One of the trickiest things a single parent must do is working out the childcare schedule. It can be hard enough in a two parent household, but if you are parenting alone you take on all the drop offs, pickups and dealing with school closures, sick days and other unexpected changes in childcare schedules.

For the child’s sake you want to make the childcare as consistent as possible. It can be tempting to try and get the best deal on childcare just like it is as simple as www.direct.tv deals and packages, but your children will appreciate the stability of sticking with one day care center or babysitter as much as possible. This of course changes if you do not feel your child is getting the proper attention or care they need. If you find a center that works for you and that your children flourish in, stick with it if at all possible.

It is also very important to have a backup plan in case of sick days, school closures and other problems that can spring up and change your normal child care plans. Taking a personal day yourself can be an option, but won’t work in every situation. If you know a stay at home mom who would like to pick up some extra income from time to time this can be a great solution. If your child is sick, maybe they have a guest room that she could rest in and watch television while you are at work and not risk infecting the other children. If this won’t work, look into sick-care centers. In urban areas these are fairly common. If you are signed up with them, they offer drop in service only for sick children. Your child will have all the comforts of home and a trained caregiver. This service does not usually come cheap, but can be a lifesaver for those times you can’t get off work.