The Single Parents Guide to The Morning Battle

All single parents know what the "Morning Battle" is. Dragging yourself out of bed, still exhausted from the night before.

Running on four to six hours of sleep after a grueling day of work, housework, meals, laundry, homework, karate, and bedtime stories, (if you make it that far!). The time of day that seems to be the most difficult, for me anyway, is the morning regimen. How your morning goes sets the tone for the whole day. A bad morning can make for a bad day at work. A day of guilt and stress. These morning also effect your childs attitude at school, and their apptitude for learning. Making as many mornings as stress free as possible makes for a happier you and a happier mini you. Focusing on organizing for a smooth morning is a priority for me. I find that starting off well helps the rest of the day just sort of fall into place. Even if it doesn't, a calm morning helps you to prepare for anything thrown your way!

The first and foremost important thing is to make sure your child gets enough sleep. I wish I could tell you to do the same, and if you can get eight to ten hours in, go for it! I have found that no matter how I plan my day I just cannot seem to be able to squeeze that in, so having well rested children make them easier to deal with in my forever exhausted state! Children need at least eight hours a night. I have found ten hours is ideal. They are in better moods, are ready to take in information, and are easier to wake in the morning. They need sleep for their health. Putting them to bed on time also gives you much needed time to yourself. Lets face it, that much needed time is usually spent doing laundry, cleaning up after dinner, picking up the house, or paying bills, but it is your time with no interruptions! Getting your children to bed on time is the most important thing you can do to help organize for the next day.