Being a mom is tough work. Being a single mom makes you superwoman. Seriously, it’s not easy raising a kid alone and even if the other parent is around part time or on the weekends, you still have your hands full managing all the day to day tasks of being a single mother. If you want to get through this with your sanity intact, you’re going to need a game plan.
Here are some single mom tips to save your sanity:
- Accept help – As a single mom, you’re used to doing things on your own. It’s okay to ask for help and to accept it when it’s offered. You do enough already so when there is an opportunity for someone to help you, let them. This isn’t weakness. It’s actually a sign of strength to be able to accept some help when it’s needed and offered.
- Take time for you – As parents, we tend to give up all for our kids. As a single mother, you won’t have a partner there to share the work and stress with you. It’s easy to get burned out. You will need to take time for yourself on a regular basis and recharge. Whether it’s a night out with the girls or a day you get a babysitter and stay in alone and veg out on the couch binge-watching your favorite Netflix shows, you need to take time for you. It’s not selfish and the recharge will help you get back to your single mom duties in no time.
- Your planner is your friend – Even if you don’t normally consider yourself a “planning” person, you’re going to need to schedule as a single mother. There will be appointments, there will be meetings, there will be activities, there will be loads and loads of papers from school to review. There will be boo boos to kiss and hurt feelings to heal and you will feel like there are never enough hours in the day to keep up with it all. You will forget things. Write them down, use an app, whatever works for you … but don’t be afraid to schedule your single mom life. There is a planner I love and many people who see it love it and ask me where to get one. While there are several options on Amazon, this is by far my favorite I’ve ever used, Mom’s Plan It Engagement Planner.
- Don’t sweat the small stuff – Yes, it’s a cliché phrase but it’s so true. You just don’t have the time or energy to devote to worrying over things that don’t matter. Your kids will test your patience. They will challenge their boundaries. They will see how far they can push things and how far they can push you. Pick your battles, hold firm when it’s important and don’t worry, they don’t really hate you even if they shout it to you in the heat of an angry moment.
Now that you have these tips, you are ready to start applying them to your life, if needed. You can alter them to suit your own needs, adjust according to your own interests and family needs, but use them as a guideline to motivate and encourage you. Remember when you are having a bad day, you are not alone. There are other mothers who completely understand what you’re going through. Lean on your support system when you need it and don’t forget to remember how awesome you are!
