How to Manage a House as a Single Parent

Managing a house is difficult as it is but in homes where there is only one parent, the task naturally becomes daunting. What is usually a shared set of challenges – right from completing domestic chores to spending quality-time with the kids – now rests solely on a single set of shoulders. Even worse is when the responsibilities of running a home fall suddenly upon you, whether as a result of bereavement or divorce. So if you find yourself in such a situation and feel that you are being sucked into a whirlpool of chaos, here are a few tips which can help you to manage house as a single parent and at the same time retain your sanity.

TIP:

TIP: Visit MillionaireMatch to meet women looking for men to date.

to browse photo profiles of single women and men looking for dates.

Save on time

If you were used to sharing chores with your former partner, after becoming a single parent you may feel overwhelmed by all the commitments, ranging from domestic chores to kids’ homework and your own profession. The secret to going through this labyrinth is to get organized – or in other words plan the family and your own activities in a way that there is time for everything and everyone. The simplest thing to do is to get a calendar or a weekly planner with enough space for marking schedules and appointments. Invest in an electronic organizer if you can where you can not only mark important dates and times but which have alarms and reminders to keep you from forgetting them. If you find yourself particularly rushed in the mornings, do as much as you can the evening before. This includes laying out clothes, making lunches, gathering books, and running the dishwasher. The time you invest in the evening will actually save more than that in the morning, because you won't be rushed and stressed out. In addition, get your kids into the habit of doing whatever they can do to help out the evening before as well.

Also look for stores and companies that are willing to deliver groceries at your doorstep. This will save time otherwise spent on shopping for food and other supplies. At the same time though, work out the time for the deliveries and mode of payment so that you know what to expect.

Easy housekeeping

One of the most crucial aspects of managing a house is to perform domestic chores like cleaning, washing, dusting which never seem to get done. One of the best ways of handling these is to distribute age-appropriate tasks to the kids. At the same time you have to teach the kids to be responsible about housekeeping. For instance they need to learn to be careful about where to keep things and how to take care of their stuff. Also look for practical ideas which can help you organize space more effectively. For instance as a single parent, you can ill afford to waste time each day looking for small things like ID tags, caps, spectacles and car keys which are easiest to get misplaced. To get around this, designate a "space" for each family member to store the small stuff. For the kids, this might be a hook inside the hall closet, where they can store their jackets and schoolbags. For yourself, this might be a small drawer close to your home's entry.

Stick to meals that are easy to prepare

A single parent with a thousand things to do cannot afford to spend time cooking elaborate meals. Indeed if you have recently taken up the mantle of managing a home, you may even be clueless as to how to start cooking every meal, every single day. At the same time you don’t want to encourage bad eating habits or canned foods that may save time but are unhealthy in the long run. For instance breakfast is often the most rushed meal of the day. So serve cereals which are packed with vitamins and minerals. Add some milk and a banana, and you have a well balanced meal. Alternatively, consider the benefits of yogurt. It's a handy snack that's full of protein, and it will keep you from feeling hungry soon after. A good general rule of thumb is to try to avoid prepackaged foods. Not only to those tend to cost more, but they also offer less nutritional value overall. Opt instead for building meals out of healthy staples such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and low-fat dairy choices. If you can, try to set aside a block of time to make several meals at once that can be stored in the freezer throughout the week until you're ready to use them.

Being prepared

If you are newly single, you need to consider who else you can turn to for help outside of a traditional spouse. In other words you need to build up a support network which could include family members, friends, co-workers, other single parents and support groups. One of the most efficient ways to do this is to ensure everyone in your support network is equipped with emergency contact numbers. Rather than waste time by preparing them individually, download free emergency contact form from online resources, fill them up with up-to-date information and distribute copies to all of your children's caregivers and extended family members.

Also keep in mind that your kids may come down with an illness sooner or later which will force you to leave early from work or stay at home. To prepare for the sick days, you can leave a set of clearly- written instructions at your desk so that your co-workers would be able to step in on a moment's notice and accomplish those things that absolutely must get done. Also maintain an updated list of back-up child care options for the times when you are unable to get home right away to attend a sick child. Instead of simply recording that person's phone number on the school's emergency contact form, work out a plan with that person for how the situation would be handled. For instance thrash out issues like where would they care for your child - in their home or yours? Also consider if they would need a house key or a car seat? Working through these details in advance will not only let the caregiver know what to expect but go a long way in minimizing stress and confusion.

At the same time don’t forget to keep at home a stock of over the counter (OTC) medications as well as supplies like tissues, coloring books, and your kids' favorite magazines. This way, when unexpected sick days do happen, you won't have the added task of needing to run out to the store at the last minute.

Managing money

One of the biggest challenges a newly single parent faces is the sudden restriction on financial resources. And yet costs pertaining to kids’ school, hobby classes, medicines, food and fuel remain as they were – making way for an imbalance between earnings and expenses. The only way to overcome this is to make a family budget and ensure every member sticks to it. Make a list of expenses that range from everyday ones like groceries to those that are occasional like medicines and eating out. Also include larger debts like mortgage, car loans or student loans. Divide the expenses among those that you need to pay within the next week, the next month, the next quarter or yearly. Mark the due dates in an organizer so that you know when you owe money, how much and to whom. The other part of making a budget is to see how much of your earnings are being spent on a regular basis and how much you can afford to save. Finally look out for bargains, discount coupons and offers which help you to save on grocery costs or similar expenses.

Even though managing a house as a single parent is full of challenges, it need not send you into a tailspin of chaos. With a little bit of planning, some help from a support network, you and your kids are sure to surmount the difficulties and come closer to each other in the process.