3 Life Management Strategies for Single Moms By Courtnaye Richard

As a single mom, life can get hectic, rather quicky!  I know all about it, because I was a single mom before saying, “Yes” to my husband nearly 20 years ago.  Personally, I understand what it’s like to be the sole provider, home chef, and chauffer for school and extracurricular activities for your kids.  As a single mother, you’re the nurturer, trainer, and listening ear.  You’re also the play mate or confidant depending on whether you have adolescents or teenagers. 

Hence, because you fill pretty much every role for your child or children, it’s especially beneficial for you to have good systems in place to help you run a healthy and happy home.  I believe when you have a strategic game plan, that’s when you can begin feeling more at ease.  My goal and hope for you is to help you live a life that is mixed with balance, peace, and structure as I share with you, 3 life management strategies for single moms.

Strategy #1 - Beat Your Kids Up

You might be saying, “What?”  And I get it.  But I mean it.  Beat your kids up.  In other words, plan to wake up earlier than your child or children.

This will give you time to wake up slowly, instead of being rushed to start your day.  Just set your alarm on your phone or nightstand clock to wake up anywhere from 1-2 hours ahead of your household.  This strategy will allow time and space for you to get up, unhurried.

Simply get out of bed, brush your teeth, wash your face, and start walking toward the kitchen to pour that hot cup of coffee, tea, or refreshing glass of water.  Just imagine, in a few short minutes you’ll be taking the day slowly before anyone else’s feet hit the floor.  This will give you time to sit down on the sofa or in your home office to pray, reflect, read a view Bible passages, journal, and ponder the day’s work ahead.

This strategy will bring peace and calm.  Order to your day.  Less stress.  Oh, and structure!  So, beat your kids up. 😉

Strategy #2 - Weekly Goal Planning

To hit any goal, we’ve got to create a plan.  This matters even at home.  As you think about your life, I want you to consider all the things that you would like to get done in your home this week.  After you mull it over in your mind, the next step would be to prioritize them by creating goal 1, goal 2, and goal 3.  And it doesn’t matter when you get these top 3 done.  The goal here is to reach them by the end of the week.  

Also, think about what you need to clean.  Do you need to de-clutter?  Would you like to re-organize a room or the clothes in your closet?  Do you need to do a deep clean, mop, or wash?  Consider what you would like to do and layout your plan of action.  Once you’ve laid it out, make sure to have some boxes ready to check off each cleaning goal once the week is nearing its end.

Lastly, I’d love for you to ponder what you would like to cook for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (don’t forget about the snacks for you and your child or children).  This is all about weekly meal prep.  I like to cook at least three main meals a week, and I plan for them.  For instance, I’ll make red beans and rice, spaghetti and meat sauce, and baked chicken all in one day.  We’ll eat the first meal, but then I’ll freeze the rest until later that week.

I love it!  This makes my life so much easier to manage.  So, think about your life at a glance.  What does this week or next week look like for you?  Do what I call a “weekly forecast” and begin planning for it.  Set some goals around your tasks and have at it!  You’ll feel so accomplished once you apply these life-changing principles.

Strategy #3 - Take time out for you

That’s right!  As a single mom, you need to carve out some time just for you.  There’s nothing selfish about it.  When you’re healthy, the house is happy.  So, when was the last time you took a load off?  When was the last time you had a day out in the town or city alone?  When was the last time you took a long hot shower or relaxed in a bubble bath?

Taking time out for you is necessary.  Jesus took breaks too (see Luke 5:16).  I love how in the midst of all of the ministry work that Jesus did, He found time to break away from everyone.  That is so refreshing to know that the King of Kings made time to be alone.  If He can do it, so can we as, moms.

With that said, here are a few life-giving suggestions.  If you have a baby, nap when your baby naps.  If you have adolescents, call someone to babysit for a few hours on a Friday night.  If you have teenagers, ask them to hold down the fort while you get out of the house or spend time with a friend.  No matter the age of your child or children, you can take time out for you.  So go for it.

In a nutshell, you can do this!  Just take it one strategy at a time.  Before you know it, you’ll be beating your kids up and starting the day off with pace and grace.  Secondly, you’ll be planning out your week with intention, while hitting your goals.  Finally, you’ll be feeling so refreshed because you took time out for you.  This is life management for you as a single mom.