3 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Life as a Single Parent

As a single parent, you are the most important individual in your children's lives. 

Keep yourself in good physical condition. 

If you have young children, you realize how important it is to keep yourself in good shape to deal with the needs of your active offspring. 

If getting a membership at the local health club or YMCA is out of the budget, then find a way to at least get an exercise bike and work out at ten minutes a day and eat a balanced diet.

Now, here are 3 ways to get the most out of your life as your children become grownups:

1. Visualize and pursue a rewarding future that you can realize once you have an empty nest.

Do not allow yourself to be in position of acceding to your grown children's demands because you have an unfulfilled life. Grown children generally have no qualms about asking you to babysit your grandchildren or becoming an unpaid chauffeur.

However, if you have pursued a new direction prior to having an empty nest, then you can easily let your grown children know that on certain dates and times they can come by with the children for a visit, to have dinner, or to enjoy a pleasant conversation. 

But, they will know that at an agreed upon time they will be expected to go home. With this understanding, your grown children will have increased respect for you.

2. Develop and keep quality friends and relationships. 

Good friends and quality relationships are good for your mental health. However, it is essential to make the distinction between friends and acquaintances. 

A friend is someone who cares about your well-being and loves you unconditionally. And furthermore, a friend is supportive of your goals when your goals are in your best interest and will let you know when they are detrimental to your best interest.

Acquaintances often do not have your best interest at heart. Moreover acquaintances are likely to waste your time with idle and useless conversation and get you involved in wasteful activities. 

As a final point, acquaintances often want to use you to meet their own needs whereas in a friendship you and your friend are mutually supportive.

3. Consider your interest and skills and build on them.

Life is worthwhile when you continue to grow throughout your time on this earth. Think about the interests you had when you were in your teenage years that have remained in the back of your mind and never pursued. 

Perhaps you want to own your own business, go back to school to get your degree, become a nurse, social worker, or teacher, or even become a singer or motivational speaker if you have the talent.

The point is to consider your interest and your skills. If you have one or more interests and some skills which match those interests, then build on those interests and skills and let them take you to some new self-fulfilling goals.

When your children are young your most important obligations are to make sure that their needs are met and that they learn the self-reliant skills sufficient enough to become responsible and productive adults. 

While you are providing the required love and discipline for your children, you should have fun with them. 

When they become adults, your role as a parent changes. You become more of an advisor and a confidant. 

Make sure that they understand your new role and boundaries and begin to use the 3 Ways to Get More Out of Life.