Tips for Single Moms
Speaking from experience, being a single mom in the seventies was rare where I lived, and very, very hard. Being a single parent may be more common today, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. There are so many demands from all over – school has gotten tougher, sports and other activities require more time and money. You want to be able to provide for your children. It’s demanding for two people – but nothing like trying to do it all on your own! Many single moms are stressed. In fact many single moms are experiencing extremely dangerous levels of stress, but they don’t see any way around it.
Chronic stress is harmful to your body, mind and spirit. Chronic stress can lead to health issues, including fatigue, brain fog, obesity, any many more. Constant negativity and struggles are the absolute worst!
As a parent, you need to find positive ways to deal with the stress so you can be healthy for both your children and yourself. Start with telling yourself everything will be all right A positive attitude is your most important weapon.
Take some time to plan. Even if you think you are to busy to plan, it will be time well invested. With a little bit of planning, some outside help, and effort, you can excel at being both the parent and provider for your family.
Here are some tips to help you cope with the never ending stresses of being a single mom:
Plan ahead. One of the best things you can do when you’re a single mom is to plan ahead. You’ll find that the simple things in life that often cause the most stress can be managed or outright eliminated when you plan ahead.
Prepare meals in advance and freeze them until you’re ready to use them.
Teach your family to be ready for tomorrow. Have everyone put out their clothes the night before and their shoes by the front door so getting the day started will be a breeze.
Involve the kids. You can’t do everything by yourself, so get your kids involved in getting things done. Any help that your kids are able to contribute will save you a lot of time and stress each day, plus it’s teaching them the importance of responsibility and contributing to the family.
Teach them age-appropriate tasks like cleaning their room, doing laundry, making the grocery list, planning meals, cooking, taking out the trash, vacuuming, cleaning the bathrooms, and so on. They may grumble, but they will feel more valued and appreciate it more later.
Don’t be afraid to say no. Know your limits. When a friend, co-worker, or family member asks something of you that you know you can’t do, say no. It may not make the other person happy, but knowing your limits can help you from being overloaded unnecessarily. If you don’t respect your time, who else will?
Create a support system. When you have people that you can turn to, you’ll be able to release stress in a positive way. When you need a bit of reinforcement, it helps to know you can pick up the phone and call in backup!
Your support system might consist of family members and friends who are willing to listen to you vent or even help you around the house. Find other single moms and form a support network. Share meal prep, carpool, the list is limitless.
Make time for yourself. Schedule at least 10 to 15 minutes just for you
into each day. This time can even be for something simple, like meditation, journaling, taking a hot bath, or reading for pleasure. Your alone time will refresh and revive you!
These are all very simple, yet effective, ways to deal with the stress of being a single mom. These tips won’t do away with stress altogether, but they’ll help you manage it in a way that will help you get things done and enjoy your life and kids.
Your kids will only be small for a short time, and you don’t want to waste these years in a stressed out daze. Instead, take advantage of the here and now by incorporating these stress management tips into your life. You my be surprised when you find out it’s easier than you think!
Find your purpose – find your joy!