Mom2Mentor
Encouraging and motivating single mothers, reminding them of their strength and determination. They can succeed as a single parent as long as they remain focused.
Its not about how you arrived at the TITLE, but, what you do with it!
Mom2Mentor
When Parenting Plans Meet Reality: Preparing for Inevitable Disruptions
Parenting inevitably involves handling unexpected interruptions and distractions, from financial emergencies to childhood illnesses. Being prepared with both financial strategies and practical supplies can transform these challenging moments from stressful crises into manageable situations.
• Save tax refunds and windfalls in high-yield savings accounts for emergencies
• Consider thrift shops and consignment stores for children's clothing
• Don't be ashamed to accept hand-me-downs from friends or family
• Keep essential medical supplies on hand (Tylenol, Neosporin, cough syrup, thermometer)
• Remember that preparing for interruptions reduces stress when they occur
• Focus on being a good parent who teaches, not a perfect parent
• Always be learning alongside your children
• Set aside time without phone distractions to connect with your child
Put that phone down for one hour and spend quality time with your child. Write down one thing you want to be better at as a parent and commit to making that improvement.
https://singlemomsunitedpodcast.com/
It's not how you arrived at the title, but what you do with it.
Hey ladies, welcome to the Single Moms United podcast. If this is your first time joining, welcome If you are a repeat listener. Thank you, thank you and thank you, thank you for your repeat loyalty. Hey, what am I talking about today? So I'm getting back on track with talking about the letter I and extracting word choices from the letter I, and if you've been following me, you know I've been pulling out different words and everything and hopefully you found some value in that content that I shared with you because I'm getting ready to deliver another episode around the letter I.
Speaker 1:When it comes to parenting, today's word choice is interruption or distraction. Yeah, that's right, mom, you already know that there are going to be distractions to your purpose in parenting. How do I know? Yeah, as a single mom myself, I know what those distractions or those interruptions feel like. You feel all good and happy, like, oh, I got it going on, things are working in my favor, and then boom, ba-boom, bam, bam. Oh, my gosh, where did this bill come from? You need what for when and how much, because that's how it works when you have children, and especially for me.
Speaker 1:My finances were just crazy. If I knew then what I know now as it relates to handling those interruptions that come, or those distractions. I promise you my life would have been a lot easier, but I brought it on myself. So I have to take ownership of that right, because we are all in position to learn right and, moms, you are even in a better position than I was to learn how to better manage your finances. I didn't know any better back then, so I was just feeling around in the dark, hopefully hoping I'd find a nut. Right, a blind squirrel finding a nut when it comes to finances.
Speaker 1:That's one of the distractions or interruptions you're going to encounter are the unexpected expenses and not to mention illness. Right, child is good, healthy One day. Next thing you know they're sneezing and coughing. Mommy, I don't feel good, my stomach hurt, I don't want to go to school. Da, da, da, da da. You probably heard the routine right, and that's okay.
Speaker 1:So this episode is all about you getting in position for those distractions, so it doesn't stress you out. Right? If someone were to tell you that the forecast tomorrow was rain, you would prepare for rain. You would pick different clothes to wear. You would probably take an umbrella, at least a raincoat, or wear a hat or something because it's going to rain. This is the same thing. You're going to have unexpected financial issues, that's just a fact.
Speaker 1:So we're going to talk a little bit about that. We're going to talk about the whole health and wellness piece of it as well, so you can be in better position to handle these interruptions when they come, not if. When they come. How do I know? I promise you been there, done that. So I'm trying to pay it forward, mom, so you can understand what it means to be prepared for these, so you don't have to go through undue stress and I mean it is stressful, right, all right. So first of all, you have to have a plan, mom. As I mentioned before, you have to have a plan on how to handle these interruptions. I'm not going to go through everything this is not a one size fits all of what the interruptions look like but at least you know two major ones that you have to consider that you will go through when it comes to money. When it comes to money and I'm probably two minutes too late on this one, but if you've heard prior episodes, then you've heard me talk about when you get that income tax check or you got a little extra money coming in. You put that in a separate account, you store that away for that rainy day, for that unexpected expense. Why is that important? Because now you don't have to go and call on whoever, I'll just put it like that. You don't have to go and ask somebody for a couple extra dollars until next week you have, you're borrowing from yourself.
Speaker 1:I am so guilty of this when my kids were younger and I was able to claim them and so forth, so I would get a nice tax return. And so, as a result of that, I was out like, as soon as I got that money, ding, ding, ding, shada, la, la, la, la la. I'm out running the race, running the streets and buying stuff. And, oh my God, I'm so tired of being broke. I got a few extra dollars and da, da, da, da da, buying stuff I did not need. But and then, when it came down to rent and paying the light bill, gas for the car, the car note and all these other things that are required or necessity, and the kids' school fees and outfits that I had to buy them for whatever occasion, then I'm looking like okay, how am I going to pay this? Uh-oh, I spent all of my income tax money.
Speaker 1:So, moms, if you haven't spent all of your income tax money, put it in a high yielding savings account and don't touch it unless you absolutely have to. It's just that simple. Let it sit there and grow and then only buy what you need. And speaking of buying, I used to shop at thrift shops and I'm throwing this out there because our kids grow very fast out there, because our kids grow very fast. One day they're and I'll go even back to the toddler years of two toddler and then the next day or next week they in a 16 or whatever. I don't know what the sizes are these days, but they grow so quick because they always eating, always eating and drinking. As a result of that, they grow.
Speaker 1:So you might want to consider a thrift shop and what I would recommend is you take some of them old clothes, take them in, and some people call this a consignment shop. Either way, utilize it. Assignment shop, either way, utilize it. Your kids don't need brand new clothes because they're not going to stay in them long and when they do get in them, they rip them up, they get dirt and all of this other stuff all over them. It doesn't make sense to buy new clothes. So you buy something that still looks good.
Speaker 1:I did. Yes, I sure did go to the thrift shop. I bought shirts for $1.99. I sure did. And all that I didn't buy at the thrift shop people gave me. Especially when it came to my daughter, I got really lucky because my sister had my niece, so nine months before I had my daughter. So guess what? That's right. I got a lot of her clothes. And then a good friend of mine, her daughter, was about a year older than my daughter as well, so I got a lot of her clothes as well.
Speaker 1:Don't be ashamed to accept hand-me-downs. I even wore hand-me-downs when I was growing up. Yeah, didn't understand it. Some stuff didn't fit right. I wore. That Came from a humble beginning and there's nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 1:Remember, it's not about how you arrived at the title, but what you do with it, and the biggest part of parenting that you have to consider is managing your finances. The second piece is health your kids. As I mentioned before earlier on in this episode, your kids are going to get sick or they're going to fall down, scrape their knees something's going to happen. They're going to get a headache, something. These things are going to happen, I promise you.
Speaker 1:So how do you prepare for that? Well, number one you will definitely want to keep Tylenol on hand. You definitely want to get some Neosporin Keep that on hand. Cough syrup you want to keep that Neosporin, keep that on hand. Cough syrup, you want to keep that on hand. And maybe some cough drop. You maybe need a thermometer. Take their temperature, just in case you have to do a call with the doctor over the phone to talk about symptoms and things like that.
Speaker 1:But you prepare for it because it's going to happen. And when you have these things in your home already. So when little Johnny come through coughing, sneezing I'm sick, mommy you already ready to go. Same thing with little Ruthie. I ain't leave her out. You ready to go when she comes home and I don't feel good, right, and it's okay.
Speaker 1:So, mom, get in position to handle these interruptions, these distractions that are going to happen. Now, I just named a couple, but I'm sure you can name any more distractions or interruptions that will happen as a parent, and then not only think about others. But how do you respond to that? Because we don't have time for stress. We got other things going on. So, mom, you can do this. Mm-hmm, that's right. All right, ladies, I hope you enjoyed this episode and if you did tell another single mom, I hope I left you with something to think about, with your parenting skills and I get, this is not a one size fits all, but a one size fits most and hopefully invite that critical thinking. When it comes to parenting and again, you're probably going to hear this on every episode going forward there is no perfect parent. There's only good parents and bad parents. Good mom, bad mom, a good mom teaches. That's right.
Speaker 1:Always be learning mom, and I'm hoping that you're taking this opportunity to learn something new as it relates to teaching your child. If it's nothing but buying a little $2 plant and learning how to water it and getting it sunlight, that's something you're learning and it's simple. We always make things so hard at times and it doesn't have to be. Some of this is really simple. Okay, let me go buy this little plant, let me and little Ruthie try to put it, to help it grow a little bit, put it in the sun, feed it, does it require anything special? And you can do that together and then determine when to get a new pot and what type of potting soil. That's some fun stuff that you can do together.
Speaker 1:Moms, yeah, always be learning and you never know, as a result of you taking this initiative, where this can lead for little Ruthie later on in her career. You just don't know, because she can always look back and say well, my mom did this and my mom taught me that. What a compliment, what a compliment the greatest ever when your child comes back and says I learned this from my mom and it's something positive, and that they're paying it forward. That's what you want at the end of the day. That's what you want. That's the type of behavior we want our children to display at the end of life that we did the best that we could as it relates to raising our children. Again, we're not looking for perfection, just a good mom displaying good values, good behaviors and ultimately teaching our children how to excel in life, understanding what disappointment means, understanding they are going to experience disappointment. That's our job, that's our role to educate them.
Speaker 1:All right, ladies, I'm really done this time. You all have a fantastic day and if you haven't put that phone down for one hour and spend time with your child, I encourage you to do that. My child deserves this and really stand up to the plate and try to do better and really just write down one thing you want to be better at. Just think about that, mom. Everybody's situation is different, but think about that. Yeah, All right, you all have a fantastic day, a wonderful week and a marvelous month. Take care.
