Comments on: Single Mothers… How Did You Deal With Exhaustion?

By: ? Kyleigh's Momma ? ((Heather))

? Kyleigh's Momma ? ((Heather)) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:06:20 +0000

Ya just kind of have to deal with it. I’ve been going at it alone since day one, so I know where your coming from. Enlist help whenever you can and whenever it’s offered, sleep whenever the baby sleeps even with a sink full of dishes, and just know that this will end and exhaustion won’t kill you. My daughter was colicky, and would cry for days on end. I remember sitting there rocking with her, crying, thinking that I just could not do this and that I wouldn’t make it. I had to keep reminding myself that I would get through this, and that if exhaustion killed, there would be a whole lot of motherless children.
It is frustrating, that’s why God gives babies to a set of parents. If you have to walk away for a minute, then walk away. Although I am not a fan of CIO, I do know that crying will not hurt a baby. Walk away, breath for a minute, and go back.
It will pass. My daughter is now 16 months old, and those sleepless nights just seem like a bad dream now.

By: lolakabo

lolakabo — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:54:29 +0000

ROUTINE! That’s all it takes, im a Single mum to a 3yr old and a 4 month old baby!! i work full time and stay 40 minutes away from work/nursery, i was really struggling to start with but i found trying to settle my Daughter in to an early bed time routine really worked wonders,
my basic day consists of
Alarm goes off 5am
i get up get showered dressed, make breakfast for kids get my son up he has his breakfast
then i get my Daughter up feed change and put her in the buggy ready to go she is normally sleepy again, dress my son in the buggy to then we are off,
alot of the running smoothly of the morning is due to night time prep
get all of our clothes ready bags packed for nursery, snacks for bus keys on table..
its the little things that make so muchdifferencee, i also find on a sunday i will make 3 or 4 dinners and freeze them so when i come home it takes half the time to prep a healthy dinner!
its so easy to get mad and snap, but its trial and error find out what works for you, nap when ur son does, Take it real easy at weekends and always remember things get easier, ask family and friends to help they will understand maybe ask grandma to take baby once a week so you can drop him there and go straight home for a bath then bed……..=) chin up ChaChi things will get better!!

By: sarah

sarah — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 07:28:45 +0000

I raised two children alone. It’s hard, but when you have no other choice you learn how to make the best of it. There were times that I didn’t think that I was going to be able to make it another day, but I did.
The best thing that you can do is realize that you are only human. No one is a perfect parent. You are doing the best you can for your child. That’s all that matters.
It’s easy to get frustrated when things seem like they are piling up. You sometimes can’t take a break, but take a moment (if that’s all you can get) and do something for you. Even if that means you have to let the baby cry for a few mins, as long as it’s not a hungry or painful cry it’s not going to hurt the baby. Take a hot bath, or just lay on your bed and take a breath. It’s sometimes the only way to get away from the stress. And maybe when you pick the baby back up you will feel a little better and less angry at him.

By: Chloe

Chloe — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:24:41 +0000

Can you hire someone, maybe a local teenager or someone you know, to come by your place & watch your baby while you sleep a bit, maybe even 2 hours an eveniong three times a week or something just so you don’t get totally burned out.

By: smile

smile — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 01:44:00 +0000

gosh it is so hard
sarah is right
and I’ve been there I was a single parent for 10yrs
i dealed with alot of things, also the babys father was put away for a long time
and i just had to move on
im a working mommy all these yrs and thank god for family support on taking care of the baby but once i got home it was ME & MY 2KIDS
is ez to say to someone not to get fustrated or stress – you need to go thru the situation to understan that person
you know PATIENCE has to be you nick-name
because like you say our kids are depending on US the mom
please when you hear your little one crying out loud – take a deep breath and think
THIS WONT BE FOREVER
is just that little moment – and comfort your little one they dont know whats up
so confort the baby hug and talk to him kiss him alot
i did that and still do
my kids know are 14 and 12 recently 3yrs ago a re-married and i have a 3mth baby boy
until know is working ok
you will find confort and your path – feel relax and hit the warm shower cry if you need to call a real goOd friend that can hear your needs
good luck – and remember smile to your little one
the days will come when they will make us get fraustrated ….. LOL
meanwhile ENJOY your baby