![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mom-gene.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Single-Mom.jpeg?resize=383%2C383\")
<\/p>\n
With that in mind, and still smelling the hot dog smells despite the sanitizing and washing and shaking off the icky, I\u2019m going to share my tips for what to do when you find yourself single-parenting it. It\u2019s hard. Like a bungee jumping free-for-all that jerks your heart out of your body. I tip my hat and bow my head to the single moms and dads who take this on full time. I\u2019m an amateur. My self-reliant muscles are flimsy, like Captain America before he became Captain. But I do have a few ideas to pass along, so here we go:<\/p>\n
Tips for the Temporary Single Parent:<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n- \n
DO DIFFERENT<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nThe kids know their routine. They know what jobs mom always does and what jobs dad is supposed to do. When one parent is gone, it throws their little world topsy turvy, not a good thing when bedtime rolls around and dad is not there to read the Llama Llama book. So, we throw the whole thing out the window. We have a movie night and eat popcorn for dinner and watch Moana<\/em> clips on YouTube. We visit the zoo (I stand by this decision despite the vomit). We have a picnic outside for lunch and don\u2019t wear shoes for 48 hours unless required by the establishment. We try to make the time special so it\u2019s a \u201cgood\u201d different. And different is also distracting, so they don\u2019t dwell on the one who\u2019s M.I.A.<\/p>\n\n- \n
DO QUIET TIME<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nEven if your kids don\u2019t nap anymore, quiet time is a MUST. It\u2019s the time when everybody goes to their respective corners and chills. It\u2019s the reset button in the middle of the day to read or color or curl up in a blanket and let the clock tick by. It\u2019s our siesta. And it\u2019s the superglue that re-attaches my fraying patience when I can\u2019t walk away for even a second because there\u2019s no one else to step up to the plate. That\u2019s why I\u2019m writing this now\u2026in my blissful siesta. In a world as busy and brightly flashing as this one, quiet time is the indispensable dimmer switch. It soothes the fluttery soul.<\/p>\n
\n- \n
DO LESS, LONGER<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nThis one\u2019s magic. Sometimes less really is more. I like to stretch the morning out when I\u2019m the only grown up that needs to put the ball in motion. I make a real breakfast that\u2019s hot and requires an oven or a stove. We eat on real plates, the non-perishable kind. We watch cartoons and stay in our pajamas as long as possible. The bath at night extends into a marathon swim. They play until everything is pruny. Until there is no more hot water for another refill. Until limbs are loose and already halfway to bed by the time the water drains. You don\u2019t have to go full tilt to make it special. Indulgence means more of something. So why not indulge in time? Be decadent with your day. Even the word indulgence feel sweet and soothing like honey on a scratchy throat. So, let the day move in slow-mo and indulge in the easier pace.<\/p>\n
\n- \n
DO CUT YOURSELF SOME SLACK<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nAll the quiet time in the world is not going to make you immune to the fighting and the constant needs (diaper, food, entertainment, education, rinse and repeat). You\u2019re not going to be Maria von Trapp or Mary Poppins 24\/7. I bet even Julie Andrews had her moments. Vomit and poop explosions and fights and stealing of toys and sass and time outs will happen. You\u2019re going to snap, a least a little. This does not make you the World\u2019s Worst Parent. So be nice to yourself. Be gentle. And cut back where you can. French fries for dinner is okay every now and then. Bed time can happen five minutes earlier when your filter won\u2019t last any longer. It\u2019s okay. Tomorrow is another day.<\/p>\n
\n- \n
DO GET HELP<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nJust because your significant other is out of town doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t call in reinforcements. My mother lives half a mile down the road. You better believe she came with me to the zoo. If it\u2019s not family, get a friend to come over. Even if they\u2019re not there to help, they can provide moral support and a little grown up eye contact when things get crazy. Or hire a babysitter for an hour and go take a walk or a nap or whatever it is that will give you the energy to get to the next stepping stone. If the saying is true, \u201cit takes a village,\u201d then figure out who lives in yours and haul them in.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
So, there you go. I\u2019m not saying it\u2019s foolproof. If it were a rain jacket it would only be water resistant. But it will get you through until you return to your regularly scheduled program and become one-half again (arguably the better half).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Any other tips for how to handle it when you’re handed double-duty?<\/strong><\/h2>\nSave<\/span><\/p>\nSave<\/span><\/p>\nSave<\/span><\/p>\nSave<\/span><\/p>\nSave<\/span><\/p>\nSave<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You\u2019re going to have to bear with me. The husband is out of town and I\u2019m writing this during naptime (even though no one is napping). I can hear them above my head throwing large objects at the door and the walls. I\u2019m in the throws of it. Literally. My daughter just threw up on all over herself and her car seat on the way to the zoo\u2026and then again three times on the way …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[26],"tags":[152,153,55,54,151,90],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mom-gene.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/single-mom-2.jpeg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8ca5p-s2","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1738"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1913,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738\/revisions\/1913"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
DO DIFFERENT<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nThe kids know their routine. They know what jobs mom always does and what jobs dad is supposed to do. When one parent is gone, it throws their little world topsy turvy, not a good thing when bedtime rolls around and dad is not there to read the Llama Llama book. So, we throw the whole thing out the window. We have a movie night and eat popcorn for dinner and watch Moana<\/em> clips on YouTube. We visit the zoo (I stand by this decision despite the vomit). We have a picnic outside for lunch and don\u2019t wear shoes for 48 hours unless required by the establishment. We try to make the time special so it\u2019s a \u201cgood\u201d different. And different is also distracting, so they don\u2019t dwell on the one who\u2019s M.I.A.<\/p>\n\n- \n
DO QUIET TIME<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nEven if your kids don\u2019t nap anymore, quiet time is a MUST. It\u2019s the time when everybody goes to their respective corners and chills. It\u2019s the reset button in the middle of the day to read or color or curl up in a blanket and let the clock tick by. It\u2019s our siesta. And it\u2019s the superglue that re-attaches my fraying patience when I can\u2019t walk away for even a second because there\u2019s no one else to step up to the plate. That\u2019s why I\u2019m writing this now\u2026in my blissful siesta. In a world as busy and brightly flashing as this one, quiet time is the indispensable dimmer switch. It soothes the fluttery soul.<\/p>\n
\n- \n
DO LESS, LONGER<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nThis one\u2019s magic. Sometimes less really is more. I like to stretch the morning out when I\u2019m the only grown up that needs to put the ball in motion. I make a real breakfast that\u2019s hot and requires an oven or a stove. We eat on real plates, the non-perishable kind. We watch cartoons and stay in our pajamas as long as possible. The bath at night extends into a marathon swim. They play until everything is pruny. Until there is no more hot water for another refill. Until limbs are loose and already halfway to bed by the time the water drains. You don\u2019t have to go full tilt to make it special. Indulgence means more of something. So why not indulge in time? Be decadent with your day. Even the word indulgence feel sweet and soothing like honey on a scratchy throat. So, let the day move in slow-mo and indulge in the easier pace.<\/p>\n
\n- \n
DO CUT YOURSELF SOME SLACK<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nAll the quiet time in the world is not going to make you immune to the fighting and the constant needs (diaper, food, entertainment, education, rinse and repeat). You\u2019re not going to be Maria von Trapp or Mary Poppins 24\/7. I bet even Julie Andrews had her moments. Vomit and poop explosions and fights and stealing of toys and sass and time outs will happen. You\u2019re going to snap, a least a little. This does not make you the World\u2019s Worst Parent. So be nice to yourself. Be gentle. And cut back where you can. French fries for dinner is okay every now and then. Bed time can happen five minutes earlier when your filter won\u2019t last any longer. It\u2019s okay. Tomorrow is another day.<\/p>\n
\n- \n
DO GET HELP<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nJust because your significant other is out of town doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t call in reinforcements. My mother lives half a mile down the road. You better believe she came with me to the zoo. If it\u2019s not family, get a friend to come over. Even if they\u2019re not there to help, they can provide moral support and a little grown up eye contact when things get crazy. Or hire a babysitter for an hour and go take a walk or a nap or whatever it is that will give you the energy to get to the next stepping stone. If the saying is true, \u201cit takes a village,\u201d then figure out who lives in yours and haul them in.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
So, there you go. I\u2019m not saying it\u2019s foolproof. If it were a rain jacket it would only be water resistant. But it will get you through until you return to your regularly scheduled program and become one-half again (arguably the better half).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Any other tips for how to handle it when you’re handed double-duty?<\/strong><\/h2>\nSave<\/span><\/p>\nSave<\/span><\/p>\nSave<\/span><\/p>\nSave<\/span><\/p>\nSave<\/span><\/p>\nSave<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You\u2019re going to have to bear with me. The husband is out of town and I\u2019m writing this during naptime (even though no one is napping). I can hear them above my head throwing large objects at the door and the walls. I\u2019m in the throws of it. Literally. My daughter just threw up on all over herself and her car seat on the way to the zoo\u2026and then again three times on the way …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[26],"tags":[152,153,55,54,151,90],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mom-gene.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/single-mom-2.jpeg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8ca5p-s2","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1738"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1913,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738\/revisions\/1913"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- \n
- \n
DO QUIET TIME<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Even if your kids don\u2019t nap anymore, quiet time is a MUST. It\u2019s the time when everybody goes to their respective corners and chills. It\u2019s the reset button in the middle of the day to read or color or curl up in a blanket and let the clock tick by. It\u2019s our siesta. And it\u2019s the superglue that re-attaches my fraying patience when I can\u2019t walk away for even a second because there\u2019s no one else to step up to the plate. That\u2019s why I\u2019m writing this now\u2026in my blissful siesta. In a world as busy and brightly flashing as this one, quiet time is the indispensable dimmer switch. It soothes the fluttery soul.<\/p>\n
- \n
- \n
DO LESS, LONGER<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
This one\u2019s magic. Sometimes less really is more. I like to stretch the morning out when I\u2019m the only grown up that needs to put the ball in motion. I make a real breakfast that\u2019s hot and requires an oven or a stove. We eat on real plates, the non-perishable kind. We watch cartoons and stay in our pajamas as long as possible. The bath at night extends into a marathon swim. They play until everything is pruny. Until there is no more hot water for another refill. Until limbs are loose and already halfway to bed by the time the water drains. You don\u2019t have to go full tilt to make it special. Indulgence means more of something. So why not indulge in time? Be decadent with your day. Even the word indulgence feel sweet and soothing like honey on a scratchy throat. So, let the day move in slow-mo and indulge in the easier pace.<\/p>\n
- \n
- \n
DO CUT YOURSELF SOME SLACK<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
All the quiet time in the world is not going to make you immune to the fighting and the constant needs (diaper, food, entertainment, education, rinse and repeat). You\u2019re not going to be Maria von Trapp or Mary Poppins 24\/7. I bet even Julie Andrews had her moments. Vomit and poop explosions and fights and stealing of toys and sass and time outs will happen. You\u2019re going to snap, a least a little. This does not make you the World\u2019s Worst Parent. So be nice to yourself. Be gentle. And cut back where you can. French fries for dinner is okay every now and then. Bed time can happen five minutes earlier when your filter won\u2019t last any longer. It\u2019s okay. Tomorrow is another day.<\/p>\n
- \n
- \n
DO GET HELP<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Just because your significant other is out of town doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t call in reinforcements. My mother lives half a mile down the road. You better believe she came with me to the zoo. If it\u2019s not family, get a friend to come over. Even if they\u2019re not there to help, they can provide moral support and a little grown up eye contact when things get crazy. Or hire a babysitter for an hour and go take a walk or a nap or whatever it is that will give you the energy to get to the next stepping stone. If the saying is true, \u201cit takes a village,\u201d then figure out who lives in yours and haul them in.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
So, there you go. I\u2019m not saying it\u2019s foolproof. If it were a rain jacket it would only be water resistant. But it will get you through until you return to your regularly scheduled program and become one-half again (arguably the better half).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Any other tips for how to handle it when you’re handed double-duty?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Save<\/span><\/p>\n
Save<\/span><\/p>\n
Save<\/span><\/p>\n
Save<\/span><\/p>\n
Save<\/span><\/p>\n
Save<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You\u2019re going to have to bear with me. The husband is out of town and I\u2019m writing this during naptime (even though no one is napping). I can hear them above my head throwing large objects at the door and the walls. I\u2019m in the throws of it. Literally. My daughter just threw up on all over herself and her car seat on the way to the zoo\u2026and then again three times on the way …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1750,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[26],"tags":[152,153,55,54,151,90],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mom-gene.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/single-mom-2.jpeg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8ca5p-s2","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1738"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1913,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1738\/revisions\/1913"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1738"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1738"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mom-gene.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1738"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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