How *not* to study for the MCAT with kids around

MCAT studying is hard. There's the massive amounts of material to learn, covering everything from arteries to zymogens, and the incredible focus that is required for the months you're torturing yourself is insane. But it becomes a whole new ballgame if you have a little one vying for your attention.

Mechanic Jr's school has not started yet, so he's still in the happy, carefree, summer-is-completely-awesome phase. (Is it sad I envy my child?) I decided to study at home after work, instead of going to the library or some other place, so I could be home, because that's what my Super Mom Handbook says to do. I set up Camp Mcat in the dining room, where I will be available in case of fire, flood, or famine. I figured he'd stop by and visit once in a while over the course of the evening, like the elderly neighbor next door.

Big mistake.

I'm not invisible and I'm certainly not inaccessible. Every 5 minutes I get interrupted with him showing me something, asking me something, telling me something, complaining about something, etc. My concentration is more broken than all the promises made in my high school yearbook. I can't think, I can't concentrate, and I find myself getting irritable at each intrusion. I'm ready to pull my hair out and scream, "For the love of all that is holy, will you please LEAVE ME ALONE?!"

Yet I don't. I deal with it. I listen to each interruption, I smile at the endless Lego creations paraded for my approval, and I fix each harrowing complaint (Mr. Mechanic changed the channel during an 'important' tv show and I was apparently voted as the Arbitration Committee.) I accept that it's the price you pay for being a non-trad. My son didn't ask me to return to school. He didn't get a vote. He still gets to treat me like "mom", replete with all the questions, complaints, show-in-tell of the hour, etc.

So my studying will be going a lot slower than I'd hoped. I got through about half of Day 1, so even though this is Day 2, it will be Day 1.5. I can't keep up this pace otherwise I won't be prepared, but I'll adjust. Because that's life with a family- it's a compromise.