Working as a single parent can be very difficult, especially if you do not have childcare throughout the week. I am a single mother working part time at a grocery store, I would love to work a full time job somewhere, but that is currently impossible for me. My son is 2 years old and he is not in daycare yet ((we’ve been on the wait list since he was 1).
I receive no help from the government, so I rely on my mom and his dad to watch him. Now it may seem like the problem is solved, but it is not. Some days when my mom has to watch my child, she is scheduled to work, so I have no choice but to call out from my job. At times, my son’s father is unreliable when it comes to taking our son. He may tell me 3 hours before I’m supposed to be at work that he will not watch him because he has “things” to do. This leads to me calling out of work more than I should, or showing up 30 minutes late just because I am looking for a babysitter. I wish I did not have to rely on them to watch him just so I can go to work to provide for my child. I believe that when my child gets reliable childcare (daycare/school), it will make my life a lot easier because if he is in school Monday-Friday, with the exclusion of holidays, I know that I will be able to have the exact same schedule as him. Part time employment is not enough for me right now. All of the money I receive goes to my bills, and I barely have leftover money to save and spend. Right now, I am trying to work at a daycare full time so that I can get my son enrolled for half price, be able to work full time and not rely on others to watch him.
*Mieya Neely is one of Stronger Generations’ 2017-2018 Young Parent Ambassadors. TO learn more about Mieya and our Young Parent Ambassador Program please visit our young parent ambassador page!
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