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Front Line Families & Single Parenting
Show Notes:
Thank you to Maria for joining me today and sharing her story and thoughts around ways to manage the balancing act of front line work and the unique challenges of single parenting. I so deeply appreciate her willingness to share her insights.
During this episode Maria shares about the challenges she has faced in finding a balance – an ever changing balance to be sure! She shared about having to “always be on” and that others who have a partner or additional help may not understand the feeling of constant pressure and having to be everything to everyone. We talked about what it is like to be “on” at work, caring for everyone’s needs, and then “on” at home, having to manage all of the household and parenting tasks solo, while also trying to maintain mental health and sanity.
Maria shared about her own learnings and ways she tries to balance – some of her insights include:
- Simplify wherever possible. Make use of meal delivery services or grocery pre-order services to take some of the stress out and reduce time spent doing the “task-y” stuff.
- Focus on what matters. Maria shared about her custody arrangement and that when she is with her kids she tries to let other things go by the wayside to focus on what is in alignment with her values – sharing time with her kiddos.
- Have grace. Remember that the time with kids is short in the scheme of things. “The days are long but the years are short” so they say. Try to hold grace for your self and for all the expectations to spend time, make mistakes, and find connection.
- Give permission to NOT be perfect. Allow permission for yourself to be human and to share that with your kids. Be mindful to keep it in the realm of age-appropriate, but know that it’s ok to not always be at your best with your kids and that this can benefit them in the long-term, to see and know that as adults they don’t have to meet unreasonable standards.
- Find care for you in the small moments. This is something Maria shared learning about when participating in the Self-Care Dare 5 Day Challenge for First Responders & Front Line Workers. We talk a lot about the “big and small moments” and that often it’s the small moments that count for a heck of a lot when they add up. When single parenting and trying to balance so many pieces, the “big” self-care things tend to be harder to find the time and space for, but we can get REALLY creative about finding small things and letting them add up to mean something significant. If you are curious what this can look like for you and how to implement a strategic plan to enact this, sign up for the waitlist to join the Self-Care Dare when we run it next!
Episode Challenge:
Share today’s episode with someone you know who is balancing front line work and single parenting. We know that divorce rates are disproportionately high amongst First Responders & Front Line Workers, so help us spread some support to those who may be struggling to feel seen, heard, known and valued as they walk a journey that can feel really isolating. If you are a front line working and single parent, I challenge you to consider some of the things you already do to show yourself some care, and to consider some small things you could add in to help grow your self-care repertoire.
Additional Resources:
Get on the waitlist for the Self-Care Dare 5 Day Challenge for First Responders and Front Line Workers!
If you haven’t yet, check out the free Beating the Breaking Point Indicators Checklist & Triage Guide to help you self-assess your experiences and exposure to burnout. Use this tool as information as you get honest with yourself about the impacts you have experienced – and start considering telling the story of your resilience as someone who has invested in their own wellness by looking into our Beating the Breaking Point Training Program designed for First Responders and Front Line Workers. You can grab the free indicators checklist here, and learn more about the training program here.
Connect, Rate, Review, Subscribe & Share!
Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram, or email me at [email protected]. I love hearing from you! Subscribe and share this podcast with those you know. I appreciate every like, rating and review – every single one helps this podcast to be seen by other First Responders & Front Line Workers out there. Help me on my mission to help others just like you to not only survive, but to thrive – both on the job and off.
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By Lindsay Faas
5
55 ratings
Show Notes:
Thank you to Maria for joining me today and sharing her story and thoughts around ways to manage the balancing act of front line work and the unique challenges of single parenting. I so deeply appreciate her willingness to share her insights.
During this episode Maria shares about the challenges she has faced in finding a balance – an ever changing balance to be sure! She shared about having to “always be on” and that others who have a partner or additional help may not understand the feeling of constant pressure and having to be everything to everyone. We talked about what it is like to be “on” at work, caring for everyone’s needs, and then “on” at home, having to manage all of the household and parenting tasks solo, while also trying to maintain mental health and sanity.
Maria shared about her own learnings and ways she tries to balance – some of her insights include:
- Simplify wherever possible. Make use of meal delivery services or grocery pre-order services to take some of the stress out and reduce time spent doing the “task-y” stuff.
- Focus on what matters. Maria shared about her custody arrangement and that when she is with her kids she tries to let other things go by the wayside to focus on what is in alignment with her values – sharing time with her kiddos.
- Have grace. Remember that the time with kids is short in the scheme of things. “The days are long but the years are short” so they say. Try to hold grace for your self and for all the expectations to spend time, make mistakes, and find connection.
- Give permission to NOT be perfect. Allow permission for yourself to be human and to share that with your kids. Be mindful to keep it in the realm of age-appropriate, but know that it’s ok to not always be at your best with your kids and that this can benefit them in the long-term, to see and know that as adults they don’t have to meet unreasonable standards.
- Find care for you in the small moments. This is something Maria shared learning about when participating in the Self-Care Dare 5 Day Challenge for First Responders & Front Line Workers. We talk a lot about the “big and small moments” and that often it’s the small moments that count for a heck of a lot when they add up. When single parenting and trying to balance so many pieces, the “big” self-care things tend to be harder to find the time and space for, but we can get REALLY creative about finding small things and letting them add up to mean something significant. If you are curious what this can look like for you and how to implement a strategic plan to enact this, sign up for the waitlist to join the Self-Care Dare when we run it next!
Episode Challenge:
Share today’s episode with someone you know who is balancing front line work and single parenting. We know that divorce rates are disproportionately high amongst First Responders & Front Line Workers, so help us spread some support to those who may be struggling to feel seen, heard, known and valued as they walk a journey that can feel really isolating. If you are a front line working and single parent, I challenge you to consider some of the things you already do to show yourself some care, and to consider some small things you could add in to help grow your self-care repertoire.
Additional Resources:
Get on the waitlist for the Self-Care Dare 5 Day Challenge for First Responders and Front Line Workers!
If you haven’t yet, check out the free Beating the Breaking Point Indicators Checklist & Triage Guide to help you self-assess your experiences and exposure to burnout. Use this tool as information as you get honest with yourself about the impacts you have experienced – and start considering telling the story of your resilience as someone who has invested in their own wellness by looking into our Beating the Breaking Point Training Program designed for First Responders and Front Line Workers. You can grab the free indicators checklist here, and learn more about the training program here.
Connect, Rate, Review, Subscribe & Share!
Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram, or email me at [email protected]. I love hearing from you! Subscribe and share this podcast with those you know. I appreciate every like, rating and review – every single one helps this podcast to be seen by other First Responders & Front Line Workers out there. Help me on my mission to help others just like you to not only survive, but to thrive – both on the job and off.