I'm Single Mom Now

I had to learn how to be a solo parent this month.

If you’re new here, my husband is in his last year of his doctorate of nursing program.

He’s a student nurse anesthetist, and his clinical rotations take him all over the state of North Carolina- Raleigh, Fayetteville, Laurinberg, High Point, Goldsboro. There have been weeks where he has woken up at 3am to drive to a clinical site two hours away.

This month, his clinical rotation is in Charlotte, which is 2.5 hours away from our home in Chapel Hill. That’s on a good day, with no traffic, which is wishful thinking when it comes to Charlotte.

So, Tuesday through Friday, Sam stays in Charlotte, and I am here by myself with the kids.

It’s been hard. Sam wasn’t home much during the week prior to this current clinical rotation, but he was home enough that he could help a little.

The coffee was ready for me every morning, sometimes he packed the kids’ lunches, and he was almost always home to eat dinner with us, wash the dishes, help Sawyer finish his homework, and help me get the boys ready for bed. I usually had time in the late afternoon or early evening to catch up on administrative work required for my job.

Right now, I have to make the coffee, make breakfast, pack the kids’ lunches, get them ready for school and get myself ready for work.I teach while my kids are in school, and when I pick them up and bring them home, I’ve been helping Sawyer with his homework (he needs some supervision with it right now) while I also try to review sight words with Fitz, and reply to emails or do other administrative tasks that I can’t do in the middle of teaching students.

While I prepare dinner, I work with Sawyer on his spelling words for the week. After dinner, the boys clean up their toys while I clean up the kitchen. I wash them, read them stories, tuck Fitz in, and sit on the couch with Sawyer while he does his 30 minutes of reading. Rinse, repeat. As I write this, it doesn’t really sound like all that much, but it’s exhausting.

Today, Fitz woke up vomiting, so I had to cancel some in-person students on my schedule this morning, and a haircut I desperately need. There's a pile of laundry on a bench in my bedroom that I haven't had time to fold, and while I am trying to keep up with emails, I can't seem to stay ahead.

It’s been one month of this…. ONE MONTH. And I’m already losing my mind.

I’m telling you this for two reasons:

• To give love to all you single parents out there - you rock (and, to all you moms out there who stay home while your partner travels for work- you rock, too).

• If I am slow to get back to an email, a DM or comment on social media, you now know the reason. I promise, I’ll get back to you eventually!

-Mary

PS: The Nourished Yoga Retreat is the perfect opportunity to relax, mama.

The doors are open. Right now, you can register at the early birth rate of $200. The price will increase to $249 on April 1st. Hurry, spots are limited!