Search Results for: blog balancing life as a single parent

The Life of a Working Single Mother

The life of a single mother is packed. Her mornings are spent running around like mad trying to get all the kids ready for school, packing lunches, pouring cereal, gathering things for work, making sure the kids got their homework done, then rushing to get them to the bus on time, and if she’s lucky she may even get out the door in time for work. She spends the day slaving away at her job, then comes home to make dinner, help the kids with homework, do the dishes, get the kids bathed and ready for bed, stories, and finally … Continue reading →

The Balancing Act

Some days being a single-parent can be exhausting, ok let’s face it most days it is beyond exhausting. Instead of doing the regular motherly duties, you’re taking on the role of both parents. There’s no one there to give you a break when you’re on the verge of pulling out every last hair on your head, if you’re sick, you have to come into work anyway, if you have a splitting headache and you can barely see straight you’ve got to pick yourself up and do it anyways because your kids are depending on you to take care of them. … Continue reading →

Flex Schedules: A Balancing Act for Preschool Parents

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Tonight I got together with a number of moms I know. Around the table, we chatted. I realized that a number of them are like me in terms of work. Yes, it looks like we work part time. We’re only gone some of the time during the day. However, in reality we work full time. We freelance, we teach night classes, we act as web designers and writers and all sorts of other bits and pieces. I live in a very, very expensive city. Unfortunately and fortunately, it is also the place where my parents and my husband’s parents live, … Continue reading →

Single Parents and Quality Time–Keep Family Time Uninterrupted

Balancing work obligations, school or other responsibilities and spending quality time with your kids is one of the biggest challenges of life as single parent. I imagine that if we got all of us together in one room, it would be a huge topic of conversation for us–how to make sure that we spend enough quality time with our kids and let them know that we really do put family first. I have learned that even if I don’t have an abundance of time to devote to my kids, making sure that the time I do set aside stays “pure” … Continue reading →

How Much of Your Identity is “Parent”?

I wrote earlier today about the role that the label “single” can play in our lives as single parents. I could not help but think that in the quest for fairness, we should explore how much of a role our identity as parents plays for us, and whether we have a hard time balancing our “single” status with our “parent” status (and all the other roles we play as well)? Being a parent is probably more central to my personal identity than being single is. I would even say that being a parent is one of the most grounding and … Continue reading →

Balancing New and Used

I know that there are wealthy single-parent led families out there—I just do not know any personally. At least not any single parent families with the kids still living at home. There are a few seasoned single parents I know who have raised their kids and are now much more comfortable than they were in the midst of the child-rearing years. So, for those of us frugal single parents on a budget, our kids might be building up some resentment (and we might get a bit down ourselves) at having finances ALWAYS have to be such a big concern… When … Continue reading →

Balancing the Big Picture with the Daily Details

There is no getting around the fact that parenthood and family life is full of daily details—in fact, one could argue that when it comes to raising children it can seem like it is “all in the details.” BUT, being able to get away from the details and daily concerns once in a while and see the “big picture” can be a parent’s road to sanity… Does this really matter in the BIG PICTURE? If I don’t mop the kitchen floor today or correct my child every single time he has his elbows on the table during meal time is … Continue reading →

Balancing Heart and Mind

As a single parent, I can get a little too heavy on the check lists and life goals. I suppose it is because I feel like I have little room for error and maybe a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I think in the back of my brain I imagine I must have something to prove. Other single parents might be heavy on the emotions and less into the practical goals. Finding a balance is important for all of us—finding a way to rely on both our brains and our hearts to guide us on the single parent … Continue reading →

Balancing Security and Ambition for the Single Parent

I think many of us walk a tightrope between clinging to and working for the security of ourselves and our families, and indulging our ambitions and taking those big risks. For a single parent, that tightrope can feel even more precarious—do we focus JUST on establishing and maintaining security for our families, or do we stretch ourselves and give in to our personal or work-related ambitions? And, what if we don’t think we ARE very ambitious—is this a personality failing that will hurt our families in the long run? I confess that trying to establish some security for my family … Continue reading →

Balancing Finances and Family Time

While I think all parents strive to achieve a sense of balance between work and financial obligations and family life—I think the challenge can be even more acute for single parents. Our kids need us, but we also need to pay attention to our work and “fundraising” efforts too. We already feel the pressure to be providers and we also feel the pressure to be a great parent—how can we achieve balance and make sure we pay plenty of attention to both? Whoever said “Money isn’t everything” was probably not a single parent. The financial pressures of being a one … Continue reading →