Student-parents work all the time...

I'm not sure what to call myself--a student-parent? I am a full-time student and also a parent. This week, I had a couple of occasions to remind my professors about that. First, I had to complete an annual review form due today, outlining my coursework, dissertation topic and any jobs I've had outside of the 15 hours I work for my fellowship. I had to laugh when I read that one--I'm taking four courses, I'm working 15+ hours for a professor each week, and I'm a parent of two children. Who has extra time for an extra job? My children are my job--and unpaid at that!

Then, an assignment was due for one of my classes Friday, Good Friday. When I emailed it to the professor, as directed on the syllabus, he asked why I was working on Good Friday. I had to politely remind him that it was not a day of rest for me, but a chance to get some work done while my children were busy playing in their rooms--until they come out and want to play with me.

Students who are parents don't always get to choose when they get their work done--we just do it when we can.