Juggling books and babies: Parents make distance study work

As a parent, your schedule is about as predictable as a toddler on a sugar high. Between diaper changes, school runs, and impromptu dance parties, finding time to study can feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack. 

For parent of seven and sociology student Landi Cranstoun, striking a balance means staying focused but also pragmatic.  

“I’m careful to be very realistic with how much time I have to spend. While I do as well as I can, I also recognise that I’m not necessarily trying to gain excellence in everything all the time.” 

Adding tiny humans into the work/study mix means there’s extra pressure to get everything right, but stressed parents may be happy to hear that there’s no perfect recipe. 

Cranstoun said, “Contrary to the usual advice, I don’t have a strict schedule and study space set aside. I tend to keep my course readings with me so that whenever I have a few minutes I can chip away at it.” 

“It’s amazing when you think about how much time we spend waiting for something to happen – waiting for the bus to come, at the doctor’s office, for the kids to finish up their ballet class”. 

“The time I can focus best is when the kids are in bed, so that’s usually when I do more focused activities, like writing a paper.” 

Fortunately, Massey lecturers, many of whom are parents themselves, are happy to help.  

Cranstoun said, “When I run into something unexpected, I reach out as soon as possible to the course coordinator. In my course they are generally very flexible”. 

“If I were giving advice to a parent with young children, I’d tell them that it’s going to make an impact – having the kids see their parent study. It demonstrates for them how important it is to work hard at their own studies.” 

“It also shows them that no matter how far along they are, they can always change course and try something new.”