Coping as a single working-at-home mom

Even though we are on level two of the lockdown brought on by the Corona virus pandemic, many people continue working from home. We are five months into the lockdown and many people have had to let their helpers go due to financial constraints. This makes working from home complicated and consuming, especially for single moms. On the bright side, this arrangement can have its benefits because you get to bond with your children and have a better relationship with them.

Can you become productive?

When you work from home, you can easily be absorbed by the home-based projects. While you may help your children with their tasks with online learning, it is easy to be consumed by the going-ons in your house and forget about the work at hand. You need to have a plan. As a mom you can do it all, with a plan. Remember that working from home still requires you to work in the full hours. Integrity is doing something right when no one is watching so have integrity.

Multi-task

A single mom’s best friend is multi-tasking, so run the dishwasher and the washing machine while you finish writing a report or as you work. You can hang the washing out to dry during lunch. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t do it all at once.

Cooking

Cook meals that don’t require your utmost attention and standing on the stove for hours. Choose meals that you can put in the oven and bake. Another great meal idea that kids love and takes little preparation or clean-up is snack dinners. Usually this consists of carrot sticks, cheese and crackers, defrosted shrimp and cocktail sauce, lunch meat, cottage cheese, grapes, orange slices.

Work-at-home moms need to prioritise

It is easy to get lost in the day as you have many things to focus on. Write down a list of your priorities on a pad and place it next to your work station. If you don’t complete your tasks, don’t stress as they are sitting right next to your computer staring you in the face until you get them done. Try to create a routine for yourself, so that your day is structured.

Take a break from home

Most working moms say that working from home is much harder and demanding. You will sometimes need to clear your head. When “you knock off”, take a short walk. It gets your blood pumping and you can go back to work the next day with a new perspective.

Delegate or ask for help

Every parent will tell you that kids need to learn responsibility and have chores around the house. You can’t do everything yourself and will need help. Give your kids chores around the house to help you out. You can delegate that your son takes out the garbage while your daughter helps with the washing of the dishes. Find some kind of reward at the end.

Single moms must lay down the law

Based on your schedule, create an agenda for each day so that your children get busy with school work while you tend to your work. Your children need to know that they cannot interrupt you while you work. The only exception, is if there is an emergency.

Work-at-home moms must congratulate themselves

At the end of each day, reflect on all the work you have accomplished. This is extremely important, because most of single-moms beat themselves up for the things that didn’t get done and that leaves them feeling unsatisfied and overwhelmed. Before going to bed, tell yourself you have done a good job and that you did everything could.