There is no doubt that single parents have it the hardest of all when there are children and only one head of the family. A single parent with or without a partner's support is solely responsible for the day to day responsibility of the children. The partner might pay financial support and might come once on the weekend to take the children out, but it is the single parent who in most cases is the mother who has to worry frantically when the child is hurt and has to be taken to the doctor or hospital, or who worries at work that the babysitter does not get fed up and leave, or who has to sit down with the kids at night helping with homework who gets virtually no break. When a single parent finally drops into bed at the end of the day, she or she still thinks about Johnny's dentist appointment or Sarah's ballet class in the afternoon, and never stops worrying.
Here are five ways of beating stress as a single parent
Do today what is going to be difficult for you to do the next day, meaning do some chores after the children are asleep at night to make your workload less. In other words, get lunch box containers and pack the children's sandwiches the night before and keep it in the fridge. There'll be no scurrying around all over the place if you are in a haphazard environment. You can also put in a load of laundry before you go to bed and fold things up in the morning.
When you go grocery shopping, buy all your staples at one time. Buy two boxes of cereal, rice, meat, fish, sugar, rice, toilet paper. Find a great place to buy your fruit and buy enough so you only have to go to the shop twice a week. Also buy enough snacks for them to take to school, and hide some of them in another cupboard. This alone will save you some time when you come home.
Give each child a chore to do when they come home from school and stick to the rule you make. There is nothing worse than coming home from work and finding toys all over the floor, ketchup splattered on the table, and the beds unmade. Give each child a dollar and tell them that it is not an allowance, but that you want to give it to him or her for helping make your day easier. When a child does not keep his room clean or pick up his things, he forfeits his dollar. When he does something extra like cutting the lawn or cleaning the backyard from rubble and debris, he gets an extra dollar.
 You are not only developing the child, you are also teaching him to be financially responsible.
Spend time with your kids when you come home. Listen to what they have to say. A happy child will automatically make you feel happier also, and have less stress.
Before you go to bed practice stress relief techniques such as deep breathing, visualization and meditation. Cycling is great too; you can go with the kids. Make this a daily part of your life.
Here are five ways of beating stress as a single parent
Do today what is going to be difficult for you to do the next day, meaning do some chores after the children are asleep at night to make your workload less. In other words, get lunch box containers and pack the children's sandwiches the night before and keep it in the fridge. There'll be no scurrying around all over the place if you are in a haphazard environment. You can also put in a load of laundry before you go to bed and fold things up in the morning.
When you go grocery shopping, buy all your staples at one time. Buy two boxes of cereal, rice, meat, fish, sugar, rice, toilet paper. Find a great place to buy your fruit and buy enough so you only have to go to the shop twice a week. Also buy enough snacks for them to take to school, and hide some of them in another cupboard. This alone will save you some time when you come home.
Give each child a chore to do when they come home from school and stick to the rule you make. There is nothing worse than coming home from work and finding toys all over the floor, ketchup splattered on the table, and the beds unmade. Give each child a dollar and tell them that it is not an allowance, but that you want to give it to him or her for helping make your day easier. When a child does not keep his room clean or pick up his things, he forfeits his dollar. When he does something extra like cutting the lawn or cleaning the backyard from rubble and debris, he gets an extra dollar.
 You are not only developing the child, you are also teaching him to be financially responsible.
Spend time with your kids when you come home. Listen to what they have to say. A happy child will automatically make you feel happier also, and have less stress.
Before you go to bed practice stress relief techniques such as deep breathing, visualization and meditation. Cycling is great too; you can go with the kids. Make this a daily part of your life.
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