Being a parent is hard. Being a single working parent can feel insurmountable. Feelings of guilt about not being able to dedicate as much time as you’d like to either your work or your family is common and can be frustrating and leave some feeling helpless. We aim to support single working parents on their financial journey and want to see them succeed in all aspects of their lives. 

 

Here are five tips to help single working parents better manage their time.

1. Find a family-friendly employer.

With advancements in technology, people can stay connected to their work virtually anywhere. This has helped some workplaces adopt a work-from-home policy. Whether they allow their employees to work remotely on a regular basis, or as needed in case of a sick child or other circumstance, employers who understand the needs of a family and can be flexible enough to support employees in this way is tremendously valuable. 

2. Let Go of Perfection

All parents should adopt this tip. It’s easy to think you’re going to be a perfect parent before you have kids. Then reality hits. Technology can be great, but the rise of social media has led to impractical standards and unrealistic expectations. You don’t need to strive for perfection as a parent. Messes will be made, cereal can be served for dinner, and skipping bath night is just fine.

3. Outsource What You Can

Grocery shopping is one of those time-consuming activities that we all have to do. Between making a grocery list, driving to the store and shopping, and then returning home to unload groceries, you could spend hours every week on this chore. There are many stores and apps that offer grocery delivery. If this is within your budget, it’s a valuable service to give you back some time. Other services you can outsource house cleaning and lawn care.

4. Prepare Ahead of Time

Mornings for a working parent can be stressful. Between getting yourself ready for work and your children off to school, there’s a lot to do. Take some of the stress out of the mornings and prepare what you can the night before. Layout clothes for you and your children (if you are still dressing them). Pack lunches and round up work/school supplies. If you’re able, load bags into the car the night before. It may only save you 15-30 minutes in the morning, but it will ease a lot of stress. 

5. Set Attainable Goals

It’s important to remember that you can’t do all the things for everyone. So when it comes to planning your daily to-dos, keep things achievable. Don’t overload your schedule so that you know you won’t get to everything, which only makes you feel like a failure. Schedule in family time and time for yourself. 

 

While we support all of our clients on their financial journey, we are especially attuned to the challenges and dynamics of women. We want to help women in transition make positive financial decisions that will impact their future. If you’re in this place and you don’t know where to start with your financial investments, contact us and we’d love to guide you through.