If you’ve ever bumped into me at the law school, I’ve likely banged on about how great it is to have a child in law school. I started law school when my elder son was three months old. I did my first year part-time (i.e., over two years) and then had my second son at the beginning of 2L. I am graduating this year. My sons are now 3.5 and 1.5 years old.
I am very happy to have had two children while in law school. That said, my experience has been so positive because I have a supportive partner who co-parents 100%. Of course, there are stressful moments, days, and weeks. What follows is a list of some of the highlights.
1. 8:30 am Classes No Longer Feel Early
Nor do 10:30 am classes for that matter. I wake up somewhere between 5 am and 6 am. 8:30 am is practically lunchtime.
2. A Regular Schedule
I can’t say this was true when my children were at their smallest, and our routine can often shift. That said, children naturally demand regularity, and law school provides a certain amount of regularity that my undergraduate degree did not. We wake up early, eat breakfast, play and go to daycare. I work from approximately 9 am–4 pm (or later during exams). I pick them up from daycare. We eat, play, and go to bed. I might work again.
3. Efficiency
When I say work, I (tend to) work hard. Because there isn’t a lot of time, I don’t waste a lot of time. This is a skill I have had to develop over the past 3.5 years.
4. Non-Law School Friends
I’ve heard advice that you should make friends outside of law school. My friends are currently a chubby little 1- and 3-year old. Maybe I should get out more…
5. Exercise
Children move a lot. When they are awake, I basically don’t stop moving.
6. Focus
Everyone is focussed and driven at law school. Since having children, I have gained a new kind of focus. For example, before I applied for, and took, a job with a Bay St. law firm, I seriously questioned if it was what I wanted. Was is right for me? Was it right for my family?
7. Improved Learning Skills
Do you remember a time in school when every child in the class was waving their hand in an effort to answer the teacher’s question? My one-year-old falls on his bum trying to walk or run about 100 times a day. My three-year-old slows down and trips over words when he’s trying to explain something new. My children have taught me how to make mistakes, and dare I say, learn.
