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Original poster

I’m a single mum who works 40hrs. I feel like I’m going to collapse

79 replies

Daisydips · 12/11/2025 08:45

I’m a single mum who works 40 hours a week. My LO is in nursery Monday to Friday and I genuinely can’t take it.

I have no idea what I’m doing wrong as I know single parents do this all the time but I’m starting to really struggle, it’s been over two years of doing It and it feels like I’m never going to get a break. I literally need the money I earn also, I have no financial support and my LO dad can’t afford to pay.

I have no clue on what to do. on the weekend I had a breakdown the whole weekend I couldn’t even move I was crying, exhausted and just done. Everyday I’m one bad sleep away from crashing again.

what do other single parents do ?

OP posts:

Bagamama · 13/11/2025 07:58

It's not you. It is very hard.
I'm a decade in and still only work 3 days a week, even then it's pretty miserable.

Comtesse · 13/11/2025 08:10

It feels hard because it IS hard (not because you are a wimp). Ask your parents for help this weekend and try to get some proper sleep.

Redruby2020 · 13/11/2025 08:45

Inmyhouse · 12/11/2025 17:21

I'm with you on this.
I have my own company and sometimes I work 45+ hours a week, however due to lack of support from my ex ans my siblings are of working age I'm thinking of cutting down my hours and taking on somebody to help out.
Yes I will earn a little less but like you I feel like I'm at breaking point but what choice do we have!
I work mostly from home, so I try to do at least 1 hour a day housework
Meal prep is done on a Sunday night when my son goes down, I try to do at least 3 meals in one go.
Don't be so hard on yourself and defo look into cutting your hours down, hopefully your company accepts your proposal - join a union if you can to support you.
And unfortunately you can't force someone to do something they don't want to do, however your LO will soon see who was there and who wasn't, just like by DS has.
Good luck x

What kind of meals do you do when you meal prep, always looking for ideas, thanks.

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somethingnewandexciting · 13/11/2025 08:55

I haven't read the full thread as I need to rush out shortly.
If you can look up some threads on the lone parents board - there are loads on how to cut various corners with batch cooking for example. I think your issue is tiredness relentless and you can wear yourself out to the point of burnout if you feel you are doing everything, every decision, by yourself. For me the mental load was the biggest issue, even though I felt tired from working, it's the always having to be switched "on" in case you miss a message about odd sock day or making a Great Fire Of London house they want to burn at school.

My advice is to have one or two close single mum friends who you can rotate the odd childcare afternoon with, preferably at the same school. These are the ones who will support you the most and let you vent. We used to batch cook to freeze every month or two and divvy up between us so we were eating more interesting things than we would cook, so it felt like a treat. You need to find a couple of them in a similar boat and you have a much more coherent version of a family as you all know what you are going through. They will be there if you look for them, I think it's something like 12% of families are single parents. Good luck.

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