As a parent, it’s common to feel guilty about, well pretty much everything! Questioning your decisions, worrying you aren’t spending enough quality time with the kids, and feeling like you aren’t a good enough parent are all common guilt traps which pretty much every parent falls into at some stage.
So, how can you stop the guilt and just enjoy being a parent? Here, we’ll look at some of the best ways to overcome common parent guilt traps.
The hormonal changes women go through during pregnancy and after the birth are well documented. However, did you know men also go through hormonal changes when they become a father?
While it isn’t widely talked about, men’s brains do go through a few changes both when they learn they are expecting a child and after the birth. Several studies have been conducted to establish how men’s hormones change and why. Here, we’ll look at some of the surprising ways men’s hormones and brains change after becoming a father according to research so far.
Finding the time to cook up a healthy, homemade meal each day can be extremely difficult when you’re a busy mom! You’re already trying to juggle too many hats just keeping up with the housework, taking care of the kids and trying to provide for the family. So, how on earth are you supposed to fit in a couple of hours to cook on top of that?
The truth is you can’t. However, what if you could serve up healthy home-cooked meals that don’t take hours to prepare? Well, with clever meal planning you can! You may think you simply don’t have the time for meal planning, but you’d be surprised just how quick and easy it can be. Below, you’ll discover 10 meal planning tips exclusively for busy moms.
Being a parent is hard enough when there’s two of you to share the responsibilities. So, being a single parent with only yourself to rely on, can feel downright impossible. It’s challenging, yes, but it’s also totally possible to be a single parent without losing your mind.
If you’re facing bringing up your child alone, it’s understandable you may feel scared and overwhelmed. However, there are ways to make single parenting a lot easier. Here, you’ll discover some of the top single parent life hacks which can make your life so much easier.
One of the key challenges of being a single parent is trying to juggle everything. If you work, it can be really tough finding the time to match your child’s schedule, while also doing your job effectively. However, did you know you may be entitled to flexible working hours?
It’s definitely worth having a chat with your employer to see what kind of flexibility options they can provide. Would they consider letting you work from home some days? Or maybe you could have a flexible schedule where you can take time off as and when you need it if something crops up with the kids? You lose absolutely nothing asking for better flexibility and if granted, you’ll be amazed how much easier it makes your life!
It’s common for single parents to feel like they have to do everything. In some ways, you do need to do more than two-parent families. However, you absolutely don’t need to do everything. In fact, it’s impossible to try and do everything yourself.
Trying to do more than you can comfortably handle will only lead to frustration, stress and burnout. You’ll never be happy if you’re trying to be a super parent! So, accept there’s some things you just can’t take on by yourself and don’t stress out over the chores or tasks you haven’t had a chance to get around to completing.
Childcare Can prove essential for any parent. However, when you’re doing it alone, having a good range of childcare options is essential. More importantly, you need to ensure the childcare you do opt for is reliable.
The last thing you need is to be stuck if a childcare provider let’s you down. So, always have a range of backup options on hand, and be sure to choose your childcare wisely. Tur to friends, family, local daycare and babysitters – there’s so many childcare options out there these days so you really don’t need to do it completely alone.
Heading out to the store with young children can be an absolute nightmare. Your life as a single parent is stressful enough, so why make it harder than you need to? Most grocery stores offer an online delivery service these days. All you need to do is sign up, add what you want to your basket, book the delivery and then wait for it to arrive at your door.
This online delivery system has made it so much easier for single parents to get the groceries they need without having to prepare for a military-style mission.
Getting all of your chores done on top of everything else can seem like an impossible task. However, if you get the kids to help you, it will make life so much easier. Even very young children can help you with basic tasks. Toddlers for example, can help fetch things and tidy up their toys.
For older children, you could even create a Rota system. Each day they are assigned several chores and after a week or a month, they receive a reward. This doesn’t have to be a monetary reward, it can be anything from extra gaming or TV time, to days out.
One thing that’s going to help you keep on top of your chores, is keeping the home clutter free. You may need to take a few hours to de-clutter each room, but once it’s done you’ll find it easy to keep on top of.
A cluttered house doesn’t just make it look untidy, but it can also pose a safety hazard. You won’t feel as relaxed either, so if you want to actually enjoy your home environment, keeping it clutter-free is a must.
Don’t try to serve up homecooked meals every night. While they are better for you and your kids, the pressure to cook every night can become overwhelming. Instead, allow yourself to have a night off.
This could mean getting fast food, or simply sticking something in the oven. You don’t need to spend hours cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Go easy on yourself and when you don’t have the time or energy to cook from scratch, don’t!
It’s really common for parents to compete with one another. However, when you’re a single parent, it’s especially easy to compare yourself to others.
Do you look on social media only to find other single parents appear to be managing brilliantly? If so, it can make you wonder what you’re doing wrong. However, the truth is, social media isn’t a reliable source to see how well people are doing. Very few parents post negative things about themselves or their children’s behavior. What you’re actually seeing is their “highlights”. So, just because it looks like they’re doing an awesome, easy job, it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what’s happening in reality.
What you need to remember is that every parent’s journey is unique. You can’t possible compare yourself to other single parents because the circumstances are entirely different. So, stop competing and instead focus on enjoying your family and doing the best that you can do.
Overall, it truly is tough being a single parent. There are days it will feel like it’s way too much than you can handle. However, the above tips can really help to simplify your life and make the job that little bit easier.
Do you have your own tips which help you out as a single parent? Share them below!
It’s official, 2019 is over. It’s that time of year where we begin thinking about the things we’d like to change in the New Year. If you’re looking to make your home a healthier, happier place to be, you may want to consider adjusting your parenting habits.
By making changes which benefit everyone in the household, you’re guaranteed to have a great year ahead. The question is, what type of changes could you make in the year ahead? To help, here, you’ll discover 10 healthy parenting habits to start in 2020.
Fatherhood is far from easy, yet the struggles dads face are commonly overlooked. The majority of new parenting advice you come across tends to be primarily focused on new moms, which is great, but what about the dads?
Becoming a father, particularly for the first time, can prove to be extremely stressful. Trying to balance your career with your new hectic family life isn’t easy and the financial pressures of providing for the new arrival can quickly become overwhelming. It’s unsurprising therefore, that many dads suffer with stress.
The trouble is, stress can lead to a whole host of other issues. It can affect your sleep, cause tension between you and your partner, and if left untreated, potentially even cause resentment for your new family life. However, while eliminating the stress completely may not be an option, there are ways to manage it. Here, you’ll discover 15 ways to destress when times get tough.
Parenting is full of its ups and downs. Some days you’ll be laughing with joy, while others you’ll be tearing your hair out wondering how you’re going to make it through the day without suffering a mental breakdown. It’s all part of the parenting journey and while it’s impossible to prevent the hard days, there are ways to make them easier to deal with.
Here, we’ll look at some of the top things to remember on those difficult parenting days to help get you through.
When you’re expecting your first child, it can be a real rollercoaster of emotions. It’s obviously exciting and joyous, but it can also be extremely daunting. In the lead up to the birth, it’s common for parents-to-be to start getting worried and nervous about what will happen once baby arrives.
Here, we’ll look at some of the top things parents-to-be worry about and how to ease those worries.
With nine long months to wait before the arrival of your baby, it’s easy to get bored and restless. You’ve likely already been planning ahead for the birth and ensuring you have everything ready. However, what you should really be doing right now, is all of the things you’ll no longer be able to do once your little one does arrive!
There’s plenty of things you can add to your pregnancy bucket list. However, if your baby brain is struggling to come up with ideas, below you’ll discover some of the top things to do before you give birth.
There’s a lot of things you need to prepare for before baby arrives. Where will they sleep? Have you got all of the equipment you’ll need? How will you cope with sleep deprivation? These are just some of the things you’ll no doubt be thinking about. However, one thing that’s easy to ignore is the financial changes a new baby will bring.
The cost of having a baby can be much higher than you anticipated. Without adequate planning, you could find yourself facing tough financial circumstances. So, if you’re looking to ensure you’re fully prepared for your little one’s arrival, here’s 15 essential financial tips you should absolutely follow.
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