What`s it like to be a single, working mother?

Question

I need ten questions on this topic?

Answer 1

It is hard. Very hard. I am a single mom (I'm 24) of a boy who is almost 5. Let me give you an idea of my day to day life.
Wake up at 6 am. Get breakfast ready, have a shower, get dressed for school, pack for work after school, feed the dog, wake up my son by 6:30.
Feed my son breakfast, give him his vitamins.
Out the door to catch the bus to his daycare by 6:45.
Drop him off at daycare, then catch another bus to get to school by 8.
School from 8am-2pm.
Leave school, catch a bus to work. Work till 6pm.
Catch a bus to daycare, pick up kiddo, home by 7pm
Get dinner ready, walk the dog, feed dog, eat dinner, bath my son, read some books and so schoolwork with hin, and he's in bed by 8:30.
Then, I get to do housework, clean up after breakfast and dinner, do homework, and I'm done that and in bed by midnight. Then I do it all again the next day.
It's hectic, crazy, busy, and sometimes I sit and cry for hours because I'm broke, frustrated, worn out and just plain tired.
BUT. It is the BEST most GRATIFYING thing I can ever imagine doing. When I pick him up at daycare, he tells me he missed me and loves me. And that is the BEST thing in the world to hear after such a crazy day. It is hard, and makes me insane on the best of days, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Answer 2

My mom was a single mother back when there wasn't any. I'm sure that I can speak for her. Here are 10 examples:
10) I didn't ask for this.
9) I'm tired all the time
8) No one appreciates what I'm going through
7) Calling in sick is not an option
6) Parent/Teacher night is a ***** when you don't have a car to get there.
5) Having 2 or more jobs is a pain in the ***, but necessary.
4) I went to college for this?
3) I'm paying a sitter to talk on the phone with her boyfriend and eat all the food in my refrigerator...why?
2) There are no weekends anymore.
1) It's all worth it when your kids grow up and haven't knocked over a liquor store or married a stripper in Vegas(Who says you can't teach values anymore)

Answer 3

My kids are 14 and 11 years old. I've had them alone for 10.5 of those years and I work full time. Try to be all, see all, hear all, discipline all and yet still maintain your sense of humor. I wake at 6 am just to have 5 minutes alone with my coffee, kids go to school at 7:50, and I leave at the same time for work (1/2 hour away). I go straight out until 5 pm when I get home and instantly have to cook supper (that I won't have time to sit and eat), help with homework, do laundry (daily with 2 girls), wash dishes then fight to get them into the shower, brush the hair / teeth, and hopefully by this time it's 10 pm and their bedtime which is yet another fight. From 10 (or so) until 11 pm I sit and veg with no lights, TV, music..........nothing but me and the sound of my breathing. At 11 pm, I finally take a shower and head into bed and fall blissfully into sleep knowing the next day will come way too soon.

That's just one day out of 7 that I endure. Then along comes weekends and not only do you have your own kids, but you have sleep-overs now which means NO sleep for you cause they stay awake the majority of the evenings.

And through all this, I'm not bitter and I'm not angry. I endure all this cause I love my kids, I love my work and I love being busy.

Answer 4

My sister is a single, working mother so I can give you some insight into her life. She has a son and a daughter...she works for an insurance company 8-4:30 daily. She has to pay for daycare for her daughter everyday. She takes her son to school every morning. No one is there in the morning to help with a diaper change, getting lunches ready, cleaning up the mess the baby decided to make while mommy was getting her stuff together. Theres no one for her to lean on when life gets her down and the kids become too much. If she has to work late, she has to call around for someone to check on her son after school and pick her daughter up for her from daycare because they close at 6 o'clock. Then after work, she has to come home after a long day and make dinner for everyone. She has to help her son with homework, take care of the youngest one (feeding, diapers, playing, potty-training) all the while having NO help. I think she is fantastic...a much stronger woman than I'll ever be. I am married to the father of my 3 children and don't take any day for granted because I know I'm blessed to have what I have in him. My sister has to be responsible for everything, everyday without anyone there to back her up or tell her they're proud of her. She doesn't have someone there willing to say...."you've had a long day or week, go take some time for yourself and I'll tend to the kids". My sister does all the laundry for the house, all the cleaning, all the organizing of bills to be paid, transportation...just everything. She's definately a rock though. She doesn't give up or feel sorry for herself. She's buying her home all on her own. I give single, working mothers a HUUUUGE round of applause. It's not just all they physical tasks they have to do alone day to day, it's the mental part of it all. I know she feels alone alot of the time. Her daughters father got into drugs and doesn't see his child so there's no freetime for her come the weekend unless of course another family member is having her daughter over. My sister really does it all. Mom and Dads role both. The disciplinarian, caregiver, cook, chauffer, counseler, judge, maid, laundry-aid, banker, secretary and she does all the yard work. It's a tough road but it's made her who she is, which is a determined, hard-working, loving mother willing to sacrifice anything for her children. I give her and all other single, hard-working mothers all the kudos in the world.

Answer 5

It's a challenge sometimes, especially if you're a widow like me.
Trying to make ends meet isn't always easy. Taxes go up, utilities go up, my pay increase doesn't cover rising expenses. You make the most of each day and count your blessings. My kids do help out alot, and the older they get the easier it is
sometimes.

The issues you have when raising a teenage daughter can be challenging. I find myself saying "Well what would Larry do?"(my late husband) or "Come on Lar help me out with this one!"... LOLOL.... My 10 yr old son, the 'man' of the house, he's always looking out for us,because "daddy asked him too in case he didn't get better".

Then theres those days that can be exhausting between working full time,keeping house, dinner, laundry, and running each of them from point A to point B and back.....thank God for the network of friends,family, especially my niece that help me out! They are also the ones that keep reassuring me I'm doing a great job!

Answer 6

Now that my kids are grown..........it was living Hell on this earth!!!!!!!!!!! Their father left when I had 3 children under the age of 3 and no one made fathers pay child support then. Eventually when they were in college, I had a complete breakdown caused by stress. The good news?? I survived and living a peaceful life now.........they are all educated and doing fine, but there simply were not enough hours in the day to participate in all their activities, work, cook, clean house, etc. Now that it is over, I can only thank God for what wonderful children came out of this stressful life of mine!!!

Answer 7

Where do you find time for yourself?
Is there a strain on your budget?
Would it be helpful to have a nanny around?
Do you like being at work or would you rather be at home?
What is your outlet for emotions that build up?
Do you find it hard doing everything by yourself, or do you enjoy it?
Are your childern in school yet?
Do you find time to get away from all the worries of the home?
Would you find it easier to send your kids to day-care?
Do you like being a single mother, or not?

I tried =P

Answer 8

A single, working mother works twice as hard as a two parent home. She has to be both the mother and father to her child as well as be the primary bread winner for the family.

Best of luck to you.'

Answer 9

It's not that bad, been a hard working mother is one of the best gift a women can ask for. There is a fish in the sea out there for everyone you just haven't found your's yet, when the time is right it will just swim to you.

Answer 10

it depends on the circumstancees sorrounding the situation.
For instance:
if you are so, because the guy left you, or died, or something out of your will, you are much more elegible to be helped and symphatized with.
on the contrary, if you choose that situation, you are considered selfish, immature, and there will be really few people who willingly share the experience with you.