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daily kansan
friday △
2.27.98 △
ten.a △
Parenthood + homework = busy students
Juggling student life parenthood takes time
story by laura roddy ♬ lroddy@kansan.com
Rachel Townsend, Overland Park junior, hugs her 1-year-old daughter, Mya, after picking her up from daycare in Overland Park.
Rachel and Mya enjoy ice cream and cotton candy at Baskin and Robbins. The two stopped before Rachel took Mya to her babysitter on Rachel's way to work.
Some students wonder how Rachel Townsend, Overland Park junior, does it. She, like at least 1,359 University of Kansas students, juggles school and parenting.
Townsend commutes to campus three times each week, dropping her 1-year-old daughter Mya, off at daycare by 6:30 a.m. She attends classes in the mornings and studies at the library from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. before heading back to Overland Park.
Townsend said being a parent gave her an entirely new perspective on life. Her daughter is her priority, and she is better at time management.
"Everything else falls into place," Townsend said. "School does not seem that hard anymore."
For Townsend,being a parent does not make her feel like she is missing out on part of the college experience.
According to the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, 1,359 KU students in fall 1997 reported having children, but 8,000 students did not respond.
"I really don't feel that disassociated," she said. "If anything, it's for the better."
Dion Jones, St. Croix junior, knows what it's like to balance scholastic and domestic obligations.
Although his daughter, Deonia, is living with her mother this year, the 7-year-old has lived with Jones for five years and will live with him again in the fall.
Like Townsend, Jones said balancing school and parenting was manageable.
"You just adjust to it," he said. "It's not something that you really have a choice on. You might as well make it positive."
Jones said that students who were parents should not consider their children to be burdens or use them as excuses.
"You might have to stay up later to do your homework, but that's not your child's fault," he said. Jones and Townsend both said that keeping to their established child-care routines was just not possible, such as when their children became sick.
"I don't know too many professors out there who aren't going to be understanding," Jones said.
Laura Morgan, assistant director of the Student Development Center, said that it was important for parents to communicate with their professors about their situations.
Nicolas Shump, Lawrence graduate student, knows both sides of the issue. He is the father of two young sons, Nicolas and Joshua, as well as a Western Civilization instructor.
"I honestly feel that overall the University does a decent job, but I don't think there's enough consideration given to parents." Shump said.
He also understands where instructors are coming from with their attendance policies.
"As an instructor, at some point you almost have to say, 'Maybe you should take some time off,' Shump said.
Jones said that the best resource for student-parents was a support system of friends and family. He also said that the University had many resources, but students have to seek them.
Morgan said that the center encouraged students to plan ahead for emergency situations by leaving their class schedules with day-care providers.
Many student-parents carry cellular phones or pagers so they can be reached.
For many students, campus child care would be ideal, but the Hilltop Child Development Center always has between 200 and 250 children on its waiting list, said Pat Pisani, program director for the center. Pisani said the younger the children, the more there are on the waiting list and the longer the wait is.
The center has about 160 children enrolled, but that number will increase in Fall 1999 when a new center opens south of the Burge Union between Stouffer Place and Anschutz Sports Pavilion.
Pisani said that at least 50 percent of Hilltop's children are from student families. She said most of the children are enrolled for the full day. In the new center, Hilltop will have the capacity for 60 more full-day children.
Pisano said that the new center would not eliminate the waiting list but that it was a step in the right direction.
Peterson said the service is open to the public. Parents can call 864-4648 at
Betty Peterson, coordinator for the KU Dependent Care Referral Service, can help students find child care.
Rachel Townsend studies at Anschutz Science Library. She schedules study time from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. on the days she is on campus before returning to her daughter in Overland Park.
any time and leave a message. They will get information within 24 hours
Peterson said last year the service dealt with 600 children needing care and eight elderly dependents.
"It is important to know that we will take all kinds of child care requests," Peterson said. She draws from a list of 125 child-care providers to address people's preferences. She then makes a list of about 20 options. She gives updated, specific information on openings, as well as prices and references.
"It is a relevant set of information to address needs as opposed to the overwhelming factors you have to consider," Peterson said. "It's up to parents to decide."
Peterson urged students with children to take advantage of the University's resources.
"I think raising a child is the hardest thing I ever done," she said.
"You need all the help and encouragement you can get."
Jones said it was important to know that the community was available for support.
"Some people feel like they have to do it alone," he said. "A lot of people out there are willing to help if you help yourself."
Rachel Townsend answers the phone at her part-time job. The Overland Park junior works about 20 hours a week at Capeland's restaurant in Overland Park.
photos by geoff krieger photo@kansan.com