Being a Single Mum; A Day in The Life

Last updated on February 22nd, 2022 at 11:26 pm

What’s it like being a single mum? Here’s an intimate and honest insight into a normal day of a mum on her own with a 2 year old.

6.30am Breakfast

Who needs an alarm clock when you’ve got a toddler, eh? Little dude will usually let me know he’s awake with a loud shout of “HELLO MAMA!!”

Aaaand, up I get.

To the kitchen! I need a cup of tea. Breakfast can be hit and miss for the little one, sometimes he’s keen and sometimes not.

Today he’s feeling it, and sat in his high chair with a bowl of Cheerios while I chew on some toast, glug coffee and try to fight the fog of sleep.

The next hour is spent getting dressed and ready, with a bit of help from CBeebies.

8.00am Nursery Drop-Off

The hardest part of the day. Mum guilt kicks in hard if he cries at drop-off.

With the back and forth of lockdown restrictions and the effects on my job, he’s not been able to settle in to nursery as much as I’d hoped.

However, with some encouraging words from his nursery worker (apparently he always stops crying almost immediately after I leave), I’m off.

9.00am Get to work!

Being a single mum can mean compromising on your work life. Each families circumstances are unique, but for me, it’s meant making the choice to work part-time only.

The next few child-free hours are used for all the emails, phone calls and work commitments that would be too much of a struggle to do with a tot in the house.

When you’re a single mum, time like this is precious! Therefore it’s so important to stay super organised. Keeping an online calendar and a planner up to date with all my commitments is essential.

12.30pm What’s for lunch, Mum?

Since today is just a half-day at nursery, it’s soon time to pick him up and bring him home for lunch.

A healthy balanced meal for him, whatever’s quick and easy for me!

15.00pm Being a single mum doesn’t mean not having fun!

Today we’re booked in for a soft-play session!

It’s great to get out the house together for a bit. He’s entertained, kept active, and I can avoid having to make some elaborate play-set up that will destroy my living room at home (for today, at least).

Win win win! Everyone’s happy.

17.00pm Dinner time

Planning meals in advance for the week is a massive help when you’re limited on time and energy.

Get a Free 7 Day Family Meal Plan PDF Here!

Batch-cooking something hearty and easy on a Sunday can provide two or three nights dinner across the week, and some to go in the freezer.

18.45pm Winding Down

”If you’re dirty and you’re smel-ly, splish splash splosh!
Splish splash splish splash splosh, take a baaaaath!”

This is the song we sing at bath time. He can’t actually say ‘splish splash splosh’, he says “bee, ba, bosh!”, but it’s the effort that counts.

PJ’s, a bit more singing, a bedtime story and then, hopefully, sleep. It doesn’t, however, always go smoothly. Sometimes it turns into a bedtime battle, and that’s often when I find myself wishing there was somebody around to help.

By this time of day, I’m on my last legs of energy myself, so trying to soothe an overtired child feels like a task-and-a-half too many. But being a single mum means not always getting a break when you need one!

I push on, and eventually he goes down like a sack of potatoes. He looks so sweet and innocent, his little sleeping face like that of an actual angel. I kind of miss him. But I also kind of need a wee, and a drink, and to catch up on some trash TV, like ASAP.

20.30pm Me Time

If it was the weekend, or a special occasion, or if I simply felt like it, I could call on someone from my Support System to babysit for a couple of hours while I get out.

But on average nights like this, a big sharing bag of crisps and a glass of fridge-cold Sauvignon Blanc will do.

In the beginning, these quiet nights on my own were HARD. Too much time to think, and wallow in the misery of the unexpected situation I found myself in.

To anyone reading this who may still be in the early stages of being a single mum, I promise you – it does get better. Things do get easier. You will still find joy in Motherhood. Being alone doesn’t equal being lonely. You life is yours to live. The future for you and your child(ren) is bright and sparkling.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy BECOMING A SINGLE MUM – HOW TO PROCESS YOUR BREAKUP AS A NEW MOTHER