• About
  • Sponsor / PR
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Houston Mommy and Lifestyle Blogger | Moms Without Answers

We don't have all the answers, but we have all the fun

  • Mom
    • Parenting
    • Mom Life
    • Faith
    • Fashion/Beauty
    • Health
    • Blogging
  • Kiddos
    • Kids Activities
    • Kid Fashion
    • Family Fun
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Appetizers & Sides
    • Sweet Treats
  • Projects
    • DIY & Crafts
    • Home Decor
    • Cleaning & Organization
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
    • Parties
    • Gifts
  • Shop My FAVES

How To Survive With A Spouse In School

June 8, 2016 By Michelle Leave a Comment

For the last two years, my husband has been in graduate school to become a Physician Assistant (PA). It has hands down been the most challenging 2 years of our marriage and that is factoring in the beginning of our marriage when he was in nursing school and we had a baby, and more difficult than surviving our first year with twins. 

PA School

Never seeing your spouse is rough and it can be hard to remember when you aren’t the one going to class, rotations and studying that this is something that benefits you both. On the days when I am stuck at home with kids breaking up fights and passing out fruit snacks I find myself allowing satan in and becoming resentful that my husband is able to have adult time and gets to have lunch with friends daily. Even though I knew it was hard for him too and he was busting his butt for our family there were still some really bad days. 

099A1569

I think it’s only now that the dust is starting to settle that I am able to see the light at the end of the tunnel that I am realizing what an impact these last two years have had on our lives. From where we were 2 years ago, to where we are now is just kind of amazing to tell you the truth. Sure we are exhausted and completely beaten down and need a full years vacation to recover. But, we made it. And we did it together. And we did it without killing each other. 

So, how do you survive with a spouse in school?

  1. Lower Your Expectations – It’s pretty much the key to any hard situation. While your spouse is in school your marriage is going to look different than it has before. Date Nights and quality time will be hard to come by and you will have to really make the time to be present with your spouse. Once you can learn to accept the changes you can find way to be creative and connect without being connected at the hip.
  2. Make Time For Yourself– With your spouse away from home and tied up with school this can be hard to do. Especially if you have to care for young children. But please hear me when I say that this needs to be a priority. It doesn’t have to be getting a babysitter and going for mani/pedis (although if you can make that work then by all means do it) but maybe find something new that you enjoy. A class at the gym, adult coloring books…something just for you that you can spend some time doing each day.
  3. A Budget Is Your BFF – this is a really hard pill to swallow. Especially since finances are usually a big strain in a lot of marriages. With a spouse in grad school, money will already be tight (aka you will be broke as a joke) and so staying on top of a budget is a MUST to prevent fights and of course to prevent putting yourself into further debt. 
  4. Community is Key – It is going to be really easy to have bad days and want to sit at home and feel sorry for you. Take it from someone who has been there though that staying in to wallow in self pity is going to get you nowhere. Get out of the house. OFTEN. Go to the park, the library, friends houses. Ask for help. Lean on your community. They are going to carry you through this hard time, and that is totally ok. It’s what community is for and someday, some way, you are going to be able to return the favor. 
  5. Keep Your Eye On The Prize – This season isn’t forever. It will be easy to get caught up in the stress and the chaos and get down on yourself and even your spouse. As hard as it will be, you have to keep your eye on the prize. Remind yourself why you are doing this. To fulfill a dream, to provide a better life for your family. Whatever your reason make sure you remind yourself daily that been though the struggle is real, it is WORTH IT. 

How To Survive With Spouse In School

It may be hard to see it on the hard days but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I am weeks away from mine and while this has been the most challenging time of my life, watching my husband do what he loves and is called to do makes every single sacrifice worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat if it meant watching him achieve his dreams. 

Have you or your spouse ever gone back to school? How did you make your marriage a priority during that  season?

0 Shares

Filed Under: Marriage

« 4th of July Star Spangled Cake Pops
A Letter To Myself, The Toddler Mama »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hi, friends! I’m Channing. I am mom to 3 amazing girls and wife to my fire fighting hubby, Eric. I loving sharing all things mom life related – recipes, DIY’s, real mom talk, crafts and more! 

Insta-Moms: @momswoa

Instagram post 17951785348338518 Happy 4th from these little cuties. It looks A LOT different this year but we are still having fun.
.
.
.
#happy4thofjuly #happyfourth #fourthofjuly #redwhiteandblue #momblog #houstonmomblogger #momofgirls
Instagram post 17856710153004179 #blackouttuesday
Instagram post 17864637601827512 This is what happens on day number 3,568,743 of quarantine: ice cream sundaes for DINNER. We have been spending endless time together and decided it was time to start a new family tradition, so we picked up the new DIY Sundae Kit from @baskinrobbins! The kit comes with 2 pre-packed quarts of ice cream, 3 toppings, an entire can of whipped cream and cherries! Ice
cream for dinner will now be a weekly staple. The kids are definitely not complaining! It’s a fun day with a Sundae! 
Comment below and tell me your favorite Baskin Robbins flavor!

#QuarantineCreations #IceCreamforDinner #FamilyTraditions #ad
Instagram post 17855065096958471 Some of my #DisneyMagicMoments have been with some special moms in my life! So, I’m playing along and sharing some of these moments with you.

I have spent time with old friends and new and the magic is always there. 
If you scroll back far enough, you will see my first Disney experience and the moment I fell in love with Disney with my own mom! 
I would love for you to play along and share your favorite Disney moments with the moms in your life! Don’t forget to use hashtag #disneymagicmoments! I tag @pixiemousemichelle, @fivefortheroadblog and @mrsblinks! 
Happy Mother’s Day! 😘😘
Instagram post 17873430769680209 Happy Cinco de Mayo! 🌮 What is your favorite Mexican dish?

I could eat Mexican for every meal of everyday! If your looking for the perfect recipes to make for dinner, I’ve got you covered. 
Head on over the the blog for all of my favorite dishes! These enchiladas NEVER disappoint! I promise you will LOVE all of these recipes! 🎉
Instagram post 17885629336528535 May the 4th be with you! We cannot wait for the day that we get to be back at Star Wars Galaxies Edge. Batuu, we miss you! #maytheforcebewithyou #may4thbewithyou #disneycreators #batuu #bluemilk #wemissdisney
Instagram post 17850899390014309 Disney is challenging us to share our first pictures with characters! I had to join in the fun and it was the best trip down memory lane. Disney has been threaded throughout my entire life. I pulled a few of my most favorite memories over the years. From partying in the streets during the most epic dance party and meeting our most favorite princesses to me being a kid at Disney myself. Oh, I also had to add a picture of Cinderella’s Castle. She really is the most beautiful cast member of them all! 
@waltdisneyworld we miss you more and more each day. You’ve brought us joy beyond words and we cannot wait for the day when we get to walk down Main Street USA again! 
Ok, now it’s your turn. Find your old photos of your favorite Disney characters and share the magic. Also, don’t forget to tag me. I want to see all your memories too! 
@pixiemousemichelle @ericaligenza and @prettyprovidenceblog it’s time to share yours!#disneymagicmoments #myfirstdisneycharacter #disneycreators #disneyfamily #disneykuds #disneyworld
Instagram post 17904777073435611 EASY EASTER SUGAR COOKIE BARS! [AD] With Easter looking a little different this year, I teamed up with my friends at @hersheys to create a fun Easter treat using items you probably have in your pantry!
These Easter Sugar Cookie Bars are so easy to make. Store bought sugar cookie mix and cute colorful icing is the perfect foundation for @cadburyusa eggs and @reeses eggs. 
Looking for more treat ideas? Check out the fun recipes at https://Hershey’s.com/kitchen/en_us/home.html

Comment below and tell me your favorite Easter recipes! #cadburyusa #reeses #eastertreats #springdessert
Instagram post 18019712191263346 I’m joining my friend @andhattiemakesthree for #happymondaymemory to share some joy and fun around here!
.
.
.
Let’s take it back to the #happiestplaceonearth and our time in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge! Y’all, I don’t even have words for how amazing it is. And #riseoftheresistance is everything! Check out our video to see for yourself. We miss you @waltdisneyworld and can’t wait to make more memories soon!
.
.
.
Now it’s your turn! Share your favorite memory and let’s spread some joy! #evereveambassador #disneycreators #starwars #disneyhollywoodstudios #stayhome
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

There may be an issue with the Instagram access token that you are using. Your server might also be unable to connect to Instagram at this time.

As Seen On:

Keep in Touch

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • Copycat Disney Churro Ice Cream Sandwich
  • Teacher Approved Educational Resources for Kids
  • 20 Fun Things To Do At Home with Kids

Blog Archive

Copyright © 2025 · Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Necessary Always Enabled