As single parents, we can get so wrapped up in just keeping all the balls we’re juggling in the air—caring for our child, work, household responsibilities—planning for emergencies can fall through the cracks. Sometimes, every day life can feel like such a crisis, it’s hard to imagine there could be “more” of an emergency out there! It is doubly important for single parents to make sure they have back-up and emergency contacts—just in case…
Your child’s school, day care, or any place that he or she goes to play or “hang out” after school should have the emergency information. Who should be called if you cannot be reached? Which hospital do you prefer? Who are the people you might send to pick up the child if you cannot? This was something that I didn’t have to do as a married parent, but as a single parent, I did need to have a couple friends who were cleared and available to help with pick ups and other transportation and it was important the teachers, administrators, day care workers, etc. all knew who they were.
I think a single parent should have a contingency plan for everything—how will you get to work if the car won’t start? What if your meeting is running late and you can’t get to the day care in time? What if you are in a meeting and the school calls because your child has gotten sick? I learned over the years that it wasn’t enough sometimes to have one emergency plan, it was often advantageous to have an emergency plan, and a back-up emergency plan—just because family life has a tendency to throw us the curve balls!
I am not advocating living in a perpetual state of fear and worry. In fact, I think having a plan for emergencies as the single parent actually puts your mind more at ease and allows you to relax—after all, you know you’ve got an emergency plan or two at the ready when you need them.
Also: How Flexible do You Have to Be With Your Custody Arrangements?
There’s No Such Thing as Doing It All Alone