Last Updated on March 24, 2021 by
As a busy single mom of three small children, all born within a year of each other, I often get asked how I handle it all.
The truth is – I don’t do it all. I run around like a crazy person and still feel like I get nothing done most of the time. I frequently have to remind myself that I’m doing my best and my kids will be okay as long as they are healthy, fed, and safe.
So how do you answer: “How do you do it all?” when you feel like you are still figuring it all out yourself?
How to handle compliments when you’re a busy single mom?
The Answer Depends on Your Situation
I often answer that it is all relative.
Depending on your situation, single motherhood can be more or less challenging than motherhood in general. I feel working out of the home, and single moms have things a lot harder than a single mom like me who works from home. I can’t imagine what it would be like to arrange daycare and pick-ups and extracurricular activities as a single mom in an office all day.
The thought of not seeing my children except for a few hours at the end of the day is not one I can comprehend. So I know I am blessed, and I don’t think my household would run as smoothly if I did work out of the home.
Be Aware That Everyone Has Challenges
But on the flip side, owning my own business from home adds many other stresses. I seldom see another person besides my children’s days on end. I don’t have many adult conversations and, because almost everyone I know works out of the home, loneliness can be a daily battle. Many people tell me that they could not do what I do.
Working at crazy hours so that my kids have me during theirs. I never leave my job. I work seven days a week. Often 10 – 12 hours a day. Breaks are often work-related, and any extras I get to do with the kids are usually something I will have to write about to enjoy the perk. My computer is always staring at me; products piled up mocking me, phone attached as if it were another hand.
Down Time is a Luxury for Everyone
Downtime is a luxury for me. I often feel as if my kids wish I worked out of the home to have a weekend off to be with them. But I trade that to be home when they get home from school. To not have to take a day off when they have a sick day. To be able to drop everything if they need something.
It’s All Relative
So, it is all relative. Being a busy single mom is never easy.
Regardless of the workload, despite the financial situation, irrespective of the external stress in our lives. We do it just like anyone else—one day at a time.
