Lone parent clean up/keep fit/eat well thread (aka moaning about not doing these)

[BlackeyedSusan]

The last thread has dropped down the list, which means we are all suddenly extrememly healthy, slim and live a minimalist life... or are knee deep in crap.

Come on in one and all, celebrate the sucesses, moan about the set backs and try to find some inspiration to haul oneself off the sofa and actually do something instead of moaning.

[revealall]

As a single mum to one DS I have lead my last 12 years feeding him nutritious meals on the basis that I am the cook/ parent and therefore god of all food.
This has now changed.As a single parent I have no reinforcements in the battle of mealtimes. No adults to say " Mmm whitbait is delicious" and make him feel grown up for trying it.

DS knows I don't make him anything different for supper but that's fine because he's old enough to do toast and beans by himself ( or just eat his Easter eggs, Christmas chocolate until I relent).
He can't understand why pizza can't be every meal because I let him do that when we went to Italy.
I buy food around his clubs, sleelovers and number of friends invited rather than our regular "family" meals. To do otherwise would be expensive and wasteful. But it conflicts with my friends having regular Sunday lunches or family nights etc.

[BlackeyedSusan]

I am dreading the teenage rebellion. I suppose all I can do is cross my fingers and hope feed them well now and hope to mitigate any damage they do to themselves in the future. I still have god of all food status... though I am sure ds would eat a lot of pizza given the oportunity.

[CrushedCan]

I love exercising I love eating healthy and I feel like crap when I don't YET here I am eating toast for breakfast after waking up to plates beside my bed with a food hangover and regretting every bit of crap I ate last night! Why did I eat said crap? My child was screaming & wouldn't sleep,made a mess, I had just gotten home after flying and I was tired...this seems to be the case every night! I MUST break the cycle....but..... where's my break to be myself and do my own things without the fear of waking my child up while I bounce up and down in the living room like a seal whilst watching two fitness models do it effortlessly???

[BlackeyedSusan]

yep crap. I adore healthy eating too yest still mange to love eating crap as well. pringles mainly.

the children brought little visitors home from school and I have been cleaning all day in an attempt to hoover up eggs. I am making very slow progress.

[Flowerpower41]

I have started going to a weekly yoga class one lunchtime. So this is finally progress. I had bought a yoga DVD at home but the social side of an actual class is better for me plus as I work from home I need to get out each day and mix a tad.

[meglet]

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[BlackeyedSusan]

congratualtions on the yoga. sometimes it is easier to keeo to if you have to go out, and seeing actual grown up human beings is good.

[meglet]

well, the garden is better since ds took over lawn mowing duties. The rest of the house not so great too many toys, books and clothes .

[meglet]

I always think I'm crap and don't have a clue about housework. but we've got a rare day at home and I'm blitzing it.

We just don't have time to get organised day-to-day. If I don't get in from work (3 days a week) until 6pm and then I've got tea and bedtimes to do then no wonder I don't bother starting housework at 10pm after I've eaten. The 2 days I don't work are errands, supermarket and the gym. add in the odd appointment and the days whizz by with just laundry and cooking..

[abearcalledpaddington]

Hi I've recently become a single parent but their sad has them regularly so I don't have an excuse not to get things done,I just don't ever seem to have the energy to get past the essentials. I am moving in 6 weeks so it will be nice to start fresh somewhere newly decorated. As for exercise, I would like to join a gym when I've moved but am a bit scared.

[CherryPicking]

Hiya, can I join? ex's court hearing was successful which means he now has a contact order in place (despite my concerns) and will have them overnight starting shortly. I feel really conflicted. I'm still not 100% sure they're safe with him, but have no legal leg to stand on, so I suppose I'm just going to find a way to cope when they're not with me.

On one hand I'm dreaming of jumping on a train up to the Scottish Highlands or somewhere and wandering about finding myself, like I'm in a film of some kind. On the other hand I know in reality I'd probably be horribly lonely and envying all the couples, hen parties or whoever else is staying in the hotel. And I'd probably miss the kids way too much being so far away.

Oh yeah and my house is a total pigsty - I bought a book on decluttering and only got as far as sorting my bathroom out (5 days ago and it's still remarkably ordered compared to the rest of my house!) so i tend to go and sit in there to escape the kids for a few minutes.

excercise wise - went for a run in the heat this morning which helped curb the pmt I tend to get at this time of the month. also have an excercise bike for times when ds is napping, but that tends to be 10mins a day if I'm lucky. What I really want to do is lose my baby belly - it's been far too long since he was born to use him as an excuse!