Hats off to all the single mums and dads out there doing the job of two people, running on caffeine, love and the occasional packet of biscuits!

Let’s take a moment to appreciate single parents everywhere.

The men and women who get up every morning, get the children dressed, find missing school shoes, prepare lunches, organise school runs, go to work, pay the bills, cook dinner, wash the clothes and somehow remember that tomorrow is non-uniform day.

All while trying to maintain their sanity, their sense of humour and the vague hope that one day they might actually finish a cup of tea while it is still hot!

Honestly, where do you get your energy?

Because being a parent is a full-time job. Being a single parent can feel like being the managing director, finance department, chef, taxi service, cleaner, homework supervisor, nurse, counsellor and entertainment committee of a small but very demanding organisation.

And the staff member responsible for covering your days off?

That’s you, too!

The daily juggling act

Single parents become experts at multitasking.

They can cook pasta, answer a work email, locate a missing PE kit and negotiate a disagreement over whose turn it is to use the television, all within approximately four minutes.

They know which supermarket has the cheapest nappies, which child needs collecting first, what time the dentist appointment is and precisely how much money remains until payday.

They can stretch a food budget, stretch a busy afternoon and occasionally stretch the truth when explaining why there is no chocolate left in the cupboard.

And when something goes wrong?

They find a way.

The car breaks down. The washing machine floods the kitchen. Someone develops a temperature at midnight. The school sends home a letter requiring money, fancy dress and a cake by tomorrow morning.

No problem!

Well, actually, quite a big problem. But somehow, they sort it out.

Then they get up the following morning and do it all again.

The financial balancing act

Let’s not forget the money side of things.

One income. Rent or mortgage. Food. Clothes. School trips. Shoes that apparently last only six weeks before the children grow another two inches.

And why do children always need something expensive at precisely the moment you have decided to be financially responsible?

You finally feel that you are getting somewhere, and suddenly somebody needs a new uniform, a laptop, money for a school trip or trainers that cost more than your weekly food shop.

But single parents find a way to make things work, often making sacrifices that their children may not even realise are happening.

They put their children’s needs first, budget carefully and sometimes go without so that their little ones do not have to.

That deserves recognition.

Not because parents should have to struggle alone, but because the love, determination and resourcefulness involved can be extraordinary.

The emotional load nobody sees

Behind the busy schedules and endless to-do lists, there is another job that rarely gets a mention.

The emotional one.

Being the person who comforts a child after a bad day, celebrates their achievements, listens to their worries and reassures them when the world feels too big.

Being both the person who sets the boundaries and the person who gives the cuddles.

Being the one who has to make difficult decisions, sometimes without another adult beside them to talk things through.

And doing all of this while managing their own worries, disappointments, exhaustion and hopes for the future.

Some days, single parents feel they have absolutely nailed it.

Other days, they hide in the bathroom for five minutes just to enjoy the luxury of being alone.

Both are perfectly acceptable parenting strategies!

And if you have ever eaten a chocolate bar in secret in the kitchen cupboard, you are among friends. No judgement here.

To the single dads: we see you, too!

Single fathers deserve just as much appreciation.

The dads who organise the school runs, do the shopping, comfort their children, attend parents’ evenings, braid hair after watching a three-minute online tutorial and learn that apparently there is a very specific difference between the correct shade of pink and the completely unacceptable shade of pink.

The fathers who work hard, show up, listen, cuddle, cook and do their best to give their children a happy, secure home.

Parenting is not a competition between mums and dads.

Children need love, stability, attention and care, and wonderful parents come in all forms.

So here’s to the single fathers who quietly get on with the job, even when nobody is handing out medals at the school gates.

You deserve your round of applause, too!

To the single mums: capes are optional

And to the single mothers who carry so much responsibility, often while balancing work, finances, family commitments and their own personal challenges.

You do not have to be perfect.

You do not have to make every meal from scratch, keep a spotless house, attend every event with a smile and produce a magical birthday party that belongs on Pinterest.

Sometimes, fish fingers and chips are dinner.

Sometimes, the washing stays in the basket.

Sometimes, the children watch another hour of television because you simply have nothing left in the tank.

That does not make you a bad mother.

It makes you human.

Your children do not need a superwoman who never gets tired. They need a loving parent who keeps showing up, does their best and understands that mistakes are part of being human.

And if you manage all of that while remembering to pay the electricity bill, you deserve a medal, a holiday and somebody else to do the cooking for a week!

Remember, you are a person, too

One thing single parents sometimes forget is that they are allowed to have a life beyond parenting.

You are allowed to have friends, hobbies, interests, a career and dreams of your own.

You are allowed to go on a date, enjoy a night out, laugh with your friends and buy something just because it makes you happy.

You are allowed to be tired.

You are allowed to ask for help.

And you are absolutely allowed to want companionship, affection and a little adult conversation that does not involve school uniforms, gaming consoles or what somebody has done with the television remote.

Being a devoted parent does not mean putting your own happiness on permanent hold.

In fact, showing children that adults can have interests, relationships and fulfilling lives of their own can be a valuable lesson.

You can love your children beyond measure and still want something for yourself.

The two things are not mutually exclusive.

A little reminder: you don’t have to do everything alone

Although this article celebrates the strength of single parents, nobody should have to prove their worth by carrying every burden without help.

Support from family, friends, other parents, schools and community services can make a real difference.

Accepting a helping hand is not a failure. It is sensible.

And if you are a friend of a single parent, perhaps offer something practical rather than the usual, “Let me know if you need anything.”

Take the children for an afternoon. Bring dinner. Help with a school run. Offer to babysit so they can have a little time to themselves.

Sometimes the smallest gesture can feel like a lifeline.

Hats off to you!

So, to every single mum and dad juggling work, children, bills, school runs, sleepless nights and the thousand little responsibilities that come with raising a family:

We see you.

We see the effort, the sacrifices, the laughter, the tears and the determination to give your children the best life you can.

We see the parents who carry on when they are exhausted, who find solutions when money is tight and who make their homes places of love even when life is far from straightforward.

You may not get a standing ovation when you pack the lunches, pay the bills or find the missing school shoe.

But those everyday acts matter.

And one day, the children you are raising may look back and realise just how much you did for them.

Until then, keep going, keep laughing and remember that you are doing an important job, even on the days when you feel you have got absolutely nothing right.

You may be one parent doing the work of two, but you do not have to be two people. You are enough as you are, and you deserve support, rest, friendship and happiness, too.

And if anyone knows where to buy a cape that comes with built-in coffee, a personal assistant and an unlimited childcare voucher, please send us the link immediately!

Hats off to all the single parents. You are doing far more than you probably give yourselves credit for.

Now, go and drink that cup of tea before somebody asks you where their other shoe is.

You’ve earned it! ☕❤️