my typical day solo parent

My typical day – Diana

my typical day solo parent

This post is part of the “typical day” series from other mums for 2019!

We of course know that there really is no such thing as a typical day in family life, but these posts gives us a sneak peak into the daily life of another family. We can see what planning and organising strategies are working for them and experiment to see what might help out at our family.

This post is from Diana, a New Zealand based reader who has also completed my Planned + Present and Meal Prep Primer E-courses! I have full admiration for Diana. Diana is a solo parent and still manages time for daily exercise and a side hustle – so inspiring!


Mōrena! (Maori for good morning)

I feel writing this might be cathartic for me! Here is my daily routine:

5:00am

Get up, have breakfast and work. I have a “side hustle” writing which I have found I can only do at this time. Based on a lot of the work done via reading your blog and suggestions, this is the time I’ve carved out for writing.

6:30am

Make the kids’ breakfasts and put the final touches on the kids’ lunches and my lunch. I shower and make sure the kids are ready.

7:45am

We head to school in the car with my bike on the back.

8:15am

I leave school on my bike for town, we have great end of trip facilities where I work, so I shower again make-up etc there.

8:45am 

Sometimes this is my only childcare slot for exercise (I am a solo parent) so I may swim now for 40 mins.

9:45am – 2:00pm 

Work in my main hustle (office-based). Sometimes I will sneak in lunch yoga or a coffee with a friend. I always do an hour of exercise a day so it has to go in somewhere. The cycle commute (30 mins each way) doesn’t count! 

2:00pm

Back on the bike to school to get the kids, then home for the afternoon. We do a combo of homework, dinner prep, catch-up work for me, sometimes sports practice and I try to get more outside time to compensate for a morning in the office. 

6:00pm – 8:30pm

Dinner and bed time routine for the boys who go to bed at 7:30pm. Once they are in bed I start the prep for the next day which includes doing the dishes, quick clean of kitchen and lounge, pack my bike and workout gear for the next day, put the bike on the car, get lunches ready and some evening dinner prep done for following day.

8:30pm – 9:30pm

Sometimes I have to do work catch-up or if not I will just go straight to bed. Another Arianna Huffington / Nicole Avery top tip :).

Oh that was so cleansing… I do have a routine!

Ngā mihi nui! (Thanks a lot!)


If you would like to contribute to the series feel free to email your typical day to me at nicole@planningwithkids.com  – I would love to read it and be able to publish it on the blog.

You can read about my typical day here. You can read more posts in the series here.