and her course in computing provided such a break.
For Naomi, studying was,
“ somethingfor me ... It wasn’t housework and the husband and the kids ... [As
a mother] You’re just there, sort of cook, washer upper and usual things, you
know. Same old routine. ”
Nadine’s studies in family history helped her to cope with the stress of having a
daughter with ADHD and other problems:
“I think I had to get out and do somethingfor myself. Ifelt bogged down at
times and you can’t really carry on like that forever because I get stressed and
can’t cope with it.”
Some respondents with small children felt that they had become isolated, and in some
senses alienated from the “adult world”. Education provided the opportunity to re-
integrate:
“[Participation in an IT course had the effect of] getting me back into adult life
because I’d been around children a lot, you know, like talking babyish anyway.
And as a single parent, it was getting me into the world again, back out there
again. ” (Celia)
6.2 Sense of purpose and hope
Especially for parents with small children, learning can be important in terms of
providing the hope and aspirations that they can move on from this stage of their
lives. This is a more transformative effect, as learning helps people to find their
direction in life:
“ [The course has] given me focus, which for the last few years I haven’t had.
I’ve just been ... being a mum and I’ve needed some sort of focus. ” (Evelyn)
“ It’s something extra. ... I don’t want to be forever housewife. It’s no good ...
There’s nothing except eat, sleep, something like that. You have to have some
career. ” (Daya)
For others, the purpose is not career-related. For example:
“ I’ve got out of myself. I’m doing something useful - to me, it’s useful. My
family, they don’t talk to each other. ... That’s why I thought I would like to
know who my great-grandfather was. ” (Naomi)
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