Challenges of Being a Single Mother

                                                                    Adrianne Orr

                                                                                                                        Comp I

                                                                                                                                   MWF 1:30pm

Challenges of Being a Single Mother

          I can remember a time when going to school was easy. I would get up, get dressed, eat breakfast, and be on my way. Time sure has gone by fast since then when things were not so complicated. Now as I have grown up and become a mother of five children everyday routines do not go so smoothly anymore. Starting off the day in the morning with the kids and making sure that they have everything they need and I have what I need for school turns into a crazy morning very fast. To be a single mother of five children and go to school I must be able to work around busy schedules, have a support system, and be a stronger more organized person.

          Every day schedules are so busy now days that even children in elementary have almost a full week filled with activities. For example my two older boys play football for Woodall School and my daughter does ballet for On Stage Dance. We are always on the go and it gets very hard when I have to prioritize our busy schedules. The best way that I have learned to keep everyone on track is to keep notes and a weekly planner for all of our events. Between the football games, dance, homework, and really just any day to day activities the week fills up fast in my planner. As a mother going to school it takes a lot to be able to sit down and get everything done and not miss out on anything important.

          Going to school is hard enough and having a supportive system really helps in so many ways. Like some I do not have my family around because they live so far away. It makes things so much harder to get homework done, clean the house, and keep the kids up. With having support from my mom over the phone, support from friends, and from instructors that I have come to know helps me in so many ways emotionally and mentally. They are not at my house but they do help give me encouragement that keeps me going and makes me not want to give up. There are times when I have just thrown up my hands and all it took was a little support to make me think to myself to keep going and things will get better. Every day is another day and to get through the hard times I must remember that I can do this. Now I know that this is easier said than done however, when there is someone who can give some engorgement when life gets hard it does make all the difference in the world.