How to Get Things Done as a Working Single Mom

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Children are the most wonderful gifts we could ever receive.

They make us experience that selfless love that you never knew they would bring out in a person.

That is why we devote our entire lives to providing them with the best possible life.

You may, however, find yourself in a position where you must care for your child or children on your own.

It cannot be easy…

Sometimes you wish you didn’t have to get out of bed in the morning, but at least you’re giving it your all every day.

As a result, we will go over some life hacks that will help you get things done as a single mom while also keeping your sanity.

The following are a few tips that have proven to be effective for some mothers:

Wake Up a Couple of Hours Before School

Almost every morning is exhausting for single mothers.

Many have to get ready, get their children ready, make breakfast, pack lunch and do other morning chores.

By the time you get to work, you are exhausted, and you often forget to have breakfast.

You can wake up a couple of hours before waking up your children to solve this issue.

The morning hours can be your personal time.

Get ready at your own pace and do other chores like feeding your pet and taking a shower.

You don’t have to look like you are struggling with life all the time!

You can have your breakfast early and start preparing the kids’ breakfast before they wake up.

By the time the little ones wake them up, you will have accomplished a lot.

You can easily help your kids get ready and give them all your attention.

When you wake up early, you won’t have to do things in a rush.

As a result, you won’t forget minor things like your kids’ homework on the table or your phone at home. (I’ve done this, its not fun)

You can also go through your kids’ assignments or homework during this time as well.

Many single mothers prefer waking up at 5 am before school starts at eight.

Two and a half hours is a lot of time for a mom.

So, start by setting the alarm and forget about the late nights.

You will see how the early mornings can transform your life. This book has helped me create a really great morning routine. I think it will help you too, check it out here.

Make a To-Do List and Stick to it

It isn’t easy to balance work and caring for your children.

Besides, it is more difficult to balance what you need to do for yourself, your child, and everything else around the house.

So how can you balance all these chores?

As simple as it seems, creating a TO-DO list the night before or early in the morning is important.

The TO-DO list will help you set up the order of things you can accomplish within a day.

Doing so will relieve anxiety because you will not have to think about what you are going to do.

You will help block your mind from distractions and focus on one thing at a time.

It would help to involve your children in your TO-DO list by letting them know the plan ahead of time.

It would help if you were also consistent with completing the tasks you have written on your TO-DO list.

They will pile up and cause more stress and anxiety when you postpone tasks.

If you find it hard to create a TO-DO list, here is a book that will guide you.

Create A Simple Command Center

Many people aspire to give their children the life they weren’t lucky enough to have.

Among these great desires is the need for your child to establish constructive and healthy behaviors.

If you were not aware, children fear the unknown, whether it’s as little as moving towns or having unplanned broccoli for dinner.

We understand that change is a learning opportunity, but introducing a schedule brings consistency and comfort to a child.

Daily routines are different in different continents, countries, and homes.

You can create a schedule that works for you and your child.

The routine will help your child know what is important.

A routine includes:

Time to wake up and get ready.
Naptime, meal times, bath times, homework times, and playtimes
Cooking and cleaning schedules
Family time and outdoor activities

Getting your child on a schedule will also help their body adjust and relieve the stress of irregular patterns.

You will notice that:

Your child’s naps are better at night and during nap times.
Your children will have regular bowel movements.
The child will be calmer during relaxed times of the day, giving them better concentration.
The child will eat better during meal times.

Generally, creating a command center will help both you and your child mentally prepare for what is ahead.

Children love spending time with their mothers.

Having a schedule will let them understand the times that you are free.

In turn, this will reduce anxiety for both of you.

Outsource The Tasks You Would Rather Not Do

As much as you are a super mom, you don’t have the power to do all the house chores, take care of your kid, and go to work.

At some point, you must have noticed that you end up neglecting some of the house chores that you don’t have to do daily, like cleaning the bathroom or doing laundry.

You can choose to outsource your house cleaning and laundry services.

If it is possible, why don’t you take some things off your back?

Reducing the tasks will help you focus better on your work because you can rest.

You will also have time to spend with your child and have a clean house simultaneously.

I use an app called TaskRabbit where I can schedule for anything I need done at home for someone else to come and take care of it, its like Uber for housework! Super nifty, check it out here.

It would be lovely to walk to a clean house daily instead of getting home and starting to think of accomplishing numerous tasks within hours.

You can always hire a person to do the tasks for you.

You can also outsource simple tasks like shopping online and using Amazon delivery services to bring your goods to your doorstep.

Online grocery shopping is also another method of reducing chores.

Getting a nanny to pick up your kids and help you around the house is another tip to create free time.

Keep in mind that you cannot pour from an empty cup.

Sometimes, having too many things on your plate can drain you mentally and physically.

You could end up snapping in front of your kids. Outsourcing will create more free time for self-care or unwinding time.

You can grab drinks with your friends or go on a sparring date with your best friend.

Meal Prep for The Week

Making meals is a task that you can never skip.

The goal is to reduce the number of tasks at hand and give you more time.

Preparing meals take at least 30 minutes to an hour per meal.

If you include the three meals, it would be more than four hours a day.

That is valuable time that a mom can utilize to carry out other tasks, relax or spend time with her child.

Meal prepping for a whole week is the option.

You can choose a weekend when your kids are with the nanny or the grandparents to meal prep.

You can also include your kids during meal preparation time. Which is super fun for them to do and helps them eat more food (for them picky eaters) as well!

You can always order food online.

However, frequently ordering food is expensive.

Cheaper foods, such as pizza, burgers, and Mac and Cheese, are unhealthy.

Meal prepping will encourage healthy eating habits for children.

When you give them regularly, they will get used to eating greens such as broccoli.

We all love that meal that our mother or grandmother prepared when we were young.

Some cannot be matched, while others aren’t that good.

However, when you eat a certain meal, it will always remind you of your childhood.

It’s also important to create that connection.

Meal prepping using your family’s old recipe will introduce your kids to your tradition, and they will end up loving the meal.

In the end, you will share the culture or create a family tradition with your kids.

At some point, a child will always be picky about the foods that they don’t like.

You can try meal prepping with your child to encourage them to try food they helped you prepare.

In turn, you will spend time with your child and create a connection while helping them learn how to prepare the meals.

Also, meal prepping with your kids will help them learn important life skills like:

Following instructions
Measuring ingredients
Organizing
Budgeting
Reading a recipe
Writing grocery lists

If you find it difficult to come up with your meal plan and create it from scratch, you can get a meal plan from Amazon here.

Teach Your Kids Age Appropriate Chores to do Around the House

Your kids can also help you around the house.

It is important to teach kids as young as 2 years to help you around the house, setting a pattern of helping around the house.

Your kids will understand that chores are part of their lives and continue until they are teenagers or adults.

Your kids will also learn the importance of completing assignments at a young age.

That will impact them in school when doing assignments and as adults when doing their tasks.

You don’t always have to clean the house or pick up toys in your kids’ room.

Involving your kids in house chores will teach them the importance of keeping things organized and clean.

It will also help your child think clearly in an organized environment.

Did you know that you can build your child’s self-esteem through house chores?

When a child completes a task, they have a major sense of accomplishment, encouraging independence.

Therefore, you can make your child part of the team by giving them some of these chores that are suitable for 2- to 10-year-olds:

Pick up toys.
Unloading the dishwasher
Do laundry.
Unloading laundry from the washing machine
Iron clothes
Decorating a cake or cookies
Wash windows.
Cook an easy meal with your supervision.
Clean bathroom
Help you cook by preparing ingredients.

Remember to be consistent because children will fall off the wagon hoping that you will complete the task for them.

You can encourage them by praising them during the chore to give them momentum at the end of the chore.

Also, be more relaxed when doing the chores and don’t insist on perfection. You could end up doing the chore for them.

Most importantly, please don’t start your kids on chores when it’s late. Start assigning easy chores early and increase the chores as they grow older.

Ask for Help From Family

Many people don’t understand how difficult it is for single moms to ask for help.

We often feel the need to prove that we can do it all independently.

It is difficult to admit that you need help, but you will burn out if you are not keen.

If you take a step back and view it from a third-party point of view and narrate all the responsibilities of a single working mom, you will notice that it is impossible to do it all on your own.

You need to ask for help from your family members instead of setting unrealistic expectations for yourself.

You will find that some family members love having your kids around.

Your kids will also spend more time with their aunts, uncles, or grandparents.

As they say, it takes a village to raise a child.

Remember how your dad taught you how to ride your bike?

Furthermore, remember how your mom taught you and your sister how to bake?

You can also give your children the opportunity to learn new skills from other family members.

Your friends and neighbors that also have friends won’t mind watching your kids for an hour or two when you run your errands.

In fact, your kids will enjoy playing with their friends or best friends.

In Conclusion

Because each child is unique, there is no perfect 101 guide to prepare you for parenthood.

As you watch your child grow in various situations, you learn more about parenting.

Motherhood entails devoting your life to a child and being prepared to face challenges as time passes.

You will experience both uplifting and enjoyable moments.

However, you will occasionally lose your temper or experience burnout.

It is now your responsibility to provide your child with the childhood they deserve.

At the end of the day, those little cuddles and giggles are well worth the effort.

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