Jasmine Brar, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences Family Centre coordinator, leads children in a yoga session at the Rady Kids' Club, helping them engage in fun, educational activities.
Twins and textbooks: How one Rady student makes it all work
Balancing a master’s degree with young children requires careful planning, organization and a bit of outside help.
For Jackie Neufeld, a student in the nurse practitioner master’s program at the College of Nursing, the Rady Kids’ Club is one of the best parts of each month.
Offered by the Rady Family Centre, the Kids’ Club offers childminding services for children aged four to 12. Open to students while they are studying at the University of Manitoba’s Bannatyne campus, the service is fun, accessible and best of all – free.
“Studying with kids at home is like being at their mercy – you’re interrupted every few minutes, so it’s impossible to go deep into complex material,” she said. “But when I drop my kids at the Kids’ Club, I know I’ll get that uninterrupted time I need. My kids are happy and cared for and I get to focus.”
Neufeld’s husband, Mouhamed Tall, is often away for weeks at a time working in northern British Columbia. When she’s managing solo with their seven-year-old twins, Yero and Maymouna, she makes sure to plan study blocks when she knows child care will be available.
“Sometimes I save the toughest articles – the ones I really need to immerse myself in – for when the Kids’ Club is open. It’s a real lifesaver,” she said.
Kids’ Club participants Yero and Maymouna.
The kids are big fans of the monthly service. “They run right in wearing their matching T-shirts and everyone knows their names,” said Neufeld. “There are all kinds of activities like beading, Lego and even yoga once. The childminders have this fantastic way of connecting with the kids and it’s clear they love what they do.”
“That’s the best part – seeing kids rush in with big smile,” said Jasmine Brar, Rady Family Centre coordinator. “Parents tell me all the time that these sessions give them a moment to breathe, to study without looking over their shoulders to see what the kids are up to.”
For Neufeld, the Kids’ Club isn’t just functional; it’s a place where her children feel part of her academic journey. “I love that they come to campus, see where I study, and feel it’s part of our shared story,” she said. “They know the university isn’t just ‘Mom’s work’ – it’s a place they belong too.”
The Rady Family Centre’s supports go beyond child care, offering parent meet-ups, a private feeding room and resources for finding child care options.
“When I was a young mother, I wish I’d had access to spaces like this,” said Brar. “I remember trying to juggle everything without a community like ours. Now, seeing parents thrive here is so rewarding.”
Neufeld says there is only one thing that could make the Rady Kids’ Club better. “If only it happened more often!”