[seatides]

I've been feeling like this a lot lately: too much to do and not enough time to do it. I'm sure I'm not the only single parent who's ever felt this way.

What do you do when you feel like this? How do you handle it? (Why do I suspect that people will say, "I always feel that way"?)

I would really appreciate any suggestions anyone may have for dealing with life when it feels like it's going to overwhelm you!

Thanks.

[nicki]

Fran, I have felt like this at every stage in life - single, married, re-married, whatever But when I was single, it helped to really stay organized. I am a list person - not great at following them but brilliant at making them. So whenever I felt like I was swimming upstream, I'd make lists of all I needed to do an then really try to schedule my time so that I could see how and where to fit it all in. Usually there was far less to do than it felt like and plenty of time to do it all.

Another thing I did was use my lunch break to run errands. I also dropped my kids off at daycare a half hour or hour earlier to make stops and run errands so that I could knock a few things off my list and really be available to focus on the kids when I was done with work for the day. Morning time was never very "quality" time for us, anyway, so it was a great trade-off.
Another thing I did was use any time my boys were with their father as split "me time" and "errand time" so I could really focus on errands efficiently and not have to bother running around with the boys in tow when they were with me. But I also really needed "Me" time to feel balanced and less insane.

[seatides]

Thanks, Nicki! My biggest problem, which you've mentioned, is scheduling. I'm working now on time-slotting out my entire day to make sure I have time set aside for everything that needs to get done. I think that a little advance planning for each day will help me maximize my time.

I appreciate your input. Take care!

[NewroticGirl]

Even though I'm only a dog parent (and not a human parent)... I know the feeling of overwhelmingness all too well! Part of the problem is that I tend to take on TOO MUCH and end up getting no time to myself.

My suggestion (if this is even possible for you!) is schedule at least one day or evening every week where you DON'T have to go running around. A sanity night, if you will!

[mcmama]

I am currently facing this overwhelming feeling of too much responsbility and too little time. Single parenting does not get any easier with teens!
I guess after taxes and the fafsa (financial aid for the college student) have been filed I will breathe easier. Right now, with these two projects on top of everything else, if ONE MORE THING gets piled on me, I may just go flat. Or explode.

Parenting - not just a job, but an adventure!

[seatides]

Newrotic Girl, that's a tendency common to many women -- the inability to say "no" to a request. I don't know how old you are, but this can take many years for some of us to learn! It finally becomes a matter of self-preservation, I think.

Mcmama, I feel for you. It's not as though we "volunteered" for any of this, is it? I mean, we can't just cut back or cut down when we're talking about things that must be done. Sometimes if I think to myself, "One day at a time," it helps me make it through that particular day.

I don't want to say "misery loves company" because I'm sorry you're so overwhelmed. I hope you're somehow able to take care of yourself (not a selfish thing!) so that you can continue to do for everyone else.

[irishgal63]

I hope you have 1(or more) close friends for a 'support system' !
Do you get enough sleep at night ?
I'll say my prayers for you !

[mcmama]

Originally Posted by irishgal63

I hope you have 1(or more) close friends for a 'support system' !
Do you get enough sleep at night ?
I'll say my prayers for you !

Sleep??? What's that? ()

Yes, friends certainly matter and help - but even they cannot help with the FAFSA and the finances!

My son has an activity that involves driving tomorrow for a good 90 minutes each way. Among the team of people available to drive, all three of us are mothers and two of us are single. The married mom had something come up and is unavailable, and the other mom and I are figuring out how we put kids in our cars safely. We put out an apb for help from other adults involved, including the leader of the group, a married man who is never available, always busy, always assigns his wife to do stuff (which she resists doing). The silence is deafening.

This is an activity for boys - it is a group which helps boys become men - and the advisors are mostly women. Mostly single. We have one other single dad who is involved - his kids have aged out but we can't let go of him because he is RELIABLE.

Parenting does many things to a woman, I never expected it to make a man of me!

So there goes the "free" time I was going to devote to the taxes and the fafsa! Not to mention cleaning the house.

[NewroticGirl]

Originally Posted by seatides

Newrotic Girl, that's a tendency common to many women -- the inability to say "no" to a request. I don't know how old you are, but this can take many years for some of us to learn! It finally becomes a matter of self-preservation, I think.

Ugh... I'm old enough to KNOW I should say no to some things... and not old enough to have figured out how.

[cckeimig]

Originally Posted by seatides

I've been feeling like this a lot lately: too much to do and not enough time to do it. I'm sure I'm not the only single parent who's ever felt this way.

What do you do when you feel like this? How do you handle it? (Why do I suspect that people will say, "I always feel that way"?)

I would really appreciate any suggestions anyone may have for dealing with life when it feels like it's going to overwhelm you!

Thanks.

You took the words right out of my mouth, Fran. I do always feel that way.
The house is a mess, I feel like I'm neglecting my children, I'm overstretched as far as the budget goes (which is obviously stressful!).
What do I do? I escape into reading, of course. Does it help? On the contrary. The problems pile up when you ignore them.
I'm looking for a second job of sorts, but it needs to be something I can do from home after the kids have gone to bed.
Honestly, I applied as a blogger here on this site, but have yet to hear from them about my application. I suppose that means I should write more samples and get them ready for the next round of hires, eh? And in the meantime, I need to keep plugging away at finding translation and other freelance jobs.
That and cut the spending on stuff I know better than to buy, right?