By Ayushi Pandey
Bringing up another human being is tough but it gets incredibly challenging when one is a single parent and has to take care of the house in order to create a good housing environment but also make sure that the child is well fed, does their school work, is well fed and is taught the right values and morals. Being a single parent is stressful because of obvious economic reasons but also because now if there are emergencies like a fever or something, there is always a struggle to manage work and the kid.
We recognize how difficult it must be to be a single parent while also trying to find that perfect balance between work and family, but, do not fret, we bring to you a list of ideas on how to find the ideal balance between work and family as a single parent.
1. Prioritizing finding time for your kid:
As a single parent, one has a double burden as the financial provider and the person who needs to clean the house, make food and ensure that the child is on a routine. So, it’s absolutely crucial that we decide what takes priority sometimes one needs to choose a scrabble date over cleaning a dirty kitchen or watching a Christmas movie or finding Nemo over making a full meal and instead getting takeout.
2. Making a schedule for EVERYTHING and not just work:
As a working parent, it would actually help if one plans out everything, and by that we mean not just work meetings or the class test schedule for your child but in fact, make a schedule and plan movie dates, dinner outings, camping treks, holidays or even just a gathering of extended family and friends.
3. Make a schedule for your child:
It’s a small thing but it’s pretty significant if you think about it because when kids get into a routine of getting up on time for breakfast and going to bed on time, it does not just make things easier for the parents but also makes kids learn to be more self-dependent.
4. Daily conversations are key:
It’s crucial to at least make an effort to talk to your kids about their day and their friends so that you are caught up with their friend circle as it also makes the child feel like you care about them and their day-to-day life and don’t feel neglected.
5. Make a clear task chart:
As a single parent, you already have a lot to do so its helpful if there is a clear division of labor so not only do the kids learn to help out at home with household stuff but also share the burden of a million things you have to do as a single parent.
6. Make your kids more independent:
In today’s day and age, everyone stresses the importance of being independent. It’s good to teach your kids to be independent which means that one should teach kids to dress up themselves, make their room, learn how to make small and easy breakfast food, start laundry, etc.
It’s not easy being a single parent but you should be proud of what you are doing, take it one day at a time, we are all cheering for you!!!
