A day in the life of a single mother by choice

So, it was Tiara's post that alerted me to Ali's post, then I saw Gille's too. I have enjoyed reading your stories. I thought about posting mine too but its so different as I don't have to go to work as I am now working from home.

However, this morning I get up and see Shannon's. Oh go on then... it is a great idea to have a few of these out there for the 'Thinking about it' Choice Mums to be.

One thing I noticed about the other posts was some very precise timing - you wont see much of that here. I feel very lucky to be free of that constraint! Despite the lack of a precise time schedule, our day is still quite predictable.

My day usually begins around 6 am. As I don't have to go anywhere, I don't need an alarm. My wake up call is in the form a gorgeous 14 month old boy. Since we watched the Sleep DVD he mostly goes through the night and wakes around 6am (occasionally 5, when I give him a quick booby feed and put him back to bed for as long as he can manage - I usually get another half an hour at least).

I go into his room where he is usually standing in his cot waiting for me. We have a cuddle, take off his sleeping bag and change his nappy.

Then  we head downstairs for breakfast. The first thing BB wants is milk, so I get this for him and he sits at the table drinking it while I get him some cereal. BB has a good appetite at the best of times, but he really loves to refuel in the mornings. Breakfast is quite a lengthy affair, with the cereal, followed by toast, followed by fruit.

By about 6.45-7 am BB has usually finished eating and goes off to play. I clear up the mess and then grab the lap top to check our email, see if we sold anything from our online bookstore, (package it up ready to post if we have) and check some blogs.

If the weather is bad, I use this little window of BB being able to entertain himself to rush out and feed the chickens and collect the eggs, but if it's a good morning I can take a little more time. Then when BB is looking for something new we head outside together, he plays on the trampoline or in his sandpit, or more often than not at his favourite game of moving stones around the garden. Our time out there is getting shorter as the weather starts to cool down, but generally, once BB is suitably wet and dirty we come back inside.

We usually strip him at the door an head straight upstairs. He has often done his morning poo by this time too (is that TMI?) so we have a total change and we both get dressed for the day. It's usually around 8am by now.

We head downstairs play together. BB often likes a booby feed around 8.30. Then we both have a drink and a snack about 9.30 - 10 ish (yes is does seem like we are always eating to me too!)

Most mornings we do something. BB has a gym class on Mondays, we often catch up with some mummy and toddler friends on Tuesday's, and if we have nothing planned we go for a walk, do a bit of shopping, maybe pop to the library, call in at the park. On Wednesday mornings BB has just started going to nursery for 4 hours so that I can get some work done (so far I have used the time to do other things, but hopefully once the next couple of weeks are done and I have caught up on jobs, I will actually do some work then). On  Thursday we go swimming, and on Friday we take BB's Great Grandma (97) out to lunch. Weekends are a bit less structured, especially if DD is around.

Lunch is usually around 12 noon.

Around 1.30 - 2 ish BB goes down for a nap, and lately, seeing as I am in the first trimester of my pregnancy with BB2, I try and have a little snooze too. However, it is ideal really if prepare the dinner during this time.

After about 1-1.5 hours BB wakes up. He is starving and comes straight downstairs for some milk and a snack. This time between is nap and dinner is the hardest part of the day. He needs my full attention so preparing dinner is hard. I now know what my mum so often served up something that goes in the oven (sausages, fish portions, vege burgers etc.) with  steamed vegetables - things that you put on and leave. If I have had a nap, we have a dinner like this!

Dinner is usually at about 4.15pm. After dinner we have a little play, then tidy up toys and head up for a bath at about 5.15.

After a bath, a story and a booby feed, BB goes to bed. This is usually about 6pm.

I then clean up the kitchen, mop the floor, put the rubbish out, put the washing on, take a shower, and then I start work.

If I have been efficient, I am usually working by 8pm at the latest. I do 2-3 hours a night, attending to the washing machine and moving things to the dryer somewhere in between tasks. Occasionally I watch a TV show on iPlayer when I'm done, but recently I am too tired even for that, and I head to bed as soon as can.

Just before bed, I fold the washing and take it upstairs as I go. Everything is clean and ready for BB to make dirty again tomorrow!

I do feel lucky because I am home with BB most of the time, and we have a great time, both at home and out and about. However, I do also wish I had a little more me time - just a half an hour at the end of the day would be nice. After Christmas I am thinking that BB might go to nursery 2 mornings a week, then I should be able to get a bit more work done and perhaps have a couple of evenings totally work free.

I also feel lucky because I have DD. Not many other choice mums have that. When he is here he sometimes watches BB while I get on with other things, he usually does his bath, sometimes he cooks, and sometimes he does jobs in the garden. He even got up with BB and gave me 2 sleep-ins last time he was here!

Hanging out with the chooks

An afterthought - but wouldn't it be worth linking all these posts for future SMC's. If so please add the link to your post

Or if you have just found this and want to join in, write about your day and link it in too





Hello, and thanks for stopping by. My name is Emma and I am a lifestyle entrepreneur, writer, teacher, coach and mentor. I am passionate about eating real food, learning, travel and health. I get to spend my days with my amazing son who has chosen to learn from the world rather than at school. We write to share the life we love and to help others create a life they love too.

2 comments:

  1. I love that you have chickens. I've wanted some for years but I have no space. Your days sound great and a little like mine where there are no real schedules sometimes. Very cool!

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  2. Love the look into your life! Thanks for sharing!

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