As a single mother of 4, it can be hard to find balance. They're all young and require a lot of care and attention. They make a lot of messes. Oftentimes, people wonder how I stay sane. Sometimes, I don't. There are a few things sacred to me, to help me run my family and keep the balance. My life is quite structured, and I like to keep it that way. This means that:

-Bedtimes are sacred. I don't have a partner around to help me, so at the end of the day I desperately need some me-time. That means that I don't care that it's the weekend, or the kids have a week or 2 off. Bedtime rolls around, they go to bed with few exceptions. Not only do I think that structural bedtimes are healthy for kids, they are healthy for the entire family.

There will be times that I will allow the children to read for an extra 30 minutes, but they 

do so in their bed.

Loading full article...