How am I going to manage?

I’m newly single and have not long moved into a flat with my daughter (age 2). I’m trying to get my level 3 apprenticeship in child care which I will get £6.56 an hour for. My question is how do single mams go to work full time hours and manage with a toddler at the same time on such little money and absolutely no family support? I don’t know how I’m going to do this on my own, I’m scared.

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Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How am I going to manage?

Do you have delivery services like DoorDash Uber eats or GrubHub etc? Many drivers will bring their kids along for deliveries and you can make good money with it. Just be selective in your orders. You don’t have to accept all orders.

Does your country offer any assistance programs ?? Here in USA we have low rent assistance, child care assistance and food stamps assistance. Any where you can go to get help for single parents?? Hugs.

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A schedule will save you life!!! I had 3 kids all school age, i would get them up at 6am get breakfast done, and get them off to school by 7:30am I would drop off 2/3 and the third came with me to work for about 10 mins till his bus came and the he was off. I worked from 8-2:45 and then flew back over to school to pick 2 up and then rush home to meet bus for third kid. Then i would do breakfast dishes while waiting for bus and then get dinner going. They read to me while making dinner (homework). We ate they showered and in bed no later than 7:30. Which then gave me time to get some laundry done and dinner dishes and get ready for the next day. I stuck by that schedule! It saved me!!! I had very little money and 3 kids. For fun we did game nights or movie nights on fridays and took walks or went to a park on saturdays. Sundays was my prep days for meals and their lunches.

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I live in Australia :australia:. While doing my child care certificates, the centre gave me a discount because I had to bring my chil to work with me.
Also our government gave a grant/discount for child care.
Don’t know where you live, but you could look into these options and ask the centre?
I too, have no family in my adoptive country.
Good luck :crossed_fingers: I’m sure you will figure it out!
Stay strong and focused on your end goal!

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Go work with the military they all have Child Development Centers and a level 3 makes 13.56, CDA starts at 15.46 more with every year of experience.

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First of all, you’ve got this! I’ve been there, and though it is not easy, you are capable!
With you being a single mother, you qualify for a lot of government assistance. Apply for it and accept it! There is absolutely no shame in getting help and support when you need it!

Do child care self contract instead of working for some one. You can’t make it on that!

Dhs pays child care also file for child support

I’m assuming you’re UK…£6.56 will be apprentice wages while you study and learn on the job. Wages will improve once qualified so its a short term problem
College/uni will have childcare facilities while you study. There are free child places available in most nurseries …get the child’s name down now because spaces are limited…there are benefits you can claim …citizens advice will help you get everything you’re entitled to…do not be ashamed to claim every penny you can get and take every bit of help on offer …being a single parent is not easy but you make it harder when you panic. Honestly you can do this …because you have to for your child
Good luck :heartpulse:

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It’s very hard! I’ve been there, I worked full time? Plus a part time job and was in school. There was a daycare that helped with the cost they had a program that helped single parents with low income.

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I do it with two kids under two. It’s extremely hard we had to get on food stamps to be able to afford housing a little bit easier. We are always broke and tired but it’s worth it. My kids will always love me no matter how hard we struggle.

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Pray for God’s help & He will answer.

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Not sure where you live but fry getting childcare assistance, otherwise when you work in childcare most centers will give you a huge discount for your children if they are enrolled there.

Help from the government programs

You got this! And apply for childcare grants through social services, get food stamps, get Medicaid do whatever you have to do. And just remember it isn’t easy but it also isn’t impossible. I’ve just had to find a job that can afford everything. I have no family help as well… :heart:

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Apply for Universal Credit…. They are able to help to give you help with housing and other financial aid. They are very supportive and helpful!

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Community and community resources have been invaluable for my husband and I since we got sober and started trying to turn our lives around. Society claims that’s what they want ppl like us to do yet at EVERY. SINGLE. TURN there are these stupid obstacles that most normal ppl aren’t even familiar with to Even begin to understand let alone empathize and it’s our society that’s continuing these practices and even putting more of them into place rather than looking for more solutions for the ones who are trying…I hit so many walls… So many times I truly thought there’s just no way we can do this… We can’t win playing a game that’s totally against us in all ways yk​:pensive: I went through depression and all that, anger even… Now I just choose to focus on the positive and I take what resources I can find as well as now I’m helping to provide those resources to others too​:heartbeat: It took a long long time to get here though and even being “here” isn’t where I want to be and we’re constantly fighting and working for more. It started with clothes for the kids… If I could pay for even just less of them, well then that’s more money we have to buy them what they end up needing still and then for whatever else right. Today there are all kinds of little things I go to, participate in and volunteer with… Some provide food, others clothes, household items, hygiene… the less you HAVE to buy the further you can stretch an already small income yk. Then once you’re involved and getting to know the people involved you slowly find out about all these things that no one even knows exist​:exploding_head: I saved everywhere I could for the last 2 years+ and my husband and I just last week closed on a house that we bought outright! No mortgage, no loans… Which is a good thing cause it needs a lot of work​:laughing: There are even programs to get low income ppl into their own homes and that! And so much more than just FHA which most ppl already know exists at least or are a bit familiar with. Just make small goals, look for the things around you that will help you to hit those goals and I know that there will be scary times and hard times of course but the sooner you start working towards what you want the sooner you will be there and see some of the results! The longer you wait the longer you stay in exactly the same positions that you’re in at this moment and I myself was guilty of this for a good long time​:grimacing: We get comfortable cause we’re “making it” but screw that! I don’t wanna just scrape by my whole life yk… Everyone deserves to be able to breath at some point in their lives!!! And I absolutely assure you that once you start to get involved with these really great ppl…Ppl who volunteer, ppl who spend their free time helping others for no other reason than to do it… You make these connections with all these really great ppl and suddenly I had this huge, great, super helpful, support system​:smiling_face_with_three_hearts: We had not much family either and Even the ones we did are just so screwed up themselves or just don’t and won’t help in any way when the hard stuff comes up… I’ve had 5 different ppl ask if I needed to borrow any money to purchase my property and then when I didn’t, they offered to help clean it or help with the rehab or just watch the kids while we rehab it​:raised_hands::heartpulse: That’s amazing considering that just last year we were facing a retaliation eviction for reporting that my rental nearly killed me in front of my 2 kids and possibly them as well and before the eviction went through we asked every family Member we thought even MIGHT help to loan us the money to put the new deposit and first month’s down BEFORE an eviction went onto our records, mid pandemic, and we had that bs following us for the next decade… Every single person declined to help at all and one even told me they “had to struggle so you’ll be alright in the end” and this person is quite well to do so it wasn’t about the money yk. Build YOUR community!!! Build YOUR family!!! Who cares if it’s different than other ppls​:woman_shrugging: That’s what makes it even more special imo​:smiling_face_with_three_hearts: These ppl don’t HAVE to care about me andmy family, but they very much do​:pray: I’ve never been so grateful in my entire life and I can assure you I wasn’t this positive, upbeat person either​:grimacing::sweat_smile: The struggles have a way of changing us but it’s all growth and one day you’ll look back at all of it as a distant memory and you’ll be in a totally different place​:heartpulse:

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Look for a daycare to work at that offers little $ to free childcare some day cares offer that to their employees

I’ve been their :pleading_face: it’s hard but the best advice I can give is find a good day care you trust !!! Also maybe one what does cameras so you can check on baby with your phone regularly …… second get some kind of app to place budget information also some bank account have this available online to customers for free to see where money is going to budget third consign all clothes that baby grows out of to cover cost of new clothes this helps a lot money wise save everyone your can and give yourself a little spending money like 10 a week for extras but keep it small that way if you have car trouble ect you have something to fall back on look into resource in court community sometimes they have gas voucher, rent vouchers, and child care vouchers but that being said you will have to make sure you meet financial income requirements to make sure your not over income requirements a women shelter is a good place to find resources in the community for a single mom who is struggling if anything they will be a good support system with advice to help you threw this new faze in life good luck momma and it will get easier it’s always hard at first but you will find a normal promise say your prayers and hold your head up high you got this

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You need to do the math. How much is rent/phone/bills/daycare/grocery/gas etc. Every single penny you NEED to spend per month. Then find a job that covers that. It doesn’t matter what your plans were, if it doesn’t cover the bills then you now need to readjust. And you’re 2yos dad should help with child care and some child support. It absolutely can be done.

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Apply for Universal credit. They should also be able to advise you on what free chd care is available in your part of the UK. I’m in Wales, the government provide 30 hours free childcare per week. I’ve just started back at part time, single mum of 3. It’s hard but you can do it. Speak to the Jobcentre, they will be able to provide you with a lot of help and advice. They have been fantastic helping me get back to work :heart:

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Do you get child support from the father of your child?? But if you live in the UK - don’t know how things work there.

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You may qualify for childcare hours - contact local authority. If you don’t qualify, you can get up to 80% of your childcare costs paid back via universal credit xx

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Subsidy, bulk, dollar store, free stuff and still struggling

Just sending prayers your way

Every morning when you wake up, look into the mirror and tell yourself that you can do it!!
It seems silly but it works I promise :purple_heart:
Good luck momma you got this!

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Can you get the child into the same school and make some arrangements with the owners

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Girl u got this your instincts will kick in

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