Life is filled with so many uncertainties, and unplanned events, and sometimes they just come at you and you just have to live with it.
Being a single parent is a very tough ride Because kids will never be adults when they’re still kids so you can’t rush the process where all the work lies.
Whether you lost your spouse or got a divorce and you’re still trying to be happy and raise your child all by yourself while looking for a means to make money I must commend your effort and say that your doing absolutely well and if it somehow gets overwhelming just know that you’d be fine and very soon those days will eventually pass.
So some days you’re up and happy and it feels like you’ve gotten it all figured out , and then it all gets really overwhelming again and you can’t really wrap your head around it, yea I totally understand, if this is you, then definitely this article is for you so I’d suggest that you do not skip any aspect of this article as I’d be sharing 15 Tips on how you can take control of your life and succeed at work even as a single parent.
Tips On How To Succeed At work As a Single Parent
- Create A Balanced Routine:
Oftentimes, the major reason why we become less productive and have burnouts is because we don’t have a routine fixed in place to guide us. As a single parent trying to care for your child and also succeed at work, you definitely need to learn the mastery of creating a balanced routine. Create a Routine that strikes a balance between caring for your child and also being stable at work. Since you’re the only one Acting as both father and mother, you need to know how to handle your plans creatively. You don’t want to give your child the notion that you’re unstable in decisions or promises. So if you promised to take them out ensure you create a Routine that accommodates you taking them out and your job is still very much stable.
- Talk To Your Employer
If your employer isn’t already aware that you’re a single parent, try explaining to them and see if you can agree to a mutually beneficial flexible working arrangement. For example, you could start work earlier so you can leave earlier, or complete some work from home.
Note: you have the right to request flexible working arrangements with your employer.
- Be prepared for the short and long-term future
Being a single parent means being able to predict when your child might have a need in the short-term or long-term future. For example, on days when you’ll be spending time with the child at a restaurant, you might bring their favorite toys and a few snacks to keep them happy and entertained. It’s also important to prepare for the long-term future. For example, you might take an hour out of the week to teach them about certain etiquette, understanding outdoor signs or things you feel they need to learn about. This could help ensure the child is growing up with certain good behaviors and it’ll definitely help strengthen their confidence level and build a bond between both parties.
- Speak To Them About Your Unavailability.
Kids will always be kids, so don’t expect them to be adults, when you have an unplanned event that will take your attention or a meeting at work that is very essential, learn to speak to them about your unavailability and make them see reasons why you won’t be around and it’s not that you don’t want to be available but the circumstance is beyond your control. Don’t just act like they aren’t part of your life so ask them for permission before taking certain steps.
- Build a support system and ask for help
Being a single parent can lead to feelings of isolation. No matter how strong you are and how much you’ve achieved to date, you won’t be able to go through the entire single parenting process alone so you need to ask for help. You’ll need a support system which could be your family member, your mum, siblings and maybe people from your church or people you trust. Once you have built a support network of positive people, don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Being a single parent can get tough at times and you need all the help you can get.
- Be an Active Staff
Even if your company isn’t that strict and accommodates a lot of your excesses as a single parent, you should still strive to do your best at work. When you’re at work, so long as there isn’t a crisis with your kids, doing your job should be your primary focus. Even the most understanding employer and company still has a bottom line that’s related to the company’s success, and work getting done.
- Learn From Others
No matter what you’re going through, someone else has passed through that circumstance and has done better so be open to learning from others and gaining more experience on how to go through with it.
- Find A Caregiver
Trust me, it gets really overwhelming sometimes, especially when you have kids that are very demanding or Require a lot of attention. You could try finding a card giver to support you in your journey, most times caregivers cannot really do 100% of the major stuff for you but it’ll help reduce the pressure you’d be into by some percentage.
- Be Mentally Stable
So many times because of the uphill kind of life we tend to live when we are trying to strike a balance between work and taking care of the kids, we tend to neglect ourselves which is absolutely wrong. You should always take care of yourself, physically, emotionally, mentally and in any other way you can. Your life doesn’t really end there on being a single parent, so you need to keep your body and soul in a very cool state.
- Give Yourself Grace And Patience
You don’t really have to be a PRO at all this, you just have to be intentional about doing what you can do and remember that you’re still learning day by day so ensure that you’re being patient with yourself.
- Stay Positive.
It’s OK to be honest with your child if you’re having a difficult time, but remind him or her that things will definitely get better. Give your child an age-appropriate level of responsibility rather than expecting him or her to behave like a “little adult.”
- Simplify Your Life
Reduce all the unnecessary things and drama and focus more on what is important, which is your job and your kids. Try to break down your plans into bits. This helps!
- Stop Complaining
A Lot of single parents murmur and complain a lot. Yes the process is quite difficult but it’s something you can handle if you plan very well and you know what you want so don’t complain about the past, or how hard it is, instead, focus on creating joy both at work and with kids and things become easier.
- Be Prepared
You need to be prepared to make a lot of sacrifices and to balance a lot of spinning plates at the same time while appearing to be a sane and put together person. You will need to make a lot of sacrifices for your kids and sometimes for your job that might not be too convenient for you so you have to fix your mind to it.
- Trust The Process
I think the last thing I’d say is just trust the process, and see how beautiful it’ll be with time.
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