This would seem to have an obvious answer but I need some practical advice. I have a 15 month old son and cannot seem to end my PhD work. When he was small I managed well and completed my lab work, but when it got to write-up and he started walking I was stuck, my partner is away most of the week and house work is all down to me. I have made so many plans and tried different hours but cannot seem to get out of this loop where I get so tried at the end of the day and working on thesis is the last thing I want (I don't work so childcare option is too expensive for us, at least till I get a job).
Please someone who had a situation like this give me some tips to organise myself more. It could be so obvious but I need something to try and finish this phase of my life as a student! :-s

hi sheena I have been through this before. Only I wasn't doing my phd at that moment, it was my undergrad studies, I also was working and my husband was always angry with me. But I was lucky that my parents were supportive and always helped with childcare. I definitely understand your situation.

if your baby is 15 months now, he's having more wakeful hours. First of all, see if you can get help from your family; maybe 2 or 3 days of daytime care so that you can use that time to really sit and write.
Next you'll have to plan your grocery-shopping and housework days. Sometimes we have to make adjustments with toddlers, work, phd, your house might be a bit messier than usual. This is ok, dont worry about it because as time passes, you wil be more skilful at making time. You'll have to plan also your baby's diet so that you have all his food for the week ready instead of having to rush out and buy them when they suddenly run out.
That said, plan out things for your son to do while he's awake. I used to be able to get away with some peace letting my son watch Barney (if it didnt drive me crazy) but that was some minutes of which I knew he would be safe (and not falling down in the garden etc.). Lastly take naps if you have to, so that you wont be grumpy. If you have a toddler at home, you have to adjust to working in many short bouts instead of sitting long hours at one go.
You'll be ok.
satchi

Hi,
I have no experience with this but a close friend of mine just submitted and has a toddler. I'm so impressed cause it is really hard work. they have even more energy as they get older. I used to go round her place and look after his son for a few hours while ahe was trying to do some work. The last month, she was getting up at 3am and was doing work before he waked up, then took him to nursery for a few hours. Then she was looking after him in the afternoon till he went to bed, organizing food and she'd have an early night to do it all over again next day. Try to see if some friends could baby sit for a few hours and lock yourself in the office with ear plugs (my friend still brings me cake as thank you even though she has now finished!)
Good luck

(gift) Thank you sachite and chipie, I really needed some of that advice. I have always got used working long hours in one go, so it will be either a whole night etc. But now I simply can't do this and I find it hard to adjust and do bits of work as and when I get time. But I have to try harder and get used to working on short bouts.

Hi Sheena
I wrote a really long reply last night but somehow lost it before I posted it.  I don't know if any of this is of any help (and I wasn't studying when the children were really young - although I did hand in MA dissertation 3 weeks before delivering my son).
You say that you have to do all the housework - why - can't your partner do some at the weekend to help out? If they can't then you need to accept that the house will not be as tidy - so long as it isn't a death trap or ain incubation site for nasty germs then it will be fine for a while. You can do housework when your child is with you = when they get older they sometimes like to help.
Do you have any friends (maybe from ante / post natal group) who you could do childcare swaps with - you take their child (and two aren't much harder than one to look after) while they go shopping / to the gym  / get a haircut / whatever in exchange for them taking your son so that you can study. You may find a babysitting circle locally which does this.
There are cheap childcare option - when I was expecting my daughter and immediately after she was born I had a friend of a friend with an American daughter who was visiting London for the summer and wanted to earn a bit of money - she was only 16 but she used to come round to my house originally to do a bit of cleaning - but she ended up playing with my son (then 2) while I got on with other things (I was kind of working at the time) - I was in the house so she didn't have sole charge but she entertained Dominic which meant I could get on with things - you might find a sensible teenager who would do a similar thing after school for a few pounds (if you can afford that).
It does get easier when they are a bit older and a bit more independent and also you can get some free nursery time.
Do you have any family who could hep out occasionally?
It seems that you need to balance a few options and try to fit your PhD in around that. Do the PhD at the best time (so if you are tired at night then use that time to catch up on housework, take a bath etc) use daytime sleeps (toddler) to get a couple of hours work done.
Shop online (with the same order each week so you just reload it) although takign your son out to the supermarket is probably a chance to get out.
I'm sure there are lots of other ideas - will postagain if i think of any.
Good Luck

Chris