It has been almost two years since I’ve become a single mother, and of course, I’ve had ups and downs. Some days go smoothly, while others make me want to completely break down and cry. Being a single mother comes with so many obstacles, some I overcome, others are long-term, and some are basically issues I have to learn to live with.
I am 100% confident I took the right choice with regards to my divorce because I was basically living the life of a single mother while I was married too since my ex-husband was basically like a visitor when it came to things related to our child. So I know that my life wasn’t that easy as a mother when I was married, but being a single mother comes with loads and loads of responsibilities because basically, I am doing everything for my child while being a working mother as well.
One of the obstacles I face as a single mother is the fact that I literally have zero time for myself. I drop my son at school, go to work in the morning, then in the afternoon, I finish work and pick my son up from school, we go home and I have to take care of him, play with him, spend quality time with him, and then by the time he goes to bed- I’m drained- literally.
The same goes for the weekend since it’s the only time we get to spend quality time, we try to spend the day out on Friday, and on Saturday I try to get any errands I need to get done, with my son tagging along. As my family lives abroad, it is difficult for me to leave my son with anyone. My feeling of guilt also kills me every time I look at my son who’s father simply abandoned him
Via: The Conversation- Single mom struggle
I know I speak for almost all single mothers when I say that I have zero time for myself, which is important for the sake of my sanity. To get a better insight on what to do with such situations, we spoke to Certified Positive Discipline Educator, Rana Hany, to take her opinion and advice on how to handle such a situation.
How can I manage my time as a working single mother?
Life of Single Mom- Single mom struggle
The golden rule for any single mother trying to manage her time according to Rana is creating a routine. “Having a routine will help single mothers distribute all her daily tasks and try to include her me time,” said Rana. She also added that having me-time should be incorporated into her daily routine.
“The third advice Rana gave was trying to decrease daily tasks which are not important. “You don’t have to have everything to be perfect, you don’t have to cook on a daily basis, the house doesn’t have to be perfectly clean, you should try to make life easier on yourself if you can,” she said. She continued: “For example, if you can afford to get ready-made food from outside, do so, or cook once a week for the entire week which will help cut down on the time you spend in the kitchen.”
Rana also advises single mothers who are struggling to find time for themselves to ask for help. Even if you don’t have any help from family members or friends. “If there are any tasks related to the kids which don’t require the mother’s help, she should ask for help from others around her,” stressed Rana.
Finally, Rana advises mothers to have a to-do list “Having a to-do list will give single mothers a sense of accomplishment when she actually makes a list and crosses out the tasks she finished, instead of feeling burdened that she has so much to do.” said the parenting expert.
Further Readings:
- Single Mom Struggles: Telling Your Child You Will Re-Marry
- 5 Single Mom Struggles and How To Overcome Them
- Single Mom Struggles: My Ex-Husband Doesn’t Want To See Our Son
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