One thing that can impact your parenting style when you are a single parent is stress. When you are married or have a significant other, you can hand the children over to them when you get overwhelmed. This isn’t possible when you are the child’s sole parent. With that in mind, you can find ways to adjust your parenting style to encourage a reduction in stress.
It might benefit you to follow a routine in your home. This is usually a very good idea with younger children who thrive on consistency and stability. Knowing what to expect might help the kids to prepare themselves for what’s to come. You might notice that they don’t throw tantrums like they did before the schedule was put into place.
Make sure that you use your time alone wisely. It is easy to think that you will deep-clean the house after the children are in bed; however, you might fare better if you use this time to relax a bit. There will always be something that needs to be done but if you don’t take care of yourself, you are going to feel increasingly stressed.
Keep an eye on your finances. One big stressor for single parents is money. You must manage on only one income. Establishing a “rainy day” fund can provide you with a little financial cushion. Even if you have to start small, having something set aside is better than nothing. You can work up to having a hefty savings that can support your household in an emergency.
Another important factor is having of a parenting plan in place. This lets you know what to expect. You can turn to the plan when either of you have questions.
