25 Ways A Single Mom Can Survive Self-Quarantine During COVID-19

The Single Mom and Self-Quarantine during COVID-19.

For those of you who are part of The Life of a Single Mom® family, you likely know that we give a variety of resources to single mothers annually, including single mom boot camps and conferences, life skills education and curriculum, free counseling, life-mapping, single mom support groups and giveaways. In fact, through the years, we’ve given hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial support to single mothers, including providing emergency assistance such as diapers, restaurant gift cards, new clothing, toiletries, food, and the like. But we wanted to provide some ideas for you, during this difficult time, of ways you can creatively survive the quarantine.

We know that the uncertainty of the coronavirus has created challenges among your families, including many schools and child care facilities being shut down, jobs being lost, hours being reduced at work, and even separation and loss of families. We come to our single mom sisters and say, rejoice. Even in times of uncertainty, we can rejoice and be filled with hope from the Lord Jesus Christ. Here, in Louisiana, we’ve been part of many hurricanes, floods, oil spills, and droughts that have taken lives, land, commerce, and financial security. Yet, we’ve continued to see God’s hand restore, refresh, and sustain, through the years. We are convinced that COVID will be no different. We know that Scripture teaches us that God is always with us, never leaving us. We also know that he gives beauty for ashes (including the ugly ashes of COVID!). He works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  That offers hope!

We recognize that this self-quarantine thing is tough- extra tough. Moms are being thrown into a new normal of balancing school work, homework, active kids, and the boss wants you to continue to work from home!  There’s a great deal on your shoulders! While it’s likely you won’t find any earth-shattering secrets in the tips below, we hope you’ll find a few things that will bless you and your precious family!

(Note: In addition to the ideas below, if you need help overcoming fear, loneliness, life balance issues, time management, money management, stress, or others, we have almost 400 articles on our website that cover a variety of topics. You can find those articles HERE.  Simply search by topic and there is likely something that will encourage you in our portfolio!)

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1. Be still and know that He is God. In a time when the world is uncertain, and the blows keep coming, one thing remains. The God of Heaven and earth is in control. Sometimes, in the busyness of our day-to-day, the endless demands of children, bills, bosses, family, and so much more, it’s hard to be still. But, if this virus has taught us anything, it is when all else has fallen, one thing continues to be dependable – the love of God.  There is peace in knowing that even when the world is shaking, we stand on solid ground. Make no mistake. It doesn’t mean that we won’t be impacted. It means we’ll have the peace of knowing that whatever happens in the end, He was in control of it all.
2. Create a schedule. If you have smaller children, this will be a critical part of surviving the quarantine and balancing the many demands on your time (especially if you are working from home). Be careful not to overthink it and put undue pressure on yourself, though! Put a schedule together with simple daily activities that include both mandatory routines (e.g. chores and school duties) and fun activities (e.g. arts and crafts, games, contests, etc). This allows the children to know what to expect, gives you some guidelines on getting it all done, and can create a little fun in the home for you and the kids.  Many experts agree that keeping as much routine as possible will help your children feel more secure in knowing what to expect during this uncertain time.
3. Go easy on yourself. Stress can cause us to be really hard on ourselves. We get frustrated, lash out at the kids, then beat ourselves up for it – only to start it all over again tomorrow.  You are a daughter of the King. You are His beloved. You are doing a great job. Do not get down on yourself.  Chat with a family member or girlfriend that can offer some words of encouragement.
4. Schedule a Zoom call with friends. This time of isolation can be really tough on all, but especially single moms, who are juggling a thousands balls in the air and are often already stretched thin. The pressure can be too much. Take a few minutes one night after the kids are in bed to just connect with some friends. Many churches are offering online Bible studies during this time.
5. Evaluate your finances. Like most families, a working budget is critical to the future financial planning of a single mom. But now, more than ever before, you may have to get creative with your spending over the coming weeks and months, as we penny-pinch during this time. It’s important to take time to look over your current financial picture, including debt load that needs to be reduced and monthly income & expenses.  Now’s the time to get that budget going and make plans regarding emergency cut-backs. What are the things that absolutely have to be paid? There are several, free, online budgets. We like this one. Click HERE. Also, if you have been laid off or completely lost your job, there are a number of companies that are still hiring work from home jobs.  A simple Google search may uncover a new opportunity for you to help make ends meet.  Here’s Indeed.com’s work from home jobs for moms to get your started.
   
   
   
   
6. Choose joy! Yes, there’s lots that is beyond your control. Yes, the kids being home is hard. There is, no doubt, additional stress on your plate with the financial, logistical, and parental challenges you face. But we all have a the choice to choose bitterness, anger, and frustration or choosing joy every day.  And your circumstances won’t change with a bad attitude anyway. Your children need an example of a woman who has joy beyond her circumstances. There’s such a powerful lesson for your children in there.
7. Work out at home. Okay, so yeah, we get it. Busy moms don’t always have the time to workout and most of us don’t always enjoy working out, when we do! But studies consistently show that women who work out are less likely to battle depression, fatigue, and long-term health problems.  Take a few extra minutes every day and squeeze in a work out.  You deserve 15 minutes before the kids get up to stretch your body and get some exercise in.  It may be tough, but you’ll be blown away at how much a few minutes of exercise can do for your overall mood, energy level, and aches & pains!
8. Take some time to just breathe.  Yeah, simple enough, but how often do you stop, for just a few minutes, a few seconds even, and just fill your lungs with air? Just stop for a moment. Collect your thoughts. Ignore the kids pulling on your shirt, and just breathe.  Did you know that deep breathing is one of the quickest ways to lower stress in your body? It sends messages to your brain, telling you to calm down and relax.
9. Read the Bible. You may not have hours a day to sit with your feet up and relaxing. Who does?! But a few minutes in the Word will strengthen you for the day or calm you before bed. The Bible is full of interesting stories, words of encouragement, and hope offered in dark times. Most of us don’t spend near the time we should in it. Take some time to read with the kids or wait until nap time or other down time and dig in for yourself.  (Hint: If incorporating time with the kids, it’s often fun to have them race to find certain verses or memorize one of the verses to keep them engaged, depending on the age).  What can the Lord say to you during this time from His word?
10. Have a movie day, with pjs and snacks. Many of us are spending are day in pj’s anyway! There are a number of family-friendly movies and television series out that could be both fun and educational.  Some of the oldies can certainly be goodies as well. What are the movies that were your favorites as a kid? What are the television programs that offer great life lessons? Are there fun cooking shows that the family could watch together?
11. Make cards for people. There are thousands in nursing homes, hospitals, or prisons who are alienated and lonely and for them, their isolation may not one day soon end. They are not allowed to have visitors right now, and probably could use some encouragement! When you’re sitting watching tv at night with the kids, take a few minutes to jot a note to someone who could use a pick-me-up. Serving others is a great way to feel good about yourself (and a great tip to teach the kids).
12. Take a free class online.  Single Mom University is offering free classes for single moms during the COVID-19 crisis.  These classes are generally 10 minutes long and offer more than 80 different subjects for single moms, including Sex & Dating, Overcoming Abuse, Parenting Techniques, Healing from Your Past, and so many more. Take 10 minutes before bed and watch a class. Sign up HERE.
13. Create a gratitude journal. On the good days, before you go to bed at night, write one thing you are thankful for. There are so many things we are blessed with. Maybe it’s good health, great friends, a good boss, great church friends, a safe place to live, good neighbors, clean clothes, a reliable car, or any of countless other things. On the bad days, before you go to bed, take some time to read all that you’re thankful for. It’s a great reminder that we are a blessed people who have much to rejoice about.
14. Commit to learning one new thing each day. Ok, so we’re not talking rocket science, guys. Just learn one, quick, simple thing a day. Our brains are brilliant and complex and have the ability to store way more information than we normally use.  You can even make it a game with the kids on who can find the most interesting new thing.  Make is a Fun-Fact-Five where you spend 5 minutes a day having every family member share something weird or funny they learned. The important thing is keeping our brains stretched and active to prevent depression.
15. Clean. Now may just be the time to get down underneath those beds and give them a good vacuum, or crawl underneath the sink and wipe down the shelves. Clean under couches, behind toilets, in the tub, or the baseboards! Yep, we know it’s not always fun, but definitely necessary, especially during the coronavirus outbreak.  This will be a good activity to get the kids involved and teach responsibility. There’s always a great sense of accomplishment afterwards, as well.
16. Organize! Organize that closet. Organize the shelving in the laundry room. Get underneath those kitchen cabinets and match the lids and the mysterious bowls. Organize the drawers in your dresser.  Again, likely a necessary, but often overlooked part of home maintenance.
17. Be present. Spend time with the kids. Sometimes in our busy daily schedule we don’t get to just be present in the lives of our children. We don’t know their favorite color, what they want to be (this week) when they grow up, who their favorite teacher is, or their best friend at school. As single moms, we get so busy keeping our head above water, that we don’t get time to just be mom. Lay down with the kiddos across the bed and just listen to their stories. Give them advice. Offer life wisdom. Just be present. Put the phones and electronics away.
18. Play games.  Kids of all ages love games. There’s something about getting out a deck of cards and overtaking your competition in a good game of Battle or Go Fish! that feels good. Get out an old board game! Some of the best memories are made over board games! If you don’t have board games try “Would You Rather” “Truth or Dare” “Minute to Win It” or various types of online games!
19. Do crafts with the kids. Most of us often wish we had more time to do projects with the kiddos. We want to take more time with the kids, but as busy single mom, we just can’t. Take some time over the next couple of weeks to do an age-appropriate craft, activity, or game. Here’s the deal. Even with older children who may say they don’t want to participate, we know that family activities and engagement increases endorphins, creates an overall better mood, and gets them off those electronics! Check out this site for some ideas or create your own!  https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/craft-ideas/how-to/g1389/diy-kids-activities/
20. Have a family picnic outside! So you may not be able to hang out at a local restaurant right now, but you can surely grab a blanket and sit on the front porch or in the back yard or on the balcony of your apartment.  Keep your distance from others.  It’s way more exciting (and cheaper) to do a picnic anyway. Get the kids involved in making their favorite dishes or snacks. You can even create a contest on who made the best ones.  There’s just something about eating a PB&J on a blanket outdoors!
21. Camp out. Set up a tent and camp in your back yard or in your living room.  Don’t have a tent? No problem, create a blanket fort in the living room and camp out there. It doesn’t take much to get children involved in the activities. Roast marshmallows or create s’mores in the microwave. Tell funny stories. Arm wrestle. Laugh. A lot!
22. Go on a walk together as a family. Hold hands. Skip. Be silly. Compete. Who can walk or run the fastest? Play I Spy. Who can spot the biggest house or most unique care? Get outdoors and get fresh air. This is critical to not feeling so cooped up during this time.
23. Have a karaoke contest. Create a dance routine to your favorite songs and perform them. Or write your own songs and perform them for the family. Music is a great way to bring people together and create long-lasting memories. Add a dance-off in there for good measure!
24. Cook meals together! Even small children can pour vegetables into a pot or retrieve items from the fridge. If age appropriate, have the kids prepare and plan dinner. Make it a contest. Who can create the most unique dinner with the ingredients in the pantry?
25. Plan a dream vacation. So, here’s the deal. The budget may not be able to fit in a vacation any time soon, but it never hurts to dream. Why not? Dreaming helps drive passion and creativity and future goals and ambitions.  What about giving the kids free reign to plan what their dream vacation? Where would they go? What activities would they do? Where would they stay? What would the temperature be like? What would they see? Have them create a poster board with their findings and present to the family.  (Or if a small vacation may be on the horizon, let the kids help you plan fun and creative things to do).