University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, November 16, 1988
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Glimpse
Stokes tries to study before class with Madeline finishing her breakfast and tugging at her hair.
Spying her babysset, Madeline tries to enter Liz Spadarotto's Italian class.
Photos by Sandra J. Watts Story by Debbie McMahon
Even when studying at home at the kitchen table, Stokes has to concentrate on Madeline
In between classes, Stokes takes Leslie, left, Rusty and Madeline out for pizza
Balancing Act
Homework and homelife keeps student mom busy
t 6:30 a m. Sandra Stokes' alarm goes off. But as a non-traditional student with three children, she doesn't have the luxury of hitting the snooze button like many students.
Instead she yells at Rusty, her 15-year-old son, to get out of bed and into the shower. Madeline, her 21-month old daughter who has gone to classes at a private school in Boston, is slipping over the steps changed. Nine-year-old Leslie, who Sandra
describes as her over-achiever, gets herself out of bed and bathed.
The parakeets chirp, Mister Rogers or Sesame Street entertains Madeline, and in the background Swahili tapes play as Stokes practices for her language class while doing the breakfast dishes. Then Stokes irons the clothes that her family will wear that day and gives Madeline
The two older children go to school, as well as Stokes and Madeline, who carries her own backpack.
Climbing Mount Oread isn't easy, especially with a baby carriage.
By 9:30 a.m. they're on campus.
"Madeline gets very upset if we don't have time to stop at the Union," said Stokes, a Lawrence junior, who is taking 14 hours this semester. "Whoever knows Madeline by now is used to her and either laughes at her, or ignores her."
Madeline goes to class with her as an alternative to childcare, which she says she can't afford.
Stokes is one of about 650 undergraduate students this semester who have children, said Linda Marshall, assistant director of the Student Assistance Center and adviser for the Non-Traditional Students Organization.
Marshall said she was familiar with the needs of student-parents, including a lack of good and affordable childcare, difficulties with scheduling classes and little time to devote to their studies and children.
children.
Stokes said she thought non-traditional students with children should organize and form a cooperative carechildcare program for infants and older children. But that takes time.
older children, but that doesn't mean I'm just so busy and juggling so many things, sometimes I don't know what I'm juggling anymore," she said. "I don't have the time to help form a group. I don't know that we'll ever get that dream."
For example, Stokes said that sometimes professors didn't consider her to be a serious student because she brought Madeline to class.
"I find a lot of discrimination at KU against non-traditional students. We're not recognized as students, but as moms and daddies."
She said she didn't want to use Hilltop Child Development Center, which has a $15 non-refundable fee to be put on a waiting list and charges more than she can afford.
Hilltop can charge as much as $14.75 for a full day of child care.
Hilltop can charge as much as 414 of the expenses for Martha Langley, assistant director of Hilltop, said scholarships for non-traditional students were available. Currently, the expenses of 57 out of the 144 children who attend Hilltop are supplemented b$^2$ scholarships. But the expenses of only two of those 57 are covered in full.
Another option for childcare on campus is the Edna A. Hill Child Development Lab at Haworth Hall, which the department of human development and family life sponsors. But only children between the ages of 21+ and a canine that service costs $30 to $60 a week loading permanent.
As for Stokes, like many other non-traditional students, she is making due. She hopes to attend law school after getting her degree in
"I'm very scheduled, and I do things in advance," Stokes said. "I have to take advantage of every moment."
Stokes is usually seen juggling Madeline and books.