As a single parent it is hard to give your child the same attention you once did. You are now the sole provider for your household and with that comes many new responsibilities. In no time, it becomes very apparent that you no longer have the luxury of time. Most days you feel like a chicken running around with its head cut off. You find that you are constantly running from one thing to the next and still there are many things left undone, simply because there just isn’t time for them anymore. Don’t let your children become one of those things.
Logan and I started back to school again only yesterday. I’ve been concerned about juggling the tremendous amount of homework and mothering again for weeks now. I knew this was going to be no easy task, but often as a single parent you have no other choice. You have to be able to provide for your children and sometimes that means making sacrifices to do so. It didn’t take long before Logan started feeling the effects. While Mommy was busily running around trying to get school work and housework done, he was finding ways to get attention, and not particularly good ones. After a few trips to the naughty chair, I started to get the picture. I had been so caught up in the frustration of him acting out that I had lost sight of the real reason for his behavior. He just wanted some time with his Mommy. How could I have been so blind? He had had me to himself for an entire summer. Now that summer was over, he still needed some one-on-one time with his Mom. I quickly gave him a hug and got him down. I put aside all other distractions, sat down on the floor, and did a puzzle with him. The rest of the night went relatively smoothly and we were both happier once we had a few minutes of down time together.
As a single parent the tasks are endless. There is always something left to do at the end of the day, but don’t let that keep you from giving your child the attention that they need. They need you now more than ever. Be present in your child’s life. They are only young for a short while. Before you know it they will be all grown and you’ll have more than enough time to catch up on all the things you let slide today.