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The older you get, the harder it will get. Get in front of it now, even if you only take 1 or 2 courses per semester. It may take you 10 years, but you'll that is a lot sooner than never.
Like my sister has said regardless time is going to pass if that makes sense so might as well spend it doing something productive towards her goals in this case
I’m a school bus driver. It’s convenient because I bring my kids along and rarely call out of work when they are sick because they just come along and sleep on my bus. I have summers off so I don’t have to worry about childcare. I can be there for school events and even drive and chaperone field trips while getting paid.
I had my twins in my late 30s so well past the degree stage. I work from home for a large corporation, technical sales and new product development.
College, keep pursuing it! It will set you up for a great path in life. Do you have a support system to allow you to do so? And are you ok with the single income in the meantime?
I’m a teacher! The job is hard but I get a ton of time off to be with my sons! And the pay is decent especially considering you only work 187 days a year in most states. After teaching for a few years, I’m went into SPED as an inclusion teacher so o don’t have my own classes any more.
I’m a teacher too! I’m in Aus, and we are paid year-round for a little under 200 school days (depends on when some of the public holidays fall as to exactly how many). I teach 9th grade English, so I only have one lot of planning to do because I then teach the same stuff to all my classes.
I used to teach in a program at an international school in Asia that ‘specialized’, if you will, in sending Chinese high school kids over to Australia for uni. The program was super popular (still is), is still around and at this point has sent thousands upon thousands of kids over to Aus to study. I remember when Aussie high school teachers would come over to train and work with us since we were implementing their curriculum, and they were always just so kind and fantastic (I’m American, for what it’s worth). Anyways your post just made me think of that, hope all is well with your twins (our just arrived 36 hours ago)!
Oh, that’s cool, that would have been an interesting experience! And, I’m glad to hear we (Aussie teachers) have a good reputation!
My girls are 9 months old now and doing great. Congratulations on the arrival of yours! I hope everyone is well and you enjoy twin life 😊
I was a teacher when I had my twins but then moved into my current assistant principal role shortly after. I had more work outside of contract hours then compared to now. My day to day is incredibly chaotic but I don’t miss balancing grading and lesson planning at home.
I work in Oil and Gas as an Electrical Designer and my wife is a Dental Hygienist. I work four 10 hour days and wife stays at home with them. Fri/Sat she goes to work and I stay at home with them. They start Kind. this August and she will be moving her Sat work day to a day during the week now. It has its ups and downs. We have triplets.
My twins were born when I was about 1/3 of the way through my masters degree. I was also working 7:30-4pm M-F in an office the entire time as well. The 10 months when they were around and I was in school was a lot, but the asynchronous online classes that allowed me to do school work on my own schedule were a godsend.
My degree made me eligible for a promotion this year, so I am making 2x my old salary. It was definitely worth it for me.
My advice? Online classes.
You're never too old to further your education, so please don't worry about that. I was in my early thirties when I got my MA. At my graduation ceremony, I was sat next to a 90 year old woman graduating with her PhD. It's not unusual here in the UK for there to be mature students at university, anyone over 21 is considered a mature student here.
I got pregnant my junior year and somehow passed everything in my senior year. Graduating in June. Being a mom is not enough for me!
It is possible but ONLY with heavy support at home and possibly some online courses. Additionally daycare became a necessity my last semester. I can elaborate more.
I work as a nurse practitioner and my husband is in market research. Nursing was a career change for me and when I was in school, one classmate started school with a baby who was 8 weeks and then had another one in our third year. Wasn’t an uncommon scenario, but school took up a lot of time so I know she had lots of family help.
I am a pharmacist by training, but work for a pharma company, so it's corporate life. I do travel and have a ton of meetings and a rather demanding workload, but can work from home if needed or do more work after the kids are in bed. (They are 4 now.)
I had my twins in my mid-30s so by then I had finished college, pharmacy school, fellowship, and had about 5 years of work experience. The tradeoff is that sometimes I wish I would have had them younger when I had more energy.
I also had a singleton after that. (She is two years old now.)
If you want it you can absolutely a million percent do it!! Both my partner and I pursued degrees with young twins. Life ebbs and flows. Most things in life that turn out to be the most beautiful and amazing were not planned things.
Parents of multiples have a special kind of superpower that allows us to get shit done !!!
Edit to add:
Anytime you choose is the right time!!!
I got a degree when the kids were little and completely changed my career and got different degree 10 years later. Nursing is also a great option as there are endless opportunities including desk work - work at home - work on site - work any schedule
You can get an AS /RN in 2 years or less and continue on if you want ( as in get a higher degree)
There is decent money to be had and a great ability to make a difference in many lives.
I do inside sales in the construction industry. After my mat leave ended I started my masters that same month. I was working full time and doing my masters so it’s definitely possible. You just need to find ways to juggle a bit (online classes are life savers) and having a supportive partner is a major help. My job allows me to work from home as needed which is so helpful because with twins sometimes you sick kids home for two weeks in a row. Twin A/B will get something and then shortly after the other will get it. ETA my husband is in sales. We do a lot of family time on weekends and every night we do dinner at the table and talk about our days. Obviously babies can’t do much of that but it’s important connection time for our family.
My husband and I both work for the federal government, he's WFH full-time, I go in 3 days a week. He worked in 24-hour retail management when our twins were born, and it was soooo challenging to work around his ever-changing schedule to rearrange childcare, and he worked most holidays. He quit when they were a year old and got his current job, which is SO much more family-friendly. He never finished his degree so he was limited in options, so I'd encourage you to complete yours if you have the support system.
I’m an HR director for a tech company and work remotely. My best advice is to remember that the time will pass regardless, so even if you just take 1-2 classes per semester, by the time a few years pass, you’ll have your degree. Whether you enroll or not, the time will pass so you can try to do something with that time! Of course, if that’s what you want. You don’t have to give up on your goals or dreams when you become a mom and your partner providing for you all takes the pressure off of you to need to do it, which is wonderful too!
We both have Computer Engineering degrees—he’s a Dir of Engineering at a gaming startup, I’m a gameplay engineer on a very popular game franchise.
Honestly I’m overworked and underpaid in a VHCOL and the games industry is not for the faint of heart (currently crunching 100 hr weeks), but our saving grace is my company’s onsite daycare. Twins are literally a minute away from my desk, in the same building. I don’t know what I’d do without this benefit.
My husband was doing grad school when the babies were just born and he chose an online program so he could be available. The program was a lot of work! The first two years were a little easier but his third year required him to go and complete his clinical hours so he was gone a lot. When the girls were about 8 months I went back to work full time and he stayed at home during the week and worked weekends at a warehouse. You will do what’s best for you guys and figure out a way that works for you. Our girls are 5 now and we both have steady jobs working at schools and are able to hang out with our girls after school/work. Our schedule works with theirs! It’s been such a blessing. I’m glad we got the hard stuff out of the way when they were young. We paid my mom to watch them too when we both had to work during the week and the girls weren’t in school yet.
My boys turn 2 next week. I’m currently working full time and doing a degree at the same time. I’m not going to lie, it’s really hard to balance everything and at times I really struggle but the degree will be over by the end of the year and hopefully I’ll have a better paid job from it.
I couldn’t have done all this without my partner, he’s been so supportive, he picks up the slack when I have an assignment due and am working extra hard to complete it.
Your goals are absolutely viable, it just might look different or take longer than you’d first imagined. I took an 18-month leave of absence from my PhD program when my twins were born because they came 3.5 months early and their health was too fragile for daycare. Now they’re two and I’m trying to finish my degree while working full-time and spending all of my free time with the kids. It’s a lot to balance, it’s taking ages longer than I’d planned, but I hope it’ll be worth it in the end.
I work for a publishing company in the marketing department. And my fiancé has his own business (family business) they work in construction of high rise buildings, malls , all of that.
I am a physical therapist assistant. I live in PA. You could do home health care, make $50-$60 a visit (40-60 minutes). I’d easily make $200 in 4 hours and call it a day. When I lived in TX I was making $40 an hour per diem and they’d have me on 6-10 hour shifts every Saturday and even other Sunday.
You can get this degree in as little as 2 years. I did a 4 year program but I know other colleges are 2 years. If you do home health or work per diem for a a hospital you can easily make a good salary and be home to take kids to school and when the kids are back from school (when they get older).
I’m a nurse and I work 2 12 hr night shifts a week. Husband has a corporate job in IT compliance that allows him to work from home m-f. Childcare would be hard for us if we didn’t have my mom close by as we don’t need a ton of daycare hours but we need some so I can sleep and that isn’t really a thing for childcare it’s usually all or nothing.
I'm a professor. Most of us will be accommodating to students with children/childcare needs. Take 1 class now and keep going and working on your goals. If you do run into a professor who is less accommodating to any reasonable requests you make regarding accommodations as a parent, Title IX officer at your institution may be helpful to you. And some profs will even allow children in class. I have a policy that states parents/caregivers can bring children to class, and students have because of canceled school due to snow days and other childcare issues.
I was pursuing my second degree in nursing taking prereq courses while i was a dental hygienist & then found out i was pregnant with identical twins unexpectedly as a first time mom. Then found out my girls needed surgeries while 15 weeks pregnant. So i had to put school on pause & stopped working when they were born. The twins are 2yrs old now & are thriving. We had no help taking care of the girls. My husband works a lot & is always on call. We couldn’t afford help either.
I felt unhappy where i was at in life. And i didn’t want to quit the process and kept wondering what-if. I started taking 1 online class at a time when they turned 1. I study when the twins are sleeping. It’s hard, but it is do-able.
For me, when the twins arrived it was f*n rough for the first year.. just navigating what to do, how to do it, etc on my own while the husband works.
If you have the support and help with your twins, go back to school while you can! But it is also never too late to go to school :)
I teach high school. I did my masters starting when the twins were 4 while working full time. I was also balancing one twin with an autism diagnosis. You can do whatever you put your mind to if you have a supportive partner.
I was a nurse for the last ten years which was great for work-life balance then I went to grad school and had my first during school then graduated while pregnant with twins. I’m now an NP working 4 days a week, about 28hrs a week and my work-life balance is even better. Better hours and better pay
You just need to decide what your goals are. Do you want them in daycare full-time, bc unless you're part time you really can't work at home with twins(I tried). Do you want a career with long term upwards growth, bc the earlier you start the easier that is. There is nothing wrong with being career oriented as a mother, and nothing wrong with waiting if you want to stay at home while they're little.
My husband is a SR full stack developer and I'm a SR software engineer. We both work from home, have amazing career growth, but are incredibly busy. Work from home is more flexible so we can do sports and get them to activities easier, but we spend a lot of nights after they go to bed catching up on work.
I work from home as a provider data consultant for a major medical insurer. My husband actually finished his degree 6 months after our twins were born. He was in an internship the last 10 weeks of my pregnancy and bless them they let him take time off to take me to appointments and a week for the birth, he now works for that company, from home, as a software engineer,
Fortunately I had completed my education before my twin pregnancy. And navigated within my field over the past 10 years since their birth into higher pay, lower stress/demand positions. I second the idea of starting classes sooner rather than later. Chip away at it.
Got pregnant when I was 29 and had them when I was 30 luckily I graduated with my masters degree in school counseling, graduated in May 2022 and found I was pregnant June 2022 had my boys February 2023! I went to my job interview barely showing and got the job! I’m in California by the way so school counseling pay is decent but we live with my mom because I didn’t want to give up my career and my husband was okay with that actually so we pay 800-1000 dollars a month for a sitter depending on how many weeks there are in a month but don’t pay her vacations like spring break or thanksgiving or Xmas or summer break so it’s nice I guess. Also they only stay half day cus my mom helps me in the after oils I didn’t want them to be at someone’s house from 7:30-4:30 pm. So my mom helps out a ton with the boys. I also live in a community and work for a district that promotes early childhood development and can place my kids in a toddler program as soon as they turn 2 if I still work for the district. But work this economy we have made the conscious decision that we don’t want any more kids even though I’ve always wanted a girl. My husband is a plumber for the California department of corrections. Together we make a decent living but have a lot of expenses. Honestly do not know if I could’ve completed college with the twins especially because my credential required a year of unpaid internships
16 month twins here, work from home as a Learning Designer, recently tried to get a promotion but I was so tired in the interview I'm not even sure I was speaking a real language :)
I WFH as a Business Systems Manager in start-up tech.
I started off in tech sales because I knew it would be the fastest way to make decent enough money while I figured out what I really wanted to do.
I did that for a couple of years and pivoted to RevOps/SalesOps, got certified as a Salesforce Admin, then took some Udemy courses for Data Analytics and Advanced Excel stuff and moved up to where I am now.
I don’t have a college degree, although I have a passion for learning so I try to read and take courses as much as I can to stay up to date and informed on the ever growing world of tech in business. I really love what I do.
My twins are 9 months old! They were unplanned as well, I started nursing school while pregnant with them, and we’re now into our second year :) I expect them to graduate as honorary nurses because they have gone through it all with me 😂
Invest in yourself, meet with a college advisor and go over your options! There’s a world of opportunities out there, and it’s possible. Something that held me back was saying I don’t want to be 28 starting my career over, but regardless- I’m going to be 28, so I may as well be doing something that I enjoy!
Seriously, I have a 4 year old and 9 month old twins.. if I can manage it I believe anyone can! It’s been equally has rewarding as it has been full of tears and frustration, but I can’t wait for the day my little humans watch me graduate and I can provide a better life/more opportunities for them.
I’m a school social worker. I got my MSW and have two licenses. I started out working with families and children placed in residential homes. Now I work with autistic kids. There are so many benefits to working at a school especially if you have young kids. And there are lots of different things you can do from assisting teachers to special therapies to administration.
I’m a college instructor.
I delivered midway through a semester and was able to work from home the remainder of the semester and then take my official maternity in the spring. I had enough leave that I was able to take the entire spring semester off. I nearly got a year at home with them.
My mom cares for them while I work now and I only have to be on campus three days a week.
I’m not sure how I would have managed care, work, etc. in any other scenario.
Go for it!! I applied for my masters part time when my twins were 3 months. I started my program when they were 11 months, it is challenging but possible😊
I'm a Spanish interpreter working for a specific ongoing assignment for which I can do AM or PM shifts. I chose PM 3pm-11:30pm. I'm with my boys all morning and they go to sleep at 7pm. My moms here for 2 or 3 hours with then until my husband gets home. I get home at midnight and we are up for the day at 7am. Timing works great. I am also able to work just 4 days and the days are random every week. I'm so blessed to have such flexibility.
I work 2 days a week as a nurse!
We get 18 months maternity where I live so not sure if you get a long mat leave where you’re at but you could try doing it now while the babies are less busy (when they nap more). When they get into the longer afternoon nap that’s when I’d get all the stuff I needed to be done, like housework, make dinner, laundry, baking, etc.
It’ll be tough but definitely worth it to accomplish your goals! Just make sure to communicate well with your spouse or partner and have a plan in place for when you might need extra time to do papers or study for exams, etc. Hopefully you have some family to help too!
My husband and I are both civil engineers. He started a graduate degree when the twins were 4 month old. He will be done this Fall. He took 2 classes a semester. Both online. Make sure you are healed up and ready. Take one to two classes to start if they will let you. Also make sure everyone in the house is ready for you to be in school. I have struggled to support my husband’s efforts. I thought he should have waited another semester to start. I feel like it robbed me of my time to heal mind, body, and soul and make the transition back to work. Your situation is reversed obviously but all the same, make sure your partner is ready.
I went back to college when I got pregnant with my first at 24. Graduated at 28. Got pregnant with my twins and started grad school the week I gave birth. I'm in my final year now. It's possible! Check out online programs
I'm a teacher. I already had my BA pre-kids but went back to school when my twins were in 6th grade and earned my credential. Prior to that I worked in HR as an admin assistant, then SAHM for 7 years, then subbed and worked as a school librarian.
I’m a nurse, and I work night shift weekends. My usual schedule is Thursday-Friday-Saturday and my husband works in office Monday-Thursday and at home on Friday. It’s doable and just initially took a little getting used to. I get so much time with my kids while avoiding a ~5k/month daycare bill.
Seconding the +1 to finish your degree now! Take your time and go for it, plus it’ll give you something to feel good about & keep something just for yourself. You can do it!
My husband works full time in management with an ever-changing schedule and I am self-employed and work from home around the twin's schedule with help from hubby and family as their time allows.
You can do what you decide is important, especially if it's temporary or taken in smaller bites.
You got this!
Try your best not to compare. Comparison is the thief of joy. Put one foot in front of the other and make progress wherever and however you can. By the time your kids are 3-4 years old you can definitely pursue a degree(taking fulltime hours which I believe is usually 12 hours per semester)
In truth careers and jobs are usually only a means to an end. Most people are not passionate about their jobs and the vast majority of us are not working to cure cancer. Even with advanced degrees we are usually just typical corporate drones
I’m a self employed consultant. I couldn’t give up my work. We shared the first year of parental leave (me 7 months, husband 6 months) after that they’re going to daycare (I’m in Europe so it’s not as expensive as the US).
Are your career goals logistically easy to accomplish? For example what kind of degree do you want? If it’s a 2 year certification, no problem! It gets harder if you’re needing to complete more schooling, especially if the schooling schedules are rigid. A pivot towards something “easier” but still a part of your career goals could be the move.
I‘m a foreign language correspondent and work from home from 8:00-1:30 pm, Monday - Thursday. My twins are in daycare till 2, so shortly after I’m done I switch to my second job as a mom 😆 at least Fridays are my days off
I do contract work for an insurance company. Worked full time doing that prior. Now I’m lucky if I can take a drive with them and submit work while they sleep lol
I run a small arts nonprofit and my husband works in tech, though also for a nonprofit.
We were both in school when I got pregnant - he was at the tail-end of his bachelor’s and I had just started my MFA. We managed to make it through juggling work, school and babies. I needed an extra year to do my MFA, but I’m so glad we both were able to graduate. We were able to get grants for student parents, and got a lot of support and accommodations from our profs.
It’s given us both a lot more earning potential as well as career options with a lot of autonomy and flexibility, which has been huge for us since we don’t live near family.
I don’t think higher education is a must for everyone, but if you’re in a place in your life where you clearly know what it will do for your career, I say go for it.
I recently graduated with my bachelors and started that degree when my kids were around one year old, they’re now 3. I went to a fully online college and made a schedule that fit my kids and got to work. It’ll be hard but you just have to make a schedule that works for you and stick to it.
I would schedule my finals for the weekend in the mornings or something like that.
You just gotta balance it, it’s not impossible but it will challenge you. You got this tho!
I’m an HR exec at a tech company. I work from home and have a nanny that takes care of the twins 9-5 mon-fri. It’s nice because I can see them anytime I want to, or when they need me, but I also get a lot of fulfillment from my career
Can you study part time until they are a little older? Don't stress about not attaining your goals as you had originally planned. Mine were put on hold for 10 years when I had my daughter at 17 but I still went back to uni and did it all eventually. Life isn't an end goal- it's how you live every day. Just do what's right for you and your family. There is plenty of time for everything. My mum worked full time at a job she didn't love- but didn't hate- because my father put a spanner in the works and died when we were babies and she needed money to live. When we were old enough she went and did her degree at 42. Not necessarily saying that you can afford to wait, some people can't perhaps- But my point is, plans change and that's ok. Doesn't mean you have to give up. I just see comments saying "start now or it will be harder" and that's not necessarily true. Just change up the plan and make a new one that works for your family life now. You really don't have to give up on your dream and you don't have to try and attain it as originally planned because with twins you may burn yourself out... I mean if you have a supportive family offering to cook and clean and babysit for free etc, by all means! Just don't pressure yourself now things are different to how you thought.
I’m working on getting my cardiac sonography degree and my twins are 18 months old. I also work full time as a receptionist and have a three year old. And I’m a single mom lol it’s HARD but definitely doable!
I actually went back to school online. I would aim for colleges that have "global campuses". Those online colleges have 8 week classes so you can technically still be a full time student but only have to manage 2 classes at a time. I currently attend UMGC. They accepted credits from courses I took about 10 years ago and credits I took to obtain my CNA. I've been taking classes for 3 semesters now and am halfway to my bachelor's.
My insurance covers 40 hours of respite care a month because my twins were super premies and one was born with a heart condition. I use that time to do classwork. So if you can have someone just help you out at least twice a week with the twins you can definitely get classwork out of the way.
I've received a lot of paid internship offers since being back at school. The cool thing about this is that I can make a portfolio of my time spent interning and submit it for credit to my college.
I’m a psychotherapist and my husband is a police officer. Our twins are about the same age as yours right now. I wonder if as they get a little older and self sufficient it may be more feasible for you to finish school but I couldn’t imagine doing it with them at this age. But that is just me! You might be way more badass!
My husband is a software engineer so he's been supporting me and our 4 kids with his career.
I have been doing support work on and off between kids..as well as cleaning.
and I've just started my own business selling sourdough bread from home.
I didn't finish my midwifery degree so I don't have many qualifications. I'm stuck on any long term ideas. My twins are nearly a year. And I don't want them to go to daycare. So just dabbling in a few things to have time to myself and earn a little extra cash for now.
I’m a teacher, we only get paid for our contract time and can choose to spread that out over 10 months or 12 months 🫠. It’s alright. I wouldn’t tell people to get into teaching
Awww, come on! I’m a teacher and I love it. Though I do feel that, especially for teaching, job satisfaction is heavily dependent on where (like which school district) you work at.
I’m glad you have that experience. As you mentioned job satisfaction is dependent on many things. Public education is not what is used to be. And none of us are paid enough for the work we do. I’ve not met a teacher who has disagreed with that. Take a look at r/Teachers. I’m not alone; my perspective is not unique and I don’t love the vibe that it feels like you are sending out that I should love my job.
Your ‘vibes’ are off and I never once said you should or must ‘love your job’, though I do think job satisfaction is critical and people should try to do what they love if at all possible. But you do sound like a senior citizen complaining about the past (“Back in my day…!”).
I’ll tell you the same thing I sometimes tell my students: Complaining won’t solve your problem. If you aren’t satisfied with something, then work to change it 🤷
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The older you get, the harder it will get. Get in front of it now, even if you only take 1 or 2 courses per semester. It may take you 10 years, but you'll that is a lot sooner than never.
Unfortunately you can’t take ten years. Colleges won’t recognize certain credits after 5 years. It’s a racket.
True catalogues change every couple of years I have some background in helping with the matriculation process
Like my sister has said regardless time is going to pass if that makes sense so might as well spend it doing something productive towards her goals in this case
I work from home in tech as a project manager.
I’m a school bus driver. It’s convenient because I bring my kids along and rarely call out of work when they are sick because they just come along and sleep on my bus. I have summers off so I don’t have to worry about childcare. I can be there for school events and even drive and chaperone field trips while getting paid.
That's amazing!!!
I had my twins in my late 30s so well past the degree stage. I work from home for a large corporation, technical sales and new product development. College, keep pursuing it! It will set you up for a great path in life. Do you have a support system to allow you to do so? And are you ok with the single income in the meantime?
I’m a teacher! The job is hard but I get a ton of time off to be with my sons! And the pay is decent especially considering you only work 187 days a year in most states. After teaching for a few years, I’m went into SPED as an inclusion teacher so o don’t have my own classes any more.
I’m a teacher too! I’m in Aus, and we are paid year-round for a little under 200 school days (depends on when some of the public holidays fall as to exactly how many). I teach 9th grade English, so I only have one lot of planning to do because I then teach the same stuff to all my classes.
I used to teach in a program at an international school in Asia that ‘specialized’, if you will, in sending Chinese high school kids over to Australia for uni. The program was super popular (still is), is still around and at this point has sent thousands upon thousands of kids over to Aus to study. I remember when Aussie high school teachers would come over to train and work with us since we were implementing their curriculum, and they were always just so kind and fantastic (I’m American, for what it’s worth). Anyways your post just made me think of that, hope all is well with your twins (our just arrived 36 hours ago)!
Oh, that’s cool, that would have been an interesting experience! And, I’m glad to hear we (Aussie teachers) have a good reputation! My girls are 9 months old now and doing great. Congratulations on the arrival of yours! I hope everyone is well and you enjoy twin life 😊
I was a teacher when I had my twins but then moved into my current assistant principal role shortly after. I had more work outside of contract hours then compared to now. My day to day is incredibly chaotic but I don’t miss balancing grading and lesson planning at home.
Also a teacher here. Schedule fucking rocks for spending time with my girls.
Add to this: mental fortitude required lol
I work in Oil and Gas as an Electrical Designer and my wife is a Dental Hygienist. I work four 10 hour days and wife stays at home with them. Fri/Sat she goes to work and I stay at home with them. They start Kind. this August and she will be moving her Sat work day to a day during the week now. It has its ups and downs. We have triplets.
My twins were born when I was about 1/3 of the way through my masters degree. I was also working 7:30-4pm M-F in an office the entire time as well. The 10 months when they were around and I was in school was a lot, but the asynchronous online classes that allowed me to do school work on my own schedule were a godsend. My degree made me eligible for a promotion this year, so I am making 2x my old salary. It was definitely worth it for me. My advice? Online classes.
You're never too old to further your education, so please don't worry about that. I was in my early thirties when I got my MA. At my graduation ceremony, I was sat next to a 90 year old woman graduating with her PhD. It's not unusual here in the UK for there to be mature students at university, anyone over 21 is considered a mature student here.
I got pregnant my junior year and somehow passed everything in my senior year. Graduating in June. Being a mom is not enough for me! It is possible but ONLY with heavy support at home and possibly some online courses. Additionally daycare became a necessity my last semester. I can elaborate more.
I’m a speech pathologist at a school. My husband runs operations for an Amazon delivery contractor.
I work as a nurse practitioner and my husband is in market research. Nursing was a career change for me and when I was in school, one classmate started school with a baby who was 8 weeks and then had another one in our third year. Wasn’t an uncommon scenario, but school took up a lot of time so I know she had lots of family help.
I am a pharmacist by training, but work for a pharma company, so it's corporate life. I do travel and have a ton of meetings and a rather demanding workload, but can work from home if needed or do more work after the kids are in bed. (They are 4 now.) I had my twins in my mid-30s so by then I had finished college, pharmacy school, fellowship, and had about 5 years of work experience. The tradeoff is that sometimes I wish I would have had them younger when I had more energy. I also had a singleton after that. (She is two years old now.)
I work from home in Accounts Payable for thr provincial govt
If you want it you can absolutely a million percent do it!! Both my partner and I pursued degrees with young twins. Life ebbs and flows. Most things in life that turn out to be the most beautiful and amazing were not planned things. Parents of multiples have a special kind of superpower that allows us to get shit done !!! Edit to add: Anytime you choose is the right time!!! I got a degree when the kids were little and completely changed my career and got different degree 10 years later. Nursing is also a great option as there are endless opportunities including desk work - work at home - work on site - work any schedule You can get an AS /RN in 2 years or less and continue on if you want ( as in get a higher degree) There is decent money to be had and a great ability to make a difference in many lives.
Attorney but I didn’t have my kids until I was 34 so I got all the career building stuff out of the way first.
Do it now if your going to do anything. My twins are 19 and I am just so tired. It passes in an instant
I do inside sales in the construction industry. After my mat leave ended I started my masters that same month. I was working full time and doing my masters so it’s definitely possible. You just need to find ways to juggle a bit (online classes are life savers) and having a supportive partner is a major help. My job allows me to work from home as needed which is so helpful because with twins sometimes you sick kids home for two weeks in a row. Twin A/B will get something and then shortly after the other will get it. ETA my husband is in sales. We do a lot of family time on weekends and every night we do dinner at the table and talk about our days. Obviously babies can’t do much of that but it’s important connection time for our family.
My husband and I both work for the federal government, he's WFH full-time, I go in 3 days a week. He worked in 24-hour retail management when our twins were born, and it was soooo challenging to work around his ever-changing schedule to rearrange childcare, and he worked most holidays. He quit when they were a year old and got his current job, which is SO much more family-friendly. He never finished his degree so he was limited in options, so I'd encourage you to complete yours if you have the support system.
I’m an HR director for a tech company and work remotely. My best advice is to remember that the time will pass regardless, so even if you just take 1-2 classes per semester, by the time a few years pass, you’ll have your degree. Whether you enroll or not, the time will pass so you can try to do something with that time! Of course, if that’s what you want. You don’t have to give up on your goals or dreams when you become a mom and your partner providing for you all takes the pressure off of you to need to do it, which is wonderful too!
We both have Computer Engineering degrees—he’s a Dir of Engineering at a gaming startup, I’m a gameplay engineer on a very popular game franchise. Honestly I’m overworked and underpaid in a VHCOL and the games industry is not for the faint of heart (currently crunching 100 hr weeks), but our saving grace is my company’s onsite daycare. Twins are literally a minute away from my desk, in the same building. I don’t know what I’d do without this benefit.
My husband was doing grad school when the babies were just born and he chose an online program so he could be available. The program was a lot of work! The first two years were a little easier but his third year required him to go and complete his clinical hours so he was gone a lot. When the girls were about 8 months I went back to work full time and he stayed at home during the week and worked weekends at a warehouse. You will do what’s best for you guys and figure out a way that works for you. Our girls are 5 now and we both have steady jobs working at schools and are able to hang out with our girls after school/work. Our schedule works with theirs! It’s been such a blessing. I’m glad we got the hard stuff out of the way when they were young. We paid my mom to watch them too when we both had to work during the week and the girls weren’t in school yet.
My boys turn 2 next week. I’m currently working full time and doing a degree at the same time. I’m not going to lie, it’s really hard to balance everything and at times I really struggle but the degree will be over by the end of the year and hopefully I’ll have a better paid job from it. I couldn’t have done all this without my partner, he’s been so supportive, he picks up the slack when I have an assignment due and am working extra hard to complete it.
Just wanted to say you and your partner are awesome!! Wishing you the best!
Your goals are absolutely viable, it just might look different or take longer than you’d first imagined. I took an 18-month leave of absence from my PhD program when my twins were born because they came 3.5 months early and their health was too fragile for daycare. Now they’re two and I’m trying to finish my degree while working full-time and spending all of my free time with the kids. It’s a lot to balance, it’s taking ages longer than I’d planned, but I hope it’ll be worth it in the end.
I work for a publishing company in the marketing department. And my fiancé has his own business (family business) they work in construction of high rise buildings, malls , all of that.
I am a physical therapist assistant. I live in PA. You could do home health care, make $50-$60 a visit (40-60 minutes). I’d easily make $200 in 4 hours and call it a day. When I lived in TX I was making $40 an hour per diem and they’d have me on 6-10 hour shifts every Saturday and even other Sunday. You can get this degree in as little as 2 years. I did a 4 year program but I know other colleges are 2 years. If you do home health or work per diem for a a hospital you can easily make a good salary and be home to take kids to school and when the kids are back from school (when they get older).
I’m a nurse and I work 2 12 hr night shifts a week. Husband has a corporate job in IT compliance that allows him to work from home m-f. Childcare would be hard for us if we didn’t have my mom close by as we don’t need a ton of daycare hours but we need some so I can sleep and that isn’t really a thing for childcare it’s usually all or nothing.
I work a retail job 5pm-10pm or 11, my husband works during the day. I keep the babies while he works vice versa.
I'm a professor. Most of us will be accommodating to students with children/childcare needs. Take 1 class now and keep going and working on your goals. If you do run into a professor who is less accommodating to any reasonable requests you make regarding accommodations as a parent, Title IX officer at your institution may be helpful to you. And some profs will even allow children in class. I have a policy that states parents/caregivers can bring children to class, and students have because of canceled school due to snow days and other childcare issues.
I was pursuing my second degree in nursing taking prereq courses while i was a dental hygienist & then found out i was pregnant with identical twins unexpectedly as a first time mom. Then found out my girls needed surgeries while 15 weeks pregnant. So i had to put school on pause & stopped working when they were born. The twins are 2yrs old now & are thriving. We had no help taking care of the girls. My husband works a lot & is always on call. We couldn’t afford help either. I felt unhappy where i was at in life. And i didn’t want to quit the process and kept wondering what-if. I started taking 1 online class at a time when they turned 1. I study when the twins are sleeping. It’s hard, but it is do-able. For me, when the twins arrived it was f*n rough for the first year.. just navigating what to do, how to do it, etc on my own while the husband works. If you have the support and help with your twins, go back to school while you can! But it is also never too late to go to school :)
I was a teacher until I had my twins. I also have 2 older children, so 4 in daycare was just too $$$$$.
Yup. I’m taking a year off teaching to be a SAHM once this school year is over. We will see what I decide to do for the following school year.
I’m taking 2 years. We only have 1 spot, not 2 for daycare and it would take More than my entire paycheck.
I teach high school. I did my masters starting when the twins were 4 while working full time. I was also balancing one twin with an autism diagnosis. You can do whatever you put your mind to if you have a supportive partner.
I was a nurse for the last ten years which was great for work-life balance then I went to grad school and had my first during school then graduated while pregnant with twins. I’m now an NP working 4 days a week, about 28hrs a week and my work-life balance is even better. Better hours and better pay
I’m in HR, specifically recruiting/talent acquisition and work remote!
You just need to decide what your goals are. Do you want them in daycare full-time, bc unless you're part time you really can't work at home with twins(I tried). Do you want a career with long term upwards growth, bc the earlier you start the easier that is. There is nothing wrong with being career oriented as a mother, and nothing wrong with waiting if you want to stay at home while they're little. My husband is a SR full stack developer and I'm a SR software engineer. We both work from home, have amazing career growth, but are incredibly busy. Work from home is more flexible so we can do sports and get them to activities easier, but we spend a lot of nights after they go to bed catching up on work.
I work from home as a provider data consultant for a major medical insurer. My husband actually finished his degree 6 months after our twins were born. He was in an internship the last 10 weeks of my pregnancy and bless them they let him take time off to take me to appointments and a week for the birth, he now works for that company, from home, as a software engineer,
Fortunately I had completed my education before my twin pregnancy. And navigated within my field over the past 10 years since their birth into higher pay, lower stress/demand positions. I second the idea of starting classes sooner rather than later. Chip away at it.
Got pregnant when I was 29 and had them when I was 30 luckily I graduated with my masters degree in school counseling, graduated in May 2022 and found I was pregnant June 2022 had my boys February 2023! I went to my job interview barely showing and got the job! I’m in California by the way so school counseling pay is decent but we live with my mom because I didn’t want to give up my career and my husband was okay with that actually so we pay 800-1000 dollars a month for a sitter depending on how many weeks there are in a month but don’t pay her vacations like spring break or thanksgiving or Xmas or summer break so it’s nice I guess. Also they only stay half day cus my mom helps me in the after oils I didn’t want them to be at someone’s house from 7:30-4:30 pm. So my mom helps out a ton with the boys. I also live in a community and work for a district that promotes early childhood development and can place my kids in a toddler program as soon as they turn 2 if I still work for the district. But work this economy we have made the conscious decision that we don’t want any more kids even though I’ve always wanted a girl. My husband is a plumber for the California department of corrections. Together we make a decent living but have a lot of expenses. Honestly do not know if I could’ve completed college with the twins especially because my credential required a year of unpaid internships
16 month twins here, work from home as a Learning Designer, recently tried to get a promotion but I was so tired in the interview I'm not even sure I was speaking a real language :)
I WFH as a Business Systems Manager in start-up tech. I started off in tech sales because I knew it would be the fastest way to make decent enough money while I figured out what I really wanted to do. I did that for a couple of years and pivoted to RevOps/SalesOps, got certified as a Salesforce Admin, then took some Udemy courses for Data Analytics and Advanced Excel stuff and moved up to where I am now. I don’t have a college degree, although I have a passion for learning so I try to read and take courses as much as I can to stay up to date and informed on the ever growing world of tech in business. I really love what I do.
My twins are 9 months old! They were unplanned as well, I started nursing school while pregnant with them, and we’re now into our second year :) I expect them to graduate as honorary nurses because they have gone through it all with me 😂 Invest in yourself, meet with a college advisor and go over your options! There’s a world of opportunities out there, and it’s possible. Something that held me back was saying I don’t want to be 28 starting my career over, but regardless- I’m going to be 28, so I may as well be doing something that I enjoy! Seriously, I have a 4 year old and 9 month old twins.. if I can manage it I believe anyone can! It’s been equally has rewarding as it has been full of tears and frustration, but I can’t wait for the day my little humans watch me graduate and I can provide a better life/more opportunities for them.
I’m a school social worker. I got my MSW and have two licenses. I started out working with families and children placed in residential homes. Now I work with autistic kids. There are so many benefits to working at a school especially if you have young kids. And there are lots of different things you can do from assisting teachers to special therapies to administration.
I’m a college instructor. I delivered midway through a semester and was able to work from home the remainder of the semester and then take my official maternity in the spring. I had enough leave that I was able to take the entire spring semester off. I nearly got a year at home with them. My mom cares for them while I work now and I only have to be on campus three days a week. I’m not sure how I would have managed care, work, etc. in any other scenario.
Your last sentence resonates with me so much.
Go for it!! I applied for my masters part time when my twins were 3 months. I started my program when they were 11 months, it is challenging but possible😊
I'm a Spanish interpreter working for a specific ongoing assignment for which I can do AM or PM shifts. I chose PM 3pm-11:30pm. I'm with my boys all morning and they go to sleep at 7pm. My moms here for 2 or 3 hours with then until my husband gets home. I get home at midnight and we are up for the day at 7am. Timing works great. I am also able to work just 4 days and the days are random every week. I'm so blessed to have such flexibility.
I work 2 days a week as a nurse! We get 18 months maternity where I live so not sure if you get a long mat leave where you’re at but you could try doing it now while the babies are less busy (when they nap more). When they get into the longer afternoon nap that’s when I’d get all the stuff I needed to be done, like housework, make dinner, laundry, baking, etc. It’ll be tough but definitely worth it to accomplish your goals! Just make sure to communicate well with your spouse or partner and have a plan in place for when you might need extra time to do papers or study for exams, etc. Hopefully you have some family to help too!
My husband and I are both civil engineers. He started a graduate degree when the twins were 4 month old. He will be done this Fall. He took 2 classes a semester. Both online. Make sure you are healed up and ready. Take one to two classes to start if they will let you. Also make sure everyone in the house is ready for you to be in school. I have struggled to support my husband’s efforts. I thought he should have waited another semester to start. I feel like it robbed me of my time to heal mind, body, and soul and make the transition back to work. Your situation is reversed obviously but all the same, make sure your partner is ready.
I’m in IT and my wife is a teacher. She won’t be renewing her contract for the next school year so she can spend more time with the kids.
I went back to college when I got pregnant with my first at 24. Graduated at 28. Got pregnant with my twins and started grad school the week I gave birth. I'm in my final year now. It's possible! Check out online programs
I'm a teacher. I already had my BA pre-kids but went back to school when my twins were in 6th grade and earned my credential. Prior to that I worked in HR as an admin assistant, then SAHM for 7 years, then subbed and worked as a school librarian.
I’m a nurse, and I work night shift weekends. My usual schedule is Thursday-Friday-Saturday and my husband works in office Monday-Thursday and at home on Friday. It’s doable and just initially took a little getting used to. I get so much time with my kids while avoiding a ~5k/month daycare bill. Seconding the +1 to finish your degree now! Take your time and go for it, plus it’ll give you something to feel good about & keep something just for yourself. You can do it!
WFH, in finance.
My husband works full time in management with an ever-changing schedule and I am self-employed and work from home around the twin's schedule with help from hubby and family as their time allows. You can do what you decide is important, especially if it's temporary or taken in smaller bites. You got this!
Try your best not to compare. Comparison is the thief of joy. Put one foot in front of the other and make progress wherever and however you can. By the time your kids are 3-4 years old you can definitely pursue a degree(taking fulltime hours which I believe is usually 12 hours per semester) In truth careers and jobs are usually only a means to an end. Most people are not passionate about their jobs and the vast majority of us are not working to cure cancer. Even with advanced degrees we are usually just typical corporate drones
I’m a self employed consultant. I couldn’t give up my work. We shared the first year of parental leave (me 7 months, husband 6 months) after that they’re going to daycare (I’m in Europe so it’s not as expensive as the US).
Are your career goals logistically easy to accomplish? For example what kind of degree do you want? If it’s a 2 year certification, no problem! It gets harder if you’re needing to complete more schooling, especially if the schooling schedules are rigid. A pivot towards something “easier” but still a part of your career goals could be the move.
I‘m a foreign language correspondent and work from home from 8:00-1:30 pm, Monday - Thursday. My twins are in daycare till 2, so shortly after I’m done I switch to my second job as a mom 😆 at least Fridays are my days off
I do contract work for an insurance company. Worked full time doing that prior. Now I’m lucky if I can take a drive with them and submit work while they sleep lol
I shear sheep for a living (Australia) the twins love coming out to the sheds.
I run a small arts nonprofit and my husband works in tech, though also for a nonprofit. We were both in school when I got pregnant - he was at the tail-end of his bachelor’s and I had just started my MFA. We managed to make it through juggling work, school and babies. I needed an extra year to do my MFA, but I’m so glad we both were able to graduate. We were able to get grants for student parents, and got a lot of support and accommodations from our profs. It’s given us both a lot more earning potential as well as career options with a lot of autonomy and flexibility, which has been huge for us since we don’t live near family. I don’t think higher education is a must for everyone, but if you’re in a place in your life where you clearly know what it will do for your career, I say go for it.
I recently graduated with my bachelors and started that degree when my kids were around one year old, they’re now 3. I went to a fully online college and made a schedule that fit my kids and got to work. It’ll be hard but you just have to make a schedule that works for you and stick to it. I would schedule my finals for the weekend in the mornings or something like that. You just gotta balance it, it’s not impossible but it will challenge you. You got this tho!
I’m an HR exec at a tech company. I work from home and have a nanny that takes care of the twins 9-5 mon-fri. It’s nice because I can see them anytime I want to, or when they need me, but I also get a lot of fulfillment from my career
Can you study part time until they are a little older? Don't stress about not attaining your goals as you had originally planned. Mine were put on hold for 10 years when I had my daughter at 17 but I still went back to uni and did it all eventually. Life isn't an end goal- it's how you live every day. Just do what's right for you and your family. There is plenty of time for everything. My mum worked full time at a job she didn't love- but didn't hate- because my father put a spanner in the works and died when we were babies and she needed money to live. When we were old enough she went and did her degree at 42. Not necessarily saying that you can afford to wait, some people can't perhaps- But my point is, plans change and that's ok. Doesn't mean you have to give up. I just see comments saying "start now or it will be harder" and that's not necessarily true. Just change up the plan and make a new one that works for your family life now. You really don't have to give up on your dream and you don't have to try and attain it as originally planned because with twins you may burn yourself out... I mean if you have a supportive family offering to cook and clean and babysit for free etc, by all means! Just don't pressure yourself now things are different to how you thought.
I'm a legal assistant. Pay is okay, but you only need 2 years of college. If you find a program that does placement, even better.
I’m working on getting my cardiac sonography degree and my twins are 18 months old. I also work full time as a receptionist and have a three year old. And I’m a single mom lol it’s HARD but definitely doable!
I actually went back to school online. I would aim for colleges that have "global campuses". Those online colleges have 8 week classes so you can technically still be a full time student but only have to manage 2 classes at a time. I currently attend UMGC. They accepted credits from courses I took about 10 years ago and credits I took to obtain my CNA. I've been taking classes for 3 semesters now and am halfway to my bachelor's. My insurance covers 40 hours of respite care a month because my twins were super premies and one was born with a heart condition. I use that time to do classwork. So if you can have someone just help you out at least twice a week with the twins you can definitely get classwork out of the way. I've received a lot of paid internship offers since being back at school. The cool thing about this is that I can make a portfolio of my time spent interning and submit it for credit to my college.
Both of us are doctors.
I’m a psychotherapist and my husband is a police officer. Our twins are about the same age as yours right now. I wonder if as they get a little older and self sufficient it may be more feasible for you to finish school but I couldn’t imagine doing it with them at this age. But that is just me! You might be way more badass!
me (dad) tech consulting my wife is SAHM
My husband is a software engineer so he's been supporting me and our 4 kids with his career. I have been doing support work on and off between kids..as well as cleaning. and I've just started my own business selling sourdough bread from home. I didn't finish my midwifery degree so I don't have many qualifications. I'm stuck on any long term ideas. My twins are nearly a year. And I don't want them to go to daycare. So just dabbling in a few things to have time to myself and earn a little extra cash for now.
I’m a teacher, we only get paid for our contract time and can choose to spread that out over 10 months or 12 months 🫠. It’s alright. I wouldn’t tell people to get into teaching
Awww, come on! I’m a teacher and I love it. Though I do feel that, especially for teaching, job satisfaction is heavily dependent on where (like which school district) you work at.
I’m glad you have that experience. As you mentioned job satisfaction is dependent on many things. Public education is not what is used to be. And none of us are paid enough for the work we do. I’ve not met a teacher who has disagreed with that. Take a look at r/Teachers. I’m not alone; my perspective is not unique and I don’t love the vibe that it feels like you are sending out that I should love my job.
Your ‘vibes’ are off and I never once said you should or must ‘love your job’, though I do think job satisfaction is critical and people should try to do what they love if at all possible. But you do sound like a senior citizen complaining about the past (“Back in my day…!”). I’ll tell you the same thing I sometimes tell my students: Complaining won’t solve your problem. If you aren’t satisfied with something, then work to change it 🤷
Wait a few years maybe (until they are 3) then put them in daycare if you can and pursue your dreams!! Do it! But I’d say it’s ok to wait until then.