Single Parent Tips: How to Win at Life

Single Parent Homes

The last five years have been both the hardest and the most rewarding experiences of my life. It’s almost impossible for me to believe that it has already been that long since I survived divorce and found myself as the head of a single-parent household.

To be honest, I never thought this would happen to me. I did everything that I thought was right at the time. I dated my ex-husband for three years and never lived with him before the wedding, we spent the next four years working hard, saving money, and buying the perfect house, and we discussed our values at length before starting our family.

I was fortunate enough to have an easy time getting pregnant, but I was devastated after losing our first child. Then after healing physically and emotionally, I had two beautiful children a year and a half apart. I thought things were going to be perfect after that. But they weren’t.

You just never know what life is going to throw at you.

You might become a single parent after deciding to create a family on your own. You might become a single parent after a divorce. Or you might become a single parent after the tragic loss of a spouse.

Single-parent households are becoming more common every year.

According to the Pew Research Center, the US had the highest rate of single-parent households in the world in 2019. Their data shows that 23% of American children live with only one biological parent. The UK came in as a close second with 21% of children living in single-parent homes.

It’s not easy to be a single parent by any means. But if you find yourself as the head of a single-parent household at some point in your life, it doesn’t have to be a constant struggle.

You can win at life as a single parent. I’m happy to show you how.

Single Parent Tips

Once you become a single parent, you now have an immense responsibility thrust upon you.

Here are some single-parent tips to help you successfully raise your children while also ensuring that your needs are still being met.

Physical Needs

As the head of a single-parent home, it is important that you take care of your body and make your health a priority. Good physical health positively affects your energy levels, your mental health, and your ability to provide for your family financially.

1. Eat a whole food diet.
2. Stay hydrated.
3. Wash your hands.
4. Be active and exercise often.
5. Get into a healthy sleep routine.
6. Be sure to relax and recharge throughout the day.
7. Take supplements or medications as prescribed by your doctor.
8. Use moderation when it comes to eating processed foods or drinking alcohol.

Emotional Needs

Taking care of your own emotional needs is a huge part of finding success as a single parent. You deserve to feel happy and fulfilled and making sure that your own needs are met is a great example to teach your kids as they grow up.

1. Practice self-care regularly.
2. Talk about your feelings with your support system.
3. Set limits with your kids.
4. Let go of guilt, anger, and resentment.
5. Allow yourself to feel your emotions and then move forward.
6. Be honest with your kids about your needs.
7. Stop worrying about every little thing.
8. Strive for happiness, not perfection.
9. Slow down and enjoy playing with your kids.
10. Find enjoyable activities you can do alone to clear your mind.
11. Spend adults-only time with friends.

Financial Needs

As a single parent, the financial burden of raising kids falls solely upon you. Getting educated in personal finance and taking control of your money will lead to financial security and independence for both you and your children.

1. Set a budget and stick to it.
2. Learn to say no to your children’s endless wants.
3. Prioritize your savings.
4. Build an emergency fund.
5. Pay off debt.
6. Invest in your retirement.
7. Invest in your children’s future educational needs.
8. Make sure that you are properly insured.

As you can see, the gist of these single parent tips is that you matter too. You cannot take care of others long-term or successfully without first taking care of yourself. And you are not being selfish for having needs and making sure that they are met.

When you are healthy, happy, and financially secure, you will be your best self as a parent and your kids will benefit greatly. Plus, you are teaching them valuable lessons about being patient, thoughtful, and sympathetic to others along the way.

Single Parent Hacks

Once your basic needs are met, there are many ways to make single parenting easier.

Here are some single-parent hacks that will save you time and energy and will drastically lower your stress level.

1. Plan ahead.
2. Create a schedule.
3. Stay organized.
4. Accept help when it is offered.
5. Say no to commitments that don’t bring you joy.
6. Stop letting guilt consume you.
7. Get errands and projects done when you are child-free.
8. Meal plan and cook in batches.
9. Give kids household responsibilities.
10. Set expectations and enforce rules.
11. Don’t over-schedule yourself or the kids.
12. Make alone time or adults-only time with friends a regular part of your schedule.

The most difficult part of raising a family on your own is that absolutely everything falls on your shoulders.

It often seems like you never get a break from working, helping your children, and maintaining your home. There is always something that needs to be done and there isn’t another adult there to help you with any of it. I won’t sugarcoat it. Being the head of a single-parent home is straight-up exhausting most of the time.

But with these single parent hacks, you can get organized and significantly more efficient. And that’s a benefit for everyone in the household.

Single Parenting

I have to admit, single parenting nearly broke me a few times. I cried more times than I can count. I yelled even when I really didn’t want to. And I even collapsed into bed many nights as soon as the kids were tucked in.

But as I get ready for my wedding in a few short weeks (and the official end of being a single parent), I can’t help but tear up as I type this.

The last five years have certainly been a struggle. For a long time, I experienced the deep worry in the pit of my stomach that can only come from the stress of trying to feed and house your kids on a low income. And I spent night after night consoling my sweet babies who were grieving due to my very adult decision to get a divorce.

And once our basic needs were being met and I had worked hard to provide financial security, we moved on to other concerns that needed to be dealt with like sibling rivalry, messy bedrooms, and picky eating when it had never been an issue before.

But through it all, we grew stronger every day as a family. The three of us have a deep love and bond that no one could ever come between. I often wonder if that would have ever happened the same way if I hadn’t raised them in a single-parent home.

I guess I will never know the answer to that question. But I will forever be grateful for the five years when it was just the three of us. I was raising them, but they were raising me in many ways too.

So no matter what your family looks like now and what it may look like in the future, take care of yourself first so that you can take care of others to the best of your ability.

You can be a single parent and win at life. I promise.

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What are your favorite parenting hacks? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.