Tips for Single Moms

The House

Home for a single mom isn't as enticing as other homes. Who says that? Okay, while it
may not be as easy to maintain, it is possible and if a single mom has children … well
they can be a valuable tool or a disastrous machine.

The home still has to be functional, clean and it has to be home!

The best way to conquer all that, which relates to the home it to make out a schedule and
if it's made right the first time, that's a plus. First off Mom should consider when, where
and how.

When is the biggest factor, finding the time. Where is the easiest part because Mom has
to decide where in the house will she begin, the kitchen, the bathroom or the living room
and how? Consider the days when Mom really has a busy schedule and the days when
Mom actually has an hour to spare, then consider high traffic areas first, set some rules
(no eating, no drinking, no shoes in the floor, no backpacks, etc.) for those areas and a lot
a specified time to each family member considering age as a big factor.

Post the schedule in a visible area where every member of the family can see it and most
importantly enforce it! If there are several family members then the best alternative is to
keep the schedule but assign specific rooms to specific family members and alternate
everyday or every week, find a suitable schedule for everyone.

The Kids

Communication can work wonders and a single mom usually has a strong bond with her
children, which the children often respect the fact that Mom actually puts so much trust
with them. On the other hand some children live to rebel!

Staying top of the kids can be difficult especially if a single mom works a conflicting
schedule and the children are at the roost for a while unsupervised. Make sure that teens
are responsible enough to stay home for a specified amount of time first; testing them is
the only way to be sure.

A single mom should tell the children on her day off that she's going to work, leave the
children at home for a couple of hours and unexpectedly return to see what's really going
on at home. Another way is to trust a neighbor to keep an eye on things but the most
effective way is to keep an open line of communication with the kids and never turn
down the opportunity to chat.

Finances

A single mom has one source of income and a single mom should stay on top of the
finances all the time. A schedule, a daily schedule reserving at least 10 minutes to
balance accounts, pay bills and estimate expenses is really good.

Sometimes emergencies happen and single moms need to be prepared, by setting up an
emergency account a single mom can be ready. Establish a budget for the emergency
account and stay away from spending any of that money for any reason. The typical
amount is $25 a week which adds up to be $1300 considering that there are 52 weeks in a
year, not bad for those unexpected pop ups.

Homework

Homework is often an area that many single mom's struggle with because there just
doesn't seem to be enough time in the day and the clear answer is study groups when
possible. Children do well in study groups and sometimes a trip to the library once a
week coupled with at home study and school instruction will be sufficient.

Children sometimes can't do their homework alone, if there's not a study group and the
help can't be obtained via Internet then the help of a local kid would be enormous … not
to mention cheap! High school kids are always looking for an extra $20 here and there,
they just can't be depended upon on Friday nights! A single mom should explore all of
the possibilities.

Laundry

Some single mom's don't have the luxury of a washing machine due to financial
problems or the lack of where to put one! The bottom line is that if a single mom has a
large family or children that change clothes often like many then laundry day is dreaded.
Laundry rules should be set forth for each member of the family with cutting the cost of
laundry day by as much as possible.

If there are children or a child that tends to go through fifteen changes a day … put a
stop to it!

Many single moms dread laundry day just because it entails going through the kids' room
'hunting' and if that's the case then a dirty clothes area should be established. Mark
baskets to show where colors go, whites, jeans and any uniforms or delicates to make
laundry day easier. Ultimately if a single mom has the luxuries of a washing machine and
a dryer, utilize the kids!

Teach them the art of washing clothes, it's not a glamorous job but someone has to do it.

All in all, being a single mom is hard work but it can be just a bit easier when a single
mom puts it all together, with these tips … it's possible!