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Anyone here have any hacks/tips for this full time working mom who is trying to go back to school?

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Anyone here have any hacks/tips for this full time working mom who is trying to go back to school?

So I’ve had quite a professional journey, I started off wanting to be a veterinarian and I got a bachelor’s degree in biology, but I eventually decided that it wasn’t right for me. After that I decided to go into the quality control field since my previous lab skills seemed to translate pretty well and I was in the field for over 4 years. I decided that that wasn’t for me either and after giving it a lot of thought, I have decided to pursue a different career path entirely: Dentistry, more specifically dental hygiene.

I got a new job as a dental assistant 3 weeks ago and so far it’s been great! It feels like a much better fit than my previous job. I am now waitlisted at two technical colleges for their respective dental hygienist programs and I am itching to get started. After reviewing the costs and benefits of this career path, it seems like if I can play the long game and put in the hard work now, within the next 5-7 years I can be working in a booming field with plenty of professional options and the ability to earn more than double what I currently make to start my new career. This field is one where I can leverage my natural talents and curiosities in science, aseptic techniques, healthcare instrumentation, and patient care.

I am also a mom to the most amazing little boy I’ve ever met. From the moment I had him 8 months ago, I knew that there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for this little boy.

My son is my biggest motivation for me going on this new professional journey in the first place: I want my son to grow up knowing what a strong, driven woman looks like and what you can do when you’re willing to work hard for it.

I am also doing this so I can support my husband better: he’s the foundation of our family and he works tirelessly to make sure that all 3 of us can live a relatively comfortable life. I’ve been trying to find a new path forward and I truly feel like this is it.

I’m looking for ideas as to how to balance my work, my family, and my (eventual) academics. I’m especially trying to figure out how I can study smarter instead of harder and how I can prioritize/honor my growing family throughout this process. My family deserves a wife/mother that is fully present with them when she says that she will be there for them, but my family also deserves a wife/mother who is willing to do whatever it takes to help support her family and is not afraid to go after what she truly wants.

Do any of you lovely ladies have any ideas for me to succeed as a career chaser and a mom?

Thanks!

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  1. Elizabeth Stiles West

    Congratulations on starting a family as well as preparing to embark on a career! You will set a great example for your son as a Mom who works in her chosen field. Being a dental hygienist is also a relatively parent-friendly career; in most cases, you don't work nights or weekends, and the hours of your dental office usually aren't beyond the hours when daycare is available.

    The biggest thing to help you succeed is to have plenty of support. Make sure your husband backs you up 100% and will do his share of the housework and child care, especially when you're exhausted from school and/or work. If you have reliable family members in town who can also help, gladly accept that as well.

    Remember that you have needs as well; be sure to spend time with friends and/or spend some alone time to recharge, and treat yourself to a professional haircut (after all, you need to look professional for your job) and other services if you want them.

    Also don't exhaust yourself trying to be perfect. Your son doesn't need a perfect mother; he needs a mother who isn't too exhausted to enjoy taking him to the park, the zoo, reading books to him, and so on.

    As for the house, let good enough be good enough. If you have clean underwear and something to wear to school/work, the laundry can wait if it has to. A little dust on the mantel can wait as well; just keep things reasonably clean and it will all be fine.

    Don't get so stressed about your career that you forget to enjoy each day; I blinked my eyes and my children became adults!

  2. Anonymous

    Lean on your husband., men don’t ask permission or worry about being a bad Dad to improve their career. Do the same.

  3. Anonymous

    So idk but GA State University has an online Dental Hygiene. I know the program director and she is awesome. When I was pursuing my education and working full time the work world was different and employers were supportive. I worked at a hospital for most of my 4-5 college years because they are 24 hours and had flexible shifts. I could switch up from semester to semester. Also give yourself grace. We try to do it all and to do it all well but it’s okay if we can only do a little at a time. Best wishes to you.

  4. Anonymous

    I like and agree with advice about husband duties and don't burn yourself out trying to be perfect.

    I would add to the "don't worry about being perfect" in terms of academics, there is no need to be top of your class. I think just doing enough to pass, in your case, is okay. (Unless someone out there can correct me that dental offices require your academic transcript).

    I wholeheartedly agree with the comment below "good enough is good enough"! It's nice to be a strong role model for your boy, but they also need to learn that dads are as great of caregivers as moms! Even more important is that this has a strong impression on him in childhood. And he becomes responsible and willing to help out around the house because he sees it equally offered from both parents of opposite gender.

    And remember to give yourself grace and permission to not be a "do-it-all supermom". It's okay to sleep-in some days, not take a bath, or just have a peanut butter sandwich for dinner.

    In today's social media society, there's an obscene and unrealistic amount of 'perfection' and everyone is 'happy' and so 'successful' that it paints an inaccurate picture of life and just being okay with little imperfections and mistakes. Let it be okay to give yourself and your husband some slack from "impeccable parenthood". Let everyone share the load; let sometimes, one person to pick up the others' slack, and sometimes, let the team consciously and deliberately choose not to do a thing about it because it's just not worth it. Decide the values and lessons you want your son to learn and use your entire family unit to support that teaching.

  5. Anonymous

    What’s really great about that field is that once you are finished with school and are a licensed dental hygienist you will have more work like balance and can work part or full time based on your needs. Working in the corporate world there is no part time and we bring our work home at night and on weekends. Once your work day is finished you can focus on your family. Envy you!

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  7. Aaron Jacobs
    Wild ride, but that’s exactly the kind of hustle that makes the wins feel real, I feel you—just last month I stumbled across something like https://melbetapp-bd.com/ while juggling my own side grind and thought, if I can handle this chaos, I can handle anything. I totally get the balancing act you’re talking about—between work, studies, and a tiny human who’s basically the boss of your heart, it’s like playing on hard mode with zero cheat codes. What helped me was blocking out sacred family hours where no books, no work, nothing touches me and my kiddo, and then carving out tiny, intense study sprints that actually stick because I’m fresh, not fried. Also, melbet taught me the value of patience and strategy—sometimes slow, steady, smart effort beats grinding aimlessly. Keep celebrating the small wins, lean on support systems, and don’t guilt yourself for downtime; your family will feel that energy, and your career grind will hit harder because of it.

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