Many single mothers have to work to make ends meet. Though there are many jobs for single moms, it is a challenging situation where they need to balance career and personal life without compromising either.
There are many challenges when you are a mother and you need to ensure that a child’s early years are not affected by your work pressure.
Here we have listed out a few simple tips and guidelines to help single mothers achieve their career goals without hampering their role as a mother.
Single Mothers and Careers: Tips To Balance the Role:
It is not easy to leave your child at home and head for office if you do not have a person to take care of the child. If you are worried about the child when you are in the office, you won’t be able to do justice to the work at hand. Here are simple tips to handle this part of the problem.
1. Find a Nanny:
All women are not lucky to be staying with their families. If you are heading for work, you need someone to take complete care of your child. A good nanny can take up this responsibility. You may advertise for a nanny but can never really be sure of their reliability.
A better option would be to enquire among your near and dear ones if they know of anyone who can take up the responsibility. You may get some good options and also have a review of their experiences. Once you have a nanny for your child, you can head for office and handle your work responsibilities.
2. Find a Full Day Play School:
If your child is not an infant anymore, a better option would be to put the child in a playschool or nursery. Look for playschools that work a full day. This way your child will stay entertained the whole day when you are busy with work at the office.
Look for playschools that have different activities charted for the little ones. This way, you can be sure of the child’s overall development. You need to review the activities and spend time with the little one to find out what he learns each day.
3. Simplify Cooking:
A working woman often finds it difficult to manage cooking and other chores while working an entire day at the office. While you cannot compromise on cooking or replace it with outside foods, you can surely simplify the process of cooking so that it takes less time.
You can simplify cooking by preparing spice mixes for different recipes. Also prepare sauces, pickles and other things that stay longer than others. You can also prepare pastes of ginger and garlic or other combinations that may be frequently used for cooking.
4. Simplify Other Household Chores:
Working mothers do not deserve to waste their valuable time chopping vegetables, sweeping floors or cleaning utensils. Try to use machines that simplify all these chores. It is worth spending on washing machines and utensil washers as they help you use your valuable time for important duties.
Spend the time you get to tell stories to your little one or teach them some useful rhymes. These are simple ways to strengthen your bond with your little one.
5. Find Time with your Little One:
Even during a busy work-life schedule, you need to find enough time for your little one. Otherwise, he may develop a hatred for working parents and may misunderstand all your efforts. You must thus make sure that you have enough time with your little one.
Take time to revise his lessons, tell him stories, travel with him and explore the world all over again with him. As he learns new things, he will enjoy the time together. The time you spend with the little one will be one of the sweetest memories of his life.
Ways Working Single Moms Balancing Work and Family:
Being a working mom, if you are unable to balancing work and family life, you must seek another job alternative that helps you earn a living while not hampering your personal life. Here we have listed out a few stays at home mom jobs:
1. Freelance:
Freelancing is the best option for a single mother who wishes to dedicate time to her family life while making the ends meet. There are freelance job options in many fields like writing, SEO, photography, development and recruiting. You can try to find a job that has the ‘work from home’ option.
There are many benefits of freelancing for single mothers. Firstly, it allows a mother to spend her valuable time with the child rather than traveling. She can earn a decent living while not wasting time on trivialities like office politics. Single mothers find it a reliable option with good returns.
2. Look for Part-Time Opportunities:
If you do not come across interesting freelance opportunities, you may also try working part-time for certain organizations. Look for firms that have working hours that coincide with your child’s school hours. This way, you will be able to work as well as spend maximum time with your child. You can fulfill your responsibility as a mother while earning your bread.
3. Look for Jobs With Weekend Off:
As the child grows up, you may be able to work a full day as he may be busy with schooling, studies, and other activities. Make it a point to pick a job that has five days working. So that way you will be able to spend the entire weekend with your child.
Work from home jobs for moms is very beneficial. This way you won’t be compromising on your child’s childhood and will be able to review the child’s progress. It will be a rewarding feeling to manage work as well as household responsibilities.
4. Look for Job without Shifts:
Odd work shifts are not meant for single mothers. You must select a job with regular work hours. This way, you will be able to balance work and personal life without compromising on either.
Odd job shifts mean that you spend odd hours at work, do not get the required sleep and most often reach home by the time your child is already asleep. If you wish to see your child grow and develop, this is not a good work choice for you.
5. Think of Some Business From Home:
There are many business alternatives that you can try right from home. These include baking, tiffin service, creating home décor items, accessories and other crafts that can be sold. Try to come up with a business plan that allows you to have ample time for household chores. This can work much better than any job option if you know how to run the business well.
Health Tips for Busy Moms:
Most often, single mothers tend to compromise on their health in an attempt to please the child at home. Balancing work and life by compromising on your health is not advisable. You need to ensure you stay healthy so that you can remain a support for the child in each stage of their growth. Here are some tips to help you stay healthy:
1. Eke Out Half An Hour For Exercise:
Make sure you find sufficient time for exercise. An hour of exercise makes a big difference. So make sure you have that much time for yourself and your exercise. You can try skipping, jogging, a daily walk or any other exercise that helps you stay fit.
2. Ensure You Get Required Hours of Sleep:
Sleep is essential for the mind to stay healthy and alert. Try and get the required amount of better sleep every night. You will be able to achieve this only if you schedule your child’s routine in a fashion that your sleep hours coincide. Instruct the nanny or caretaker regarding the child’s timetable and schedule.
3. Eat Healthily:
What you eat has a great impact on your health. Try to eat healthily. Include a lot of greens in your diet as it is known to be a great source of iron. Drink milk and have calcium-rich products to maintain your bone health.
You must also cut down on junk food and try to have homemade food to stay healthy. Make sure you have three meals a day. Do not skip breakfast as it needs to be the heaviest meal of the day if you have to stay healthy.
4. Don’t Overstress:
Stress is often the cause of many health problems. You need to make sure, the work at the office or home does not stress you too much. One great way to do this is by setting your attitude and approach right.
Avoid getting stressed about things that are not in your control. Another simple tip is not to think of office work when at home and vice versa. If your mind is stress-free, it can think better and yield results.
You may even try yoga and meditation to rid your mind of stress. Remember that as a single mother, if you are not healthy, your work, as well as your personal life, will suffer greatly.
