How to Juggle Being Both a Working Mother and a Single Parent
According to statistics, working mothers are the major breadwinners in 40% of US families. That means there are plenty of people who are learning first-hand about this rewarding yet sometimes challenging mode of raising kids. The appeal is simple: leaving the workforce is a significant economic disadvantage for many people and especially for women, but having children is one of the most rewarding things a person of any gender can do – and is something that few should miss out on. While on the face of it there are lots of challenges to face as a single parent while a working mother, it’s also the case that they can be overcome by using the tips and tricks outlined here.
Call on help
For many single parents, status is a source of pride. And so it should be! Those who are managing to bring up a child on their own should rightly be proud of what they’ve achieved, and bringing up a child while also working and providing for the family is highly commendable. However, it’s also the case that many single parents need to call on help from time to time in order to be the best possible parent they can be.
If your own parents or parents in law are in good health, for example, they can be a godsend. Whether they live away and can look after the kids for a one week stint here and there or they live close by and can mitigate the potentially high childcare costs on a day to day basis, parents can help in all sorts of ways. Depending on your circumstances, however, it may well be that it is friends who are more able to help. And don’t forget that it’s OK to take a break and asking someone to look after the kids while you go out and socialize once in a while is fine.
Consider daycare
While two-parent families are often able to juggle commitments so that someone is always able to do the drop-offs before school and the pick-ups after school, this isn’t always the case for single parent families. And it’s understandable because the working day doesn’t begin and end at the same times as the school day, and anybody with a standard job won’t just be able to leave as and when they please.
As a result, daycare is often the best option – especially if a network of reliable support isn’t available around you for one reason or another. Daycare can be expensive, and it’s a good idea to look into as many providers as possible to get the best value for money while also of course prioritizing the quality of the care. Organizations including the charity led by Charles Phillips can help here, and you shouldn’t be afraid to apply. And if it’s seeming like you can’t cover all the potential costs, don’t forget to be honest with the daycare providers as well. They may be able to arrange a payment plan or some other assistance, and that could be a real game-changer.
Think outside of the box
Depending on your exact personal circumstances, you may be able to think outside of the box a little and get to a childcare solution that way. If you’re feeling like there’s no hope when it comes to finding support networks, daycare or something else, the next step to take may well be to ask your employer whether or not they would be happy letting you take your older child into the workplace with you for a short time period every week. That might not be possible in some work environments but is worth a try.
Persuade your kids
Let’s face it, when children eventually get to elementary school or even just to kindergarten, they’re going to begin to see that the world tends to have more two-parent families than single parent ones. As a single parent, it’s important to pre-empt any worries your child may have about this by explaining to them that they’re no less important just because they come from a loving single parent home.
Remember that it’s wise to explain to your kids that there’s no right or wrong way to bring up children and that your status as a working parent means that you’re able to provide for everyone in the household no matter what. If there are any difficult questions about why the child lives in a home which is led by just one parent, it’s a good idea to give an age-appropriate answer depending on the circumstances.
Being a working mother as well as a single parent can be one of the hardest things you ever have to do, and there are all kinds of challenges associated with it. However, by ensuring your kids are on board with what you do, finding daycare and tapping into support networks, it need not be so hard.
