I’m no super{wo}man

Five kids. One house. Four cats. A dog. Homeschooling. Schooling. Self-employment. Family life. Kids commitments…. One single Mama.

It sounds a recipe for chaos, and truthfully, sometimes there is. Yet somehow it all works out. Falling apart is never an option, sitting and doing nothing definitely not one. When you are the sole adult there is little choice but to just suck it up and crack on.

I run a well-oiled ship. I’m not overly strict, I’m not overly organised naturally, I’m not naturally a get-up and get on kinda gal {more leave me in bed for an hour in a morning gal}. Yet I do it. It’s not rocket science. It’s busy and hectic and crazy and amazing and wonderful and stressful and exhausting all at the same time,

Single parenthood means there is no one to pick up the slack. If I don’t do it, then it doesn’t get done. It makes ‘days off’ a laughing matter, and sick days mean a few days playing catch up once you’re better.

It means forcing yourself to be organised because it makes life so much easier. Throw a load of laundry on every morning, make sure it gets hung up to dry, folded and put away {the kiddos help with this}. Keep on top of household chores, wash up after each meal {if we didn’t we’d run out of plates after a meal or two}, work when the baby is napping, learn to do twenty different things at one time. Amuse the baby whilst helping the five year old with his sums. Fold laundry whilst having a deep discussion about life. Wash the pots whilst chatting away to the teens about their plans.

Others comment they ‘don’t know how I do it’ – but I just do. There is no secret, I am not superwoman, I’m just one Mama keeping her shoal swimming, keeping a roof over our heads, making sure that everyone’s needs are met including my own.

When you’re faced with a sink or swim situation, you just swim even if you don’t know how, you just do.

Single motherhood is insanely rewarding. You can look around and know that all of this is because of you. Happy kiddos, a well-running household, the roof over your head…. it’s all down to your hard work. yes, it’s tough at times, and yes, it would be nice to have someone else take the rubbish out when you’re really can’t be bothered. Ultimately, though, being the captain of your own ship really is the best job in the world.