys that light up and keep their attention. For older kids, it would be best to get toys that stimulate their minds.

Financial

It is never easy money wise to finance yourself through school and also to make sure your child is taken care of. There is usually always a struggle and the number one thing that will get taken care of is your child. So perhaps you won’t be able to afford that book that you desperately need in order to pass that class or perhaps you can’t take that tutoring class that would set you apart of the rest. Well fear not, thanks to the government and outside resources, you won’t have to choose.

As said before there are many resources that are available, the most reliable source is a program called OSAP, it is funded by the government that includes loans, grants and bursaries all rolled up in one. You can choose to take the loan portion or not the option is yours, which means less for you to pay back. The link can be found below.

https://www.ontario.ca/page/osap-ontario-student-assistance-program

Another source of resource that you can apply for are scholarships, This one is a bit more tricky because you are going up against a lot of people for said scholarship. However, if you get it you will be set and most of them you don’t have to pay back. This is the upside, so why not take a shot? what do you have to lose? The link can be found below.

https://www.canada.ca/en/services/finance/educationfunding/scholarships.html

There are many resources that can be found to help out. Even check in with the school that you have applied to. The one thing about the Canadian educational system, is this, they try to help parents who wish to pursue an education with children. There are a lot of perks and incentives that are given, however, one has to search and ensure that their research is legit. As many legit sites as there are is as many fraudulent sites as well.

You!

It all starts with you, what are you willing to struggle for? There will always be challenges in life. Everything in life in order to achieve greatness, there will always be a struggle the real question is what or whom are you willing to struggle for. There are so many challenges of pursuing an education with a child but my daughter, for her i’m willing to struggle for the rest of my life so she can have a great future.

….in the end….

Having focused first on the challenges of parenting and Learning endeavour, then on coping techniques, lets now delve into what the end result is or should be. Its very important to focus on the journey but the destination is key. We need to keep focus on what’s more important, we need to accept that the end will justify the means. Life throws all kinds of trials and tribulations in one’s path, the strong and the smartest survive.

Children are troublesome but sensitive and require attention and love to grow into proper adults. As right-thinking adults, we want our young to excel in their life. How their future is shaped is very much based on their experiences in their childhood. It is a heavy role we play; someone’s life is dependent on our decisions today and hence we know how important this all is. I know I am going through “hardship” now only to create more and better opportunities for my two “Gems”.

The college education that I will walk away with should not be undermined either. One of the best things I ever did for myself is to continue my education. The learning experience in 2020 is no comparison to what was being offered in my younger years.Technology has come a long way and everything we do at the college is done online and I am considering myself very lucky to be a part of this new world that I have dreamt about I have met a lot of great professors and college mates that I will never forget. The friendships that were fostered here, I will cherish. I’ll be the first to admit, I started late but better late than never. I want my blog to be an inspiration to all the single mom’s out there and I hope this will help to some extent. Wishing all the single mom’s a best and bright future ahead and thank you very much for reading my blogs.

I wanted to share the picture of my cousin (Yogi) who inspired me a lot taking the decision of continuing my education. She is my mentor.

please leave your comments and your feedback.

Coping the pressures of single parenting

Life happens very quickly when you are a single parent. Juggling the schedules of two children and my own college schedule is hectic to say the least. One thing that has helped me to manage the responsibility is to set a routine and try my best to follow it. Weekends are spent planning the week ahead including the setting schedules for school pickup and drop off, meal plans, laundry, shopping , other important events and how these fit in with my classes and assignments. Constant reminders, focusing on each day and taking it one day at a time help to keep me grounded.

Spending quality time with ‘sometimes’ adorable little ones has also proven to me that it benefitted both me as the parent and them as my children. They get the attention that they crave, we play, laugh, talk and comfort one another and in those moments all my troubles seem to disappear. I feel tired and overwhelmed at times, but when my little four year old comes to me and hugs me with her two little hands and says “I LOVE YOU MAMA, YOU ARE THE BEST”, I feel the energy flowing back in me like lightning. I consider myself very lucky that I am blessed with two little angels. There are times when my daughter cries for her dad and tells me how much she misses her Dad, it tears my heart apart. In situations like these I must be strong so, I embrace her and repeat my usual words “Daddy is coming back soon and he is going to bring lots of gifts for my little princess”. even though everything feels difficult, I’m reminded of my purpose and the idea behind making the move to Canada in the first place. I am hopeful, this in itself is one coping mechanism. The journey might be burdensome, but the destination is worth everything.

Below are some pictures of my little ones having fun in canada;

When Daddy visited Canada

There is no timetable or manual for LIFE. Ideally ,we would all like to spend our lifetime doing all the right things at right times. This is an easier thought than action. There are many of us who must juggle more to gain a college education. It’s no easy task raising young ones, working, being a home maker, paying the bills and studying. Even though there are more tasks to perform, the day still consists only of 24 hours. It takes a lot of time and focused effort to manage these roles effectively so that one may look forward to a bright future.

Talking about myself, I am an Indian national but migrated to Jamaica and lived their since 20 years. I have recently moved to Canada to give my two children a great future. Its not an easy task to live alone with two children in a completely strange and new environment. I am finding it very hard as a single parent taking care of the children and managing my class schedules and their timings so, I am always there in time before they reach home. On the other hand my husband back home working hard funding my education and everything else needed. Right now I must forego working to ensure my education is on point along with my children well being. My priority is to provide my children with the best mother possible, after all they deserve a best future.

Here is my family picture:

Please subscribe, and feel free to leave a comment. Your feedback is appreciated.