Time Management Practices of Single Working Mothers

Abstract

Time management has become a fundamental competency among working women, especially to single working mothers who have to carry the burden of both their work career and family life on their own. This paper will explore the time management strategies used by working single mothers and how the strategies affect their managing work and life as well as their output and general well-being. The time pressure faced by single working mothers is usually more intense because they have to balance both work and parenting, and proper time management is the key to being able to maintain their personal and career lives. The study is descriptive and analytical with data being drawn on the single working mothers who work on different sectors. The structured questionnaire was employed to gather primary data that concerned the daily scheduling, prioritization method, task delegation, technology use, and coping with stress associated with time. The secondary data were obtained using literature, reports and past research on time management and working women. Data collected were processed with the help of suitable statistical tools to find the patterns, challenges, and successful practices. The research findings have shown that single working mothers seek planning, prioritization, and routine-based scheduling as the key factors in coping with their tasks. Although some of them have embraced various time management tactics, most respondents indicated that they were still facing problems of role overload, insufficient personal time and work stress. Another factor that has been brought to light in the study is that the organizational support, flexible work arrangements, and availability of childcare are important as they contribute to time management effectiveness. The paper concludes that single working mothers have high adaptive time management skills; however, the systemic support of employers and policymakers is essential to enhance their quality of life. The results will aid in the enhanced comprehension of the distinctive time management issues among single working mothers as well as contribute to the understanding of how supportive workplace practices, as well as social policies, could be formulated