Grad school is easier for a mom

Well, of course, there are lots of qualifications to this, like, oh, all of the obvious challenges of being a mother of two in graduate school. Many in my cohort have asked the rhetorical question, "I don't know how you do it?"

But Sunday, I had an epiphany. I had spent the day at school writing a paper that was due today, Tuesday. I had finished a draft, knowing that I needed to go home at 5 and make dinner for the kids, clean up the house, and put them to bed, but while I was hanging out with them I realized how lucky I am that I'm forced to have such a strict schedule. The payoff is high. While most of my classmates were working to the wire to finish their papers today, I was relaxing at a bathhouse (ok, so it was my birthday and mom-spa days happen about once/year, but I'm just saying...). I am forced to plan my time well, and I'm also not able to just stare at my screen for hours on end because I have to/get to go home and have a real break with my kids - which probably gives me fresh energy when I come back to my work. Will it continue to be hard? Of course. Will my classmates be free from sick kids and childcare pick-ups? Yeah. Am I working two shifts while they work one? Absolutely, but I have the benefit of a supportive family, loving community and life experience to put it all in perspective.

I don't know how they do it.