Single parenthood could be a tightrope walk – a balance between domestic life, the workplace, and the needs of children prone to act out when there is no Dad or Mum at home. However, there are some simple single parenting tips for moms that help the family live happily in a hectic world. Check out top useful single parenting tips for moms from VKool.com now!

I. Single Parenting Tips – 10 Challenges Of A Single Parent

1. Maintain A Work-Life Balance 

In fact, as a single parent, you know how precious your own employment (and paycheck) is. Each company has unique cultures; some allow for more flexibility while other companies demand a set, stable schedule. Thus, recognizing what will fly at your own company and the behavior that will cost you a promotion gives you the framework for creating the support system to keep the kid safe while you are the your desk.

Normally, week-day child care might contain a day care center, nanny, babysitter or even combination. Many parents tend to fill the gap between the end of the workday and the school day. In case you have school-aged kids, you need to find out if the school of your child offers transportation to a local after-school or a study center where you or other caregivers could pick them up exactly in the evening.

Recommend reading: tips to balance work and life

2. Deal With Inevitable Emergencies

Even the most iron-clad plans could throw you a curve ball. In reality, who has not received those dreaded calls from the school nurse about the spiking fever or vomit-soaked dress of a kid? Life always happens, particularly with kids.

Thus, you should schedule a specific time to speak with the HR department or employer about the probability and possibility situations might crop up which require you to make a speedy exit. Then, let them know that your work is crucial and ask if this will impact your standing at work.

3. Financial And Health Care

Single moms usually experience the stress and anxiety of financial strain, particularly if they do not have the full support from an ex-spouse in the form of the child support or alimony. According to a recent survey, single-parent households generally have less access to the health care. Promoted costs as well as financial burdens mean that some working mothers are forced to work hard and overtime or take the second job in order to maintain financial stability, which means less family time.

4. Spare Time As Well As Support

Single moms are always responsible for managing their home and child rearing. Even with the help from other family members, the responsibilities for laundry, dinner, and other household tasks fall mainly on the single parent. As a result, they will feel exhausted and less energy as well as time for other things, such as a social life.

5. Child Behavior

It is pointed out that many dads stop seeing their children on a regular basis just after the first year of divorce. Consequently, children tend to act out from the hurt and also lack of a positive model of the male role. Also, behavioral issues could happen as single moms are too over-scheduled, thereby make it hard to create and manage discipline efficiently. The truth is, youth in those dad-absent homes tend to have higher opportunities of becoming incarcerated and more likely to gain poor grades.

6. Traveling For Business

Even when your job does not contain the demand for regular travel, professional conferences as well as staff retreats might come up and this requires overnight stays. Thus, having a good plan in place could help to lessen the anxiety of both you and your child.

7. Changing Plans

In reality, a sick kid is bad enough, yet a sick nanny might be even worse. The working day is starting and your provider has just called in sick, just when you have reached for your high heels and Power Point presentation for a crucial, career-making customer.

This is one of the challenges of single parents that they have to deal effectively. You should make sure that you have a plan for backup care. Nowadays, there are some bosses even provide this service for their workers, so you should research this capability ahead of time. Or, you can find one or two neighbors who have flexible schedules and could either pinch-hit for the whole day or who could stay with your own kid till the backup care supplier arrives.

8. Get Personal Time

In reality, single parents tend to be helicopter parents as they feel guilty. People tend to take care of all things in order to make up for the whole family structure, instead of finding balance. Thus, single moms are prone to fall into stress and exhaustion as they do not have time to take care of themselves. You need and deserve a break, even just for 15 minutes per day. If the kid is old enough to acknowledge and understand, you should let them know your own body needs a rest. Relax yourself by soaking in the tub or ready quietly while your kid doing his homework or playing in another room. Keep in mind that this is not an indulgence, yet a necessity. The more relaxed and refreshed you are, the better your own household can run.

9. Find Your Own Happiness 

With many concerns that a single mom has, you will need to consider dating as the least concern of your own. If you are not a confident and strong person, you might complicate your life and those of your kids by introducing a male dating partner. It is the best not to date till you are in charge of your own life. Nevertheless, there will be cases as you need to give your own time to meet and mingle with other people to address your demands for companionship. If you handle your single motherhood well enough, you might choose to date. Though this is not an easy thing, you could schedule your time to go out about once or twice a month and have fun. Ask for the help of a family member to look after your kid for that day. Choose to hire the baby sitter to help you out in this concern so you could spend time re-energizing and renew your emotional bank.

II. Single Parenting Tips – 11 Tricks To Reduce Single-Parent Stress

1. Get A Handle On Finances

When it comes to single parenting tips, this is one of the most important ones that you need to pay attention. Raising a family on just one income, or depending on an ex-spouse for the child support, could be hard for parenting alone. That is the reason why is it necessary to take steps to budget your own money, study about long-term investments, plan for retirement, and if possible, promote your own earning power by going back to school or looking for extra job training.

2. Set Up The Support System 

Every single parent needs support, whether it is someone to care for your kid whilst you go out to do errands or simply someone to talk to as you are overwhelmed. Whilst it is tempting to try handling all things alone, you should ask friends as well as other family members for their help. Or, you could take part in the single-parent support group. If your own finances allow, you could hire the trusted sitter for helping out with your children or someone else to help you with housework.

3. Maintain A Daily Routine 

One of the most important single parenting tips for moms is learning to maintain a daily routine. Yes, moms should learn to schedule chores, meals, bedtimes, and any other family functions at the regular hours so that their child will know precisely what to expect every day. A persistent and consistent routine will help the kid feel safer and more secured and also help you feel much more organized.

4. Build Ground Rules 

Raising a child by your own means you will not have anyone there to back you up if your kids do not play nicely. Thus, you should keep your kid co-operating by making expectations clear when it comes to behavior. It is important for you to establish the clear set of house rules so that you family will agree the results or consequences for not following or sticking to those rules.

Here are a few suggestions for single moms to set ground rules:

• Communicate an adequate set of about 3 to 5 rules before children misbehave
• Make use of praise for encouraging good behaviors
• Develop the serious and firm tone of voice and lower the voice when necessary
• Set boundaries to help your children understand when their own behavior is crossing a line. That way, you will help your kid remember what type of behavior has been agreed and what not
• Redirect or separate the child who displays persistent bad behavior
• Ignore the misbehavior if it is tied to a desire of drawing attention
• Choose a certain place like a corner or a chair where your children will be challenged to think about their misbehavior.
• Kids need to acknowledge the cost of bad behavior

5. Be Consistent With The Discipline 

Kids thrive when they know which kinds of misbehavior are expected of them and which rules they need to follow. In case you are separated or divorced, you should work with the ex-spouse to create as well as observe consistent rules and strategies of discipline. In case your kid has other caregivers, you can talk to them about your own expectations for the child to get into disciplines.

6. Answer Your Child’s Questions Honestly

Inevitably, questions will be raised in your kid’s mind about the changes in the family, or about the absence of the other parent. In that case, you should answer them in such an honest, open and age-appropriate manner. Besides, you should make sure that your kid can get the support and help he needs for handling with difficult emotions.

7. Treat Your Kids Like Kids 

For the absence of a certain parent, moms sometimes tend to rely too heavily on the kid for comfort, companionship or sympathy. However, children do not have enough the emotional capacity or the life experience to act as the substitute mature partners.

Once you find yourself depending on the kids too much, or expressing your angry to them too often, you had better seek out the mature friends or family members to share your thoughts to. If necessary, seek counseling.

8. Remove “Guilt” From Your Own Vocabulary 

It is easy for single parents to feel guilty about what they could not supply for their children, such as the time or the things which other children often have. However, for your own sense of well-being, it might be better for you to concentrate on everything you could do to complete on a daily basis and on the things you supply. Do not forget about the attention, the love, and the comfort you are the one responsible for. If you constantly feel guilty about disruption in your home life like divorce, you can join in a support group for divorced parents. Just simply focus on your kid and yourself as well, get the support you need.

9. Take Time For Your Kid 

You are a single mom and you have to deal with a wide range of anxieties throughout the day, then it is time for you to relax yourself. And, taking time to play with your kid is also a good way to relax. Even though the piles of dirty dishes and laundry might beckon, you still should set time every day to enjoy your children because after all, it is that parenting is all about. Just spend some quiet time on reading, playing and going for a walk together. Or, even listening to music together can help you get closer to your child. Most importantly, you need to concentrate on the love between you and your child and on your relationship as a real family.

You can check out: tips to take care your toddlers

10. Take Time For Your Own

As mentioned earlier in the previous one of this single parenting tips list, it is crucial for single parents to schedule time for themselves. Even if it is just something simple like taking a warm bath, having a chat with your friend or reading a book, you still need to set time for your personal favorite, thereby giving you the chance to refuel.

11. Stay Positive 

When it comes to single parenting tips, staying positive is required. The truth is, it is rather easy to become overwhelmed by the responsibilities of being a single mom. Above all, you might be experiencing the hurt and pain of a broken relationship or the death of a life partner. Despite all of your feelings and emotions, though, it is good for you to maintain a positive attitude and nourish positive thoughts, as your kids are impacted by your own moods. The best manner to handle with stress is to do exercise regularly, follow a well-balanced diet, take enough rest, and seek balance in your own life. When you feel sad, it is okay to share your sentiments with the kids, yet let them know that they are not the cause of those issues.

Being a single mom is a not an easy thing, yet remember that you are not alone. You will find single parent support groups in most cities and towns. With this attitude, you will better succeed as a single mother and you will see the fruits of your own sacrifices; your kids will grow to be emotionally healthy and loving adults.

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