Living Life as a Single Mum
Being a single mother can be tough at times. Whether it’s finding the right balance between work and your family or dealing with harassment from your previous partner, being a single mother can be a subject that you’re either proud to speak about, or fear even mentioning because you’re worried about being judged by others for the choices you make. Sometimes you’ll become a single mother due to your own choice, sometimes it will be to protect your children from harm, or maybe the responsibility is suddenly put on your shoulders.
Whatever the case, this article is going to help you stay motivated in order to look after your children and give them the best care you can possibly offer to ensure they have a bright future ahead of them.
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Accepting your responsibilities
The first hurdle to overcome is accepting your responsibilities. As a single parent, you have no one to share the task with unless it’s close family members or friends, but at the end of the day, you’re going to be the most dependable person you can rely on. You’re going to have less personal time, you’ll see your friends less, and you’ll probably go through horribly depressing moments.
However, you need to accept these responsibilities and realise that what’s important is your child. You might resent your situation and you might feel like throwing in the towel, but remember that your child’s life and future are at stake here. Use that to motivate you and spur you on to providing the best care you can.
Look for support
Whether it’s a group of single mums to share experiences with over the internet or in person or solicitors that can help you with your ex partner’s demands or bullying, you need to create a network with people who can support you. Keep in touch with friends, speak with them on a regular basis about your situation and share your stories with them to stay sane. You can’t go it alone even if you are a single mum, you should always have people behind your back that are willing to support you in your journey.
There are times when you and your ex partner have left on good terms. In this situation, you can always rely on them to look after your child and care for their well-being as well. Make use of this and consider speaking to counselling groups or a health advisor should you feel depressed and unable to cope.
Organise yourself
Since you’re going to have a lot less time to yourself, it’s essential that you try your best to organise your time and make the most of the time you have alone. For instance, try to prepare meals several days in advance, or write up a brief schedule so you can stay focused and on-track for what you need to do.
Being a single parent can overwhelm you with tasks. You might need to pick your children up from school, you might need to go grocery shopping on the way and you might have important work meetings to attend to. Whatever your situation, make sure you organise yourself to stay in control.
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