With single parenting on the rise more and more people are struggling to find ways to successfully raise children in a one-parent home. There are now many family arrangements outside of the once standard nuclear family.

Everyone wishes there was a 100% proven method for nurturing healthy children; but, with every family situation being different, what options are left for the overworked, highly stressed single parent?

Outdated ideas about the potentially unhealthy environment of a single parent home, conflicting advice about parenting and discipline styles – all of this information can leave the single parent confused and wondering how to make life easier.

The following 10 tips, however, should help you negotiate that information overload, and help you survive and thrive as a single parent.

10 Tips for Single Parenting

Tip 1: A Little Organization Goes a LONG way

Without devoting our entire lives to rigid upkeep few of us can sustain a super-organized closet, pantry, cabinet, office space etc. However, being able to quickly lay hands on the favorite superhero t-shirt, supplies for an impromptu art project, or pool toys and sports equipment can be invaluable in a time crunch.

Most kids love file folder stickers and label makers so invite them to help.  By involving the kids in the set up, organization and upkeep of drawers, shelves or closet can be both fun and incredibly educational and the next time you have to pack a “Mommy bag” or outfit a kid for a day of summer fun you’ll be able to pull it together in no time.

Tip 2: Time Management is your friend

Time passes all too quickly as a parent and if you don’t take an active role in managing it you will find yourself wasting one of your most valuable resources: your time.

Whether it’s a mega-sized family wall calendar, a day planner, or a a sticker chart, a little time management in your schedule can be a real stress relief for the single parent. Get the kids involved in setting up a routine, delegating assignments and fulfilling responsibilities.

Set up a system of awards when everyone does their jobs efficiently and effectively. Try to avoid food, television and/or money as an award. How about a night of board games or a trip to the park?  Encourage personal responsibility, a good work ethic, and the importance of valuing your time.

Tip 3: Really…it’s Funny

Laugh. It’s the only way to survive single parenting. Laugh at yourself, the world in general, and the sometimes-irritating often-quirky view of life as seen through the eyes of a child. Funniest home videos have nothing on the average day in the life of a kid. So laugh.

Even if, at the time, the paint all over the wall doesn’t seem funny, you’ll find yourself laughing later in the retelling of the story. Laughter will combat stress and remind you that in the Grand Scheme of Life it’s really no big deal.

Tip 4: You Can’t Do it All…

No matter how it sometimes feels, you are not defective for being a single parent. Remember, crisis can occur even in the most stable of two-parent homes.

The only thing constant in the universe is change. Life is unpredictable and you are only one person. Sickness happens, accidents and malfunctions happen, situations come up that are outside your skill set and leave you feeling like you’ve just been dropped into enemy

Tip 5: Confidence vs. Humility

A child’s parent is their first sense of attachment and security. While no one ever has all the answers, when making decisions alone you must act from a place of sure-footedness.

Ask questions of others, research when you can and when in doubt, trust your instincts: You know your child and yourself. You’re guaranteed to react badly, mess up or make the wrong decision at some point (most likely at several!) It’s OK. You’re human. Use the opportunity to teach your child a lesson in admitting fault, accepting responsibility with grace and the importance of seeking to correct mistakes.

You’re not a superhero…and that’s ok.

Tip 6: Kids are People too

From toddler to teen your child will continuously amaze and infuriate you with their own unique, separate identity with all its many strengths and weaknesses. While the family dynamic of a single parent homes often leads to greater responsibilities for a child it’s important to remember that they are not your equal partner. They are your child and aren’t supposed to deal with all the things that you do as their parent.

Use age-appropriate honesty when answering questions or discussing life-changes. Kids are people, their vote, opinions, feelings and input are and should be valuable, but you are the parent and you are the adult.

Never let your child feel like their vote doesn’t count, but never let them forget who gets the final say. Ultimately, they will appreciate the boundaries you set, learn a sense of self-respect and still enjoy the carefree atmosphere of childhood.

Tip 7: Pamper Yourself

When fulfilling all the many roles of parenthood it’s easy to let yourself get worn down. Personal sacrifice is an expected part of parenting but it’s equally important to take time and pamper you. Eat, rest well, exercise, practice good grooming. All of these are a start but pampering is important too.

Buy a new cd; take an indulgent bubble bath, exchange free babysitting with another parent so you can have some time to yourself. Remember that you are more than just “Little Janie’s Mom” or “Michaels’s Dad”…you are a person in your own right and deserve some fun and frolic.

Tip 8: Consistency is Key

Life happens, Exhaustion and frustration happen,  but if you say you’re going to do it, you have to do it. In discipline, time spent together, and maintaining boundaries, consistency is an absolute must to survive single parenting.  Enforce household rules.  Make good on promises to spend time with your child.
By setting an example for following through on your established word you create a sense of security and model a valuable lesson in reliability and accountability..

Tip 9: Make Stolen Moments

We would all love to take of for a few weeks out of the year to celebrate and create memories with our children. For most of us that isn’t likely to happen very often. So make your own stolen moments.
Turn a car trip to the store into a karaoke radio sing-along. Throwing together sandwiches for a quick meal? Why not eat them on a blanket on the floor as an impromptu picnic. Decorate a cake and celebrate everyone’s “Un-birthday”.
These are the moments you’ll remember. Celebrate Life with your children. You’ve earned it!

Tip 10: Get to know your Kid

In the hectic day-to-day race that single parenting seems to grow into it is easy to spend so much time focusing on the “Big Picture” that we forget what parenting is all about: Your relationship with your child.