Some days I feel like I’m juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle. Being a mum and a student nurse is basically that… but with extra slime involved.
Mornings are the worst offenders. With my time blindness, I’m already on edge about being late, and then Miles decides today is the day he’s refusing to get dressed or demanding sweets before school. Add the panic of the school run and placement shifts, and my stress levels are up before I’ve even left the house. Bonus round: the time I had to take him onto campus for a meeting and he lost it because I wouldn’t let him smear slime across the computer. Mortifying for me, hilarious for everyone else.
So how do I cope when mum-life and student nurse deadlines collide?
- Humour – honestly, sometimes you just have to laugh. If I didn’t, I’d cry (and occasionally I do both).
- Small escapes – yoga, crochet, reading a few pages of a book. Anything to press pause on the chaos, even for ten minutes.
- Support system – I couldn’t do it without Grandma and Dad. Even if they moan now and then, their flexibility saves me, especially when Grandma does the school run so I don’t miss class.
- Dog walks (when they work) – they can be calming, unless it’s winter and Frankie thinks every crisp packet blowing down the road is a potential burglar.
- Letting go of perfection – I always plan a bath and early night, but in reality I’m scrubbing slime out of the tub and then staying up late for “me time” because ADHD says I’ve earned it.
It’s messy, it’s chaotic, and some days survival is all you can manage. But that’s okay. If you’re juggling kids and nursing school too, know that you’re not failing. You’re just human. And honestly? That’s more than enough.
Remember: Sometimes self-care is simply choosing the path of least stress.
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