Are you a SAHM who has thought about attending an online certificate or degree program?
Being a SAHM (stay at home mom) is a full time job in itself but when you want to continue your studies at the same time, it can be a monumental task. Not only is it hard to find a babysitter who is willing to come in a few hours a week so that you can attend classes but the cost of child care is through the roof and one of the reasons you have opted to stay at home with the little ones until they reach school age. Have you thought about attending any certificate or online degree programs such as an online nursing program that you can complete online without ever leaving the home?
Choosing the Right Course of Study
There are a number of different careers you can study for but those that seem to be best suited to SAHM seem to fall into three categories:
- Nursing
- Education
- Business
Although there is no rhyme or reason to why these seem to be the most popular with mothers with kids at home, they are the most popular. As one mom jokingly put it, “Nursing and education are what moms do by just being moms and business is something we all need more work with. Balancing a budget in a one-income household takes an MBA to figure out.” There’s a good bit of wisdom in that!
Look for 100% Online Studies
If you are going to study to be a nurse, for example, make sure to look for a school like Arizona State University that has degree programs listed as “100% Online.” If you need to attend classes, even for exams, it defeats the purpose of looking for an online nursing degree program or a pre-school teaching certificate program. There may be some clinical experience required but if that’s the case, it wouldn’t be listed as 100% online. By seeking schools that have literally everything online from the classes you take to the proctored exams, you can rest assured you won’t need a babysitter so that you can attend classes outside the home.
A Word about Proctored Exams
The one thing you may need to be aware of is that some online degree programs required you to be licensed in the state. For these State Board exams you will probably need to go to a physical location to take that state’s required exam. You can get your degree online but your state issued professional license is another matter altogether. This is one you’ll surely need that babysitter for!
So then, the consensus is that the three areas of study most chosen by a SAHM are nursing, teaching and business. All three can be lucrative careers, especially with an online nursing degree on an advanced level such as a master’s or doctorate degree. However, that’s at some point in the future. For now, be that stay at home mom but get your education at the same time. When the kids are ready to go to school, you’ll have a career waiting to be explored.
