Being a single parent can be a daunting task, partially because being single while raising a child creates a double workload. With no one to share the burdens of child-rearing, a single parent soon becomes an over-worked parent! Few people easily arrive at the decision to leave behind the other person involved in creating their child. By the time that they do however, most people have found serious reasons to go the road alone. Whether those reasons involve escaping the clutches of an abusive partner or one who refuses to look for a good paying job, once the reasons are found, many people feel that they’ve made the right decision. And they probably have; so now it’s time to learn something about scheduling family time.

Single parents spend plenty of time with their young children – there’s simply no way around that. But quality family time is different than ordinary, run-of-the-mill time. Quality time involves creating memories and experiences out of the ordinary, that the kids will take with them as they move through life. Watching television together really doesn’t pass the test. But visits to new places such as petting zoos, or an amusement park – complete with child sized thrill rides – do create lasting memories. They also create requests to return soon, which is evidence that they’re experiences that the kids favored!

Finding time to engage in these one-off activities can be quite hard for working parents. Tired from a week at work, in addition to the usual child-rearing tasks, the working parent needs one thing in particular. That’s a good group of friends, possibly even some with young children of their own. By drawing on the resource of friends, a single parent can have the benefits of a child care experience on occasion, without the associated expense. And in return for that freed time, the parent can arrange an out-of-the-ordinary day!