One of the hardest things about being a single parent is simply making it through the day. There are meals to cook, dishes to wash, laundry to fold, homework to do…and those are just the simple things!
Let’s share our most practical tips for saving time, saving money and saving our sanity. Here, I’ll start.
1. Sometimes I get so busy that I forget to tell my daughter when she is behaving well, instead of just noticing when she is behaving badly. So she and I made a chart of all the helpful things she can do, like clean her room or practice her alphabet. We hung the chart in the kitchen, where it is most visible, and she gets a star sticker for each job well done. Fifteen stickers equals a special treat.
2. I don’t have much time to cook. But when I do, I make an extra batch of whatever is on the menu: hamburgers, mini muffins or chocolate chip cookies. The extras go in the freezer for busy weeks.
3. Be silly. Sometimes when my daughter is really pushing my buttons, I’ll do something funny instead of getting angry with her. I’ll say something goofy or make a silly rhyme. She likes it, and it takes some of the pressure off our relationship. There are times to be serious, of course, but there are also times to relax, let it go and laugh.
OK, I have another.
When my daughter is playing in the tub, I get a big bowl of hot water and soak my feet while I watch her play. It takes care of two birds with one stone: I can scrub Angie while also giving myself a (free, yes!) pedicure. And on a side note, if you warm up a little milk in the microwave and pour it into the hot water, the lactic acid in the milk really helps soften those summertime rough patches on your heels.