Single Moms (or dads) who work FT

EDWHIP · August 2013

Hi,

DH and I both work full time and have been able to cook dinner for lo most nights. We buy all of our groceries on Sunday and make simple meals throughout the week. Last week DH broke his rib and is out of commission. I am having a hard time managing the load myself. For all you single parents who work full time and only have between 5:30-8pm with your lo each night, how do you make it work? Any tips on how to get everything done without always relying on the tv? Should I just throw in the towel and order out? Perhaps I am going too hard on myself.

chardonnay24 · August 2013

I am not single but my husband works long hours so he is often not home by dinner time, let alone by the time it's time to cook dinner.

I rely on the crockpot a lot. You can do some really easy and tasty things in the crockpot - pulled pork (pork loin, can of root beer, shred and add BBQ sauce), salsa chicken (salsa, corn, taco seasoning, chicken, shred and serve over rice or with tortillas or chips), pesto chicken (chicken, pesto, add tomatoes and shredded parmesan in last hour, serve with pasta).

Depending on the kiddo's mood or hunger level, I will either set him up with a project, like coloring or painting, or just put on the TV for one episode of Yo Gabba Gabba. I also have his play kitchen set up right next to the real kitchen, so I'll give him some dried rice or beans to "cook" while I'm cooking dinner.

EDWHIP · August 2013

Hey guys,

Thanks for the input. UNfortunately, DD does not sit and color. She does not sit! If I am not closely monitoring her, she gets into everything. I think I might hire a helper. If I turn my back for a second, she's emptying the cat food dishes or climbing up a book shelf - lol! We usually have to have one person on DD duty at all times.

EDWHIP · August 2013

DD loves Yo Gabs...we call it yo gabs. I just hate to rely on it is all.

boggs507 · August 2013

EDWHIP said:

DD loves Yo Gabs...we call it yo gabs. I just hate to rely on it is all.

You gotta do what you gotta do. If that's what it takes to get a decent meal out...

Is there a way you could cook extra of what you do make and just eat leftovers 2-3x/week? Or cook a nicer meal on a Sunday night that's bigger and can be eaten again during the week? That's one less night of Yo Gabs...

kgs0505 · August 2013

I'm also not a single parent, but my DH works retail and is frequently not home for dinner/bath/bedtime (or weekends for that matter). For dinner, I feed my 2yo chicken nuggets, a lot. He east those plus some fresh fruit and some veg or starch. So that's 2 minutes in the microwave? He likes to help me make dinner, so he's usually in the kitchen with me and totally in the way, but hey, we get it done. While he's eating, if the babies need feeding, I do that then. If I'm lucky daycare got them on a later schedule so I can sit with DS and talk with him while he eats. After he's done, I let him play or "help" me. He likes to hang out in the kitchen with me "helping" me cook or wash dishes. At 7 - 7:30, he gets a bath. I bathe the girls either later after he goes to bed or only on days my DH is home for bath time and we can get everyone done at the same time. He's in bed hopefully by 8:30 after some stories. By now, the girls either need to eat or just need to be put to bed. I might eat dinner after everyone is in bed, or not at all. When DH is home, we can make a family dinner. However, my DH is not expedient in his cooking and gets distracted easily, so dinner on those days is stupid late. We do do take-out probably way too much.

sara1025 · August 2013

I am a single parent

Yes my DS goes to daddys house a 1-2 nights a week depending on if it is his weekend (every other) I work full time but thankfully get off at 430 and go straight to his daycare. We usually come home and we play before I start dinner and he will usually play pretty good while I prepare dinner and we continue to play while its cooking. I agree with the others that a crock pot is a miracle.... if we are having a crock pot meal that night we usually stop off at the park down the street from my house. After dinner its bath time which is usually 730ish then a few books and brush teeth and in bed by 8pm

After he falls asleep is when I clean the house and do homework... Its a busy life!

MNgirl326 · August 2013

DH works out of town almost every week and is home on weekends. So I am basically a single mom during the week.

For me, it is all about consistent routine.

I get home between 5:30-6. I feel LO and myself when I get home, (I do a lot of slower cooker meals, so they are ready when we get home, but sometimes it is something quick and easy, left overs or frozen pizza. I have even ordered delivery on my way home from daycare)

After dinner, we play- while he is winding down and I am getting pajamas out, I pick out his outfit for the next day and lay it out on the dresser.

Every other night he gets a bath

Bedtime is at 7:30 and he is asleep by 8, so then I either, chill out, do work for school, or make a slow cooker meal.

SoxFan777 · August 2013

I'm not a single parent, either, but DH works a lot. I'm a HS teacher, so it's EARLY days for us. Here's what we do:

5am--I get up and get ready

5:15am--Wake DS up, we have breakfast together

6am--Out the door for daycare

3 or 4pm--Pickup, play outside together, stop at the park, go for a walk, whatever.

5pm--he plays in the living room (I can see it from the kitchen) while I make dinner. Room is GATED and childproof with a huge playyard gate, which I told DH we need to keep up FOREVER. I make him pasta, a veggie, beans (seriously, my kid eats them rinsed from a can) and a protein every night. Sometimes, the protein is meatballs, because I make large batches and freeze them individually. It's often a bit of whatever we're eating.

5:30--dinner for an hour. we still use a highchair!

6:30-8--indoor playtime... We are with him. 8pm is bath and bedtime by 830. Works for us!

That's how we do it. We are a TV/electronic free family.

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