7 reasons why weekends are the hardest times for single parents
Being a single parent can be tough. And this is especially true at the weekends when you either have to entertain your kids by yourself ... or wave them off to spend time with their other parent.
This page contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small amount of money if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our articles and reviews are written independently by the Netmums editorial team.
Here, one single mum explains why weekends are the hardest time of all.
She says, 'Being a single mum was not what I wanted for my children. But a few years down the line we are all happy and have got used to our new routine.
'My children have a loving mum and a loving dad and we've worked out a structure for the week where they spend time with us both.
'But it's the weekends - whether the children are with me or not - that can be the hardest time of the week. Here's why ...'.
1 It's family time so you don't want to bother your friends
During the week you think nothing of phoning a mum friend to arrange a meet-up.
But you know that weekends are family time and you really don't want to interrupt that.
Yet with 48 hours of entertaining the troops alone ahead of me, it's hard to resist the urge to 'phone a friend' and request an emergency play date ...
2 There are no clubs or classes on
Weekdays, there's so much going on. Places you can go and meet other parents while your child has fun banging a tambourine or wading through a ball pool.
Come the weekend, all that dries up. And, if you're not careful, that means no adult company or conversation to break up the kids' chatter.
Which can feel bloody lonely - however much fun you have with your little ones.
3 Everywhere you go you see happy families enjoying their weekend fun
The park, the museum, the swimming pool ...
Everywhere you go, you trip over happy families and can't help but feel a little wistful.
4 You get worn out without a lie-in or a chance to catch your breath
As a single parent, you have no choice but to get up in the mornings, EVERY morning.
There's no-one to broker a lie-in deal with. And there's no-one to take up the slack and give you an hour's peace when you're run ragged.
Come bathtime you're well and truly on your knees.
5 The evenings feel extra lonely
You flop down with relief once the kids are safely tucked up in bed but then the evenings feel so long and lonely.
Weekday nights are busy and I happily flop into bed early ready for the next bonkers day. But at the weekend, nights seem to go in slo-mo.
I daren't flick through social media for fear of coming down with a severe case of FOMO as I convince myself happy couples are either out having fun or simply snuggling up together on the sofa in front of the telly.
6 You feel sad without the kids
Weekends also mean spending time alone if my children are with their dad.
And while the odd hour to myself is lovely, when I face chunks of time away from them every weekend it can be pretty tough. I feel lonely without them and worry about them.
I try to find ways to keep myself busy but always wish I could punctuate the day with just a half hour to see them ... if only to give them a huge squeezy hug.
7 You feel you have to be twice the fun (but are falling short)
This feels true a lot of the time (maybe it's mum guilt kicking in?) but is amplified at weekends.
I want to make up for the fact there is just me to spend time with and sometimes feel that I work hard to fill the role of both mum and dad - but then end up spreading myself too thin.
Sounds all doom and gloom?
It's really not.
On the days I feel low, I remember it takes courage to move on from a relationship that's not right.
There's nothing more toxic for children than having parents who bicker and shout over their heads the whole time, and two happier parents apart has got to be better than two miserable sods living under one roof, right?
And while it's true that weekends can be tough, there are plenty of ways being a single mum rocks.
The Co-Parenting Handbook: Raising Well-Adjusted and Resilient Kids from Little Ones to Young Adults is a great guide for divorced or separated parents. See more details here at Amazon.
