Carving Out Some "Me Time" as a Single Parent
Thursday February 15, 2007
I think this is one of the biggest challenges full-time parents face. It is also a common source of frustration for parents: "We treasure our kids, and yet we need a break from them."
Clearly, as a single parent, you must rely on your creativity in order to seek out a few pockets of free time here and there. For a list of ten practical tips you can begin to apply right away, read Ways to Carve Out "Me Time" as a Single Parent. In addition, I hope you'll participate in this week's poll on the topic of "Me Time," or tell us what works best for you by leaving a comment below.
Comments
This might or might not qualify under the banner of me time, but I suspect it doesn’t, but a great idea anyway.
One thing that Single and Married Parents can do is get involved or start a Babysitting Co-op. These can be set up with other local singles and married couple familes. What is great about them is that they are free to members, who become great friends over time. And, having someones child over to do some babysitting will sometimes give you that me time, as your child or children are off entertaining their little guests, it’s a welcome moment of relief as they are busy discovering new playmates and sharing their toys.
I always found it to be great. You can develop your own monetary system of poker chips, marbles, or whatever you chose as a group. You can have well defined rules, and medical forms prepared in advance.
There are plenty of sample plans to be found on the internet to make it easy to set up. And, as you grow, as a group you can set your boundaries so your sitters are close.
I’ve used it for many years successfully. You will find me time, and have access to responsible adult babysitters in return. A win-win.