Are you a single parent? Do you often feel stressed about how to manage your work as well as raise your tiny tots single-handedly? We know how it is, and that’s completely okay! You have our back! We also know that as a single parent, it’s too easy to doubt your parenting decisions and go a little overboard trying to juggle all of your responsibilities. Without a partner, decision-making comes all on you.
The pressure of raising children with the values, skills, and traits comes all your way, which you feel are important. In single parenting, it’s okay to feel some stress — especially during the toddler years — but if you are taking too much stress on a regular basis, it is definitely going to have negative effects on a child.
Hence it’s so important to find ways to find time for yourself, mentally and emotionally. Due to the current pandemic, our lives have changed and have become more comfortable for all the single parents as we work from home. This gives us more time with our children, which is a blessing in disguise. Do you want to get a few helpful tips to manage single parenting positively or rather want to make the parenting journey much easier for yourself? Then stay tuned to know more!
1. Grow with Confidence
Managing children single-handedly can be exhausting, challenging, and push you to your limits. But somehow you are managing; you are out there doing ‘the impossible’ things possible. Hats off to you, sir/ madam. This demonstrates how resilient and capable you are. Not to mention that running the house chores without any partner’s help often forces you to learn to do things that you might otherwise not need to—and mastering new skills is never a bad thing!
2. Develop Authentic Community
Are you a single mother and struggling with how to be a good single mother? Then you must follow the super famous African phrase “It takes a village to raise a child” Well, kids raised in single-parent families are often surrounded by a village of supporters, literally. In many cases, extended family members will step up and play a significant role in children’s lives. And single parents who don’t live near family may choose to participate in community groups—including single parent support groups, churches, and synagogues—which champion the entire family. So, what’s there in joining a single parent support group or getting involved in a school? If not this, you can also seek out any civic groups that will help you plug into your local community.
3. Accept Help
We know you can manage single parenting successfully. We also know you have been taking up all the responsibilities without fail, but at times, you too need some help, and some support So we advise you not to be a superhero and do it all by yourself always. There are probably people who care for you and your kids. They genuinely want to help you. Let them know what type of things would be most appreciated. There is no shame in asking for help and accepting help from near and dear ones. You are a good parent by being resourceful and allowing others to give you a much-needed break.
4. Create a Schedule
Routines are vital for young minds because knowing what to expect gives them a pretense of control. If the child travels between homes or has multiple caregivers or nannies, life can seem extremely chaotic and unpredictable. Thus, establishing a schedule for little champs as much as possible would be the best thing ever. However, having a routine also does not mean things cannot change. It is a default schedule to fall back on when no additional events or activities come up.
5. Organize your Finances.
Yes! Money matters a lot for most of us and becomes even more stressful when we raise our kids on a single income. We know how critical it is for single parents to get a hold of their finances. Although money shouldn’t matter as much as time spent with your kids, what if we take a look the other way round? Organizing your finances is more about the intangible goal of reducing your family’s anxiety.
The best way to kick start is to look at your existing debts and set specific goals to eliminate them. Create a budget, and take the time to learn about long-term investment options. Take small steps by making whatever payments you can afford towards your debts and gradually increasing the amount you are saving for your kids’ future.
6. Set Aside Time for Your Kids.
Between work, chores, school, and events, you will often fail to provide your kids time. But believe it or not, spending time together is the most important thing in the world that you can do for your junior. Quality time should be a part of your daily routine — if not daily, then definitely make it a weekly occurrence.
7. Take Time for Yourself.
Between all of your responsibilities, it seems impossible to make time for yourself. Remember, when you are healthy and operating at your best, you are giving your best to your job, your relationships, and your “bundle of joy”!
Take a few hours each day to focus on your own well-being and health; you will definitely become more efficient at other tasks. Set 1 hour aside in the morning before your children wake to focus on self. Choose something you enjoy that’s not too mentally taxing. You will definitely notice that such a habit will positively affect your energy level, mood, and ability to stay calm under pressure.To help you in a better way, we have provided you with a YouTube video by Dr. Sapna Sharma, who has entailed how to manage single parenting.
Let’s Do an Activity!
How about identifying your strengths as a single parent? All of us have some of the other strengths that help us succeed. Take a moment to complete the chart below to identify your own strengths as a single parent and areas where you would like to improve. After you have completed the chart, tick out the areas in which you believe you need improvement.
My Strengths as a Single Parent
| Strength Area | Very Strong | Some growth needed | Much Growth needed |
| Acceptance of responsibility | |||
| Commitment to Family | |||
| Open communication | |||
| Successful home management | |||
| Care of self | |||
| Maintain rituals and traditions | |||
| Maintain relationships with Non- residential parents | |||
| Positive Outlook |
Many struggling single mom and father stories will inspire you to be a good parent and achieve success while raising children alone. They have proven it too. J. K. Rowling wrote her Harry Potter books while raising her daughter alone and has said that she feels especially proud of her years as a single mother. Another example is Lisa Nichols, who transformed her life from a struggle to great success as a transformational speaker and an author while raising her son alone.
However, when you shape your life as a single parent, you are the principal role model for your children and stand in a position to inspire them truly. Not to mention that you are the main recipient of their love and affection on a day-to-day basis, and that is super precious. Remember, being a parent is the best job ever. And managing single parenting successfully requires a strong, courageous, and potential mind. And we know you have it already.
Happy parenting!
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