Single Parenting Problems - Coping With Having to Do It All As a Single Mom

Nursing Pajamas

Facing a new job title of Mother is both exciting and scary. Facing this new life as a single parent could be down right frightening. Being a mother and a business owner, I have all the respect in the world for women who pull this juggling act off alone. It can not be easy and it deserves some serious respect.

Nursing Pajamas

Parenting with two parents is challenging. Juggling two careers and child care, a social schedule for the adults and one for the children as well can be tough, particularly in the beginning years of parenting. Mom and Dad have to start taking turns showering, taking turns going for a morning jog, ladies night out or guys night out start to fade away. For lack of time or energy, the adult social calendar may start to fade away all together. Now take that big picture and apply that to a one parent family situation. One adult making the decisions, one adult running the errands, managing the child care, career, bills, car, and house, and still trying to find time to just be an adult.

As a single mom, child care from a second person is almost a must unless there is some unique situation of independent wealth. With the rent or mortgage and utility bills lingering overhead, work is not an option. Where a two parent family may be able to swing Mom or Dad staying at home with the child, a one parent family does not have this option. An in-home nanny, Grandma, or some sort of daycare will be necessary and normally not inexpensive. Luckily, some states have some great state assistance financially for single parents. It is important to look into it because there are programs for things like free daycare and free health insurance for families with only one parent and one income. Without these kinds of programs or some sort of help, daycare can be very costly.

Establishing a working routine will be very beneficial to coping with daily life in a single mom home. Going online and reading single parent blogs and joining active forums with other single parents are great ways of gleaming some inside edge to conquering this challenge. If nothing else, these avenues will provide the feeling that you are not alone. With an established daily routine of morning activities and breakfast, dinner, and bedtime, the day is much less daunting.

There are problems with living family life as a single parent, but there are also rewards that are much more memorable. The challenge can promote growth and strength as a mother and can also improve coping skills for any possible future challenges in life.

Single Parenting Problems - Coping With Having to Do It All As a Single Mom
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