Hi everyone! If you do swap from RN to EN studies you should manage EN Diploma just fine: similar subjects/ assessments but at a lot less complex and in-depth level. You should also get credits from what you have already done at Uni. Also, TAFEs etc are well experienced in catering for part time/flexible study for people with families etc and there is a lot of support for you. The experience you gain working as EN will also be useful once you decide to follow through with your RNs, maybe when the kids are a bit more independent. Swapping over to EN is not going backward, it's just a matter of working smarter, not harder.
Also, I think most students (but not all) would prefer a post grad spot in a hospital acute care setting to consolidate and shape their nursing practice; then with this firm foundation, they can transfer their skills to any field. BUT it's important to look at the worst case scenario. Not necessarily to be negative but more realistic and practical. If you were unable to practice in pediatrics or even gain a post grad hospital spot, would you work in aged care? This is the fastest growing industry in years to come and it's a more viable prospect.
Personally I was gutted to not get a hospital grad spot after ENs were finished but so so grateful now to be working at least as an EN but in residential aged care which has many many many challenges. Even now, the market is starting to flood with ENs trying to get into aged care as more RTOs put through more and more nurses and most of us were all expecting something quite different to where we ended up! If I did do my RNs and did not gain a hospital post-grad position; I would be prepared to cast my net wide and use my degree in another way maybe. I have a young family too and would not cart them to another town/rural area just for post-grad. A job's a job, but my family are my life. Good luck with the decision to you both: it's something worth thinking about...