Juggling becomes a refined craft when you become a single parent, so many of you would agree that super moms and dads are definitely single. Some days it feels like you're Super Mario navigating a racetrack and just trying not to collide into anything. I've heard many times by couples with children, 'I don't know how you do it!', and somehow you don't know either. While many ex-couples have a small window of down time when the kids are with the other parent, those with 100% custody have to be applauded, especially when working full-time. A typical weekday in a single parent household looks like this:
6:00 am – Wake up and boil the kettle
6:05 am – Make a cup of coffee and put a load of washing on
6:15 am – Take a shower
6:30 am – Get partially dressed
6:40 am – Make school lunches
7:00 am – Wake up the kids with lots of hugs
7:10 am – Get breakfast for you and the kids
7:25 am – Hang washing out
7:35 am – Prompt kids to get ready faster ... always so slow
7:40 am – Help do hair for the girls and tie school shoes for the little one
7:45 am – Ensure bags are packed, sunscreen on, and water bottles filled
7:50 am – Run out the door
8:05 am – Get to school and sign kids into before-school care
8:30 am – Get to work
12:30 pm – Use lunch break to pay bills, follow up tradesman to fix oven and check emails ... plus scoff down some food!
1:15 pm – Back to work
5:15 pm – Out the door quickly to collect kids from after-school care
5:45 pm – Use time in car to catch up on the kids' day
6:00 pm – Dump everything at the door, order kids into the bath and start prepping dinner
6:30 pm – Dinner at the table
7:00 pm – Clean the kitchen and get kids to help pack the dishwasher
7:10 pm – Check homework and help where necessary
7:30 pm – Dessert served ... ok, a scoop of ice cream if lucky!
7:45 pm – Get kids ready for bed
8:00 pm – Read to them or they might read to you if part of homework
8:15 pm – Lights out and kisses goodnight
8:30 pm – Lead one of the kids back to bed who has come out with minor excuses for not falling asleep
8:45 pm – Announce dire consequences if they come out of their room again
8:50 pm – Turn on the TV for thirty minutes of brain dead time ... and maybe a glass of wine
9:20 pm – Pay bills, check emails, bring the washing in
9:45 pm – Get ready for bed
10:30 pm – Tell yourself it's the last night you'll check Facebook before going to bed as you're dog-tired and should have gone to sleep half an hour ago
10:45 pm – Hopefully in zzz land
Phew, now I know why I'm tired, especially when the weeks without the kids is for catching up on work, housework and general home duties (damn bills!!). So single parenting is a challenge but you've gotta do what you've gotta do.
Super moms and dads are definitely single