Single Parents Town Blog

Life is crazy, hectic and incredibly busy and most of us single parents struggle to find any sense of balance on any given day.  In my household we are running in every direction from the time we wake up in the morning until we are all tucked into our beds in hopes of getting some sleep at night.  Unfortunately, this craziness takes its toll and at times I feel as if my kids and I barely see each other yet alone engage in any type of meaningful conversations.

There are days that I have been so thankful for technology as it has served my girls and I well through the hectic days and it is because of texting that we have been able to stay connected when they are busy with friends and school or I am gone to meetings or busy with work.  However, regardless of how convenient texting is I have been a little bummed as of late with the frequency of it and due to the fact that it has literally replaced that personal touch of actually calling each other and talking live.

It seems that lately my girls and I tend to text far more often than talk and I have actually missed hearing their voices or the ability to carry on a conversation.  It is virtually impossible to have much meaning or depth in communicating via a text message versus having a dialogue and hearing their sweet voices on the phone.  This was already bothering me but the final straw came when my daughter was right down the hall in her bedroom and she texted me goodnight.  That is pushing things a bit too far and it hit me that I as their mom need to lead by example and reinstate the importance and value of personal communication.  A text simply cannot replace the warmth and connection of a hug and saying goodnight in person. Continue reading »

It’s been almost a week now and I still keep thinking of the Fran Crippen story. The 26-year-old swimmer died unexpectedly in an open-water race in the Unite Arabic Emirates. The Olympic hopeful was physically at his prime, handsome, vital and strong, and yet–for reasons still unknown–he is gone.

As a mother, an aunt, and a former swimmer, my thoughts return again and again to his family. He was from Pennsylvannia, my neighboring state. Fran Crippen was a hometown star, who shined brightly for to brief a time. Continue reading »

Wake up can’t you see, can’t you see that big tree
So call me for that key so turn around and look at me
And don’t get stung by that bee and
Aren’t you happy about that smoothie and
Don’t bump into that tree and
Don’t step in that creek and
Eat some greek food and go to sleep
And then wake up and peek your eyes over the sheets and
Maybe your mom will give you some sweets
Creek and peek in your dads room and
See what’s he’s up to
Maybe he tweets

Single mom, organizing and productivity expert, Tracy Paye has been transforming spaces into livable and lovable environments since the age of 12. Tracy’s passion is to help people experience freedom from their internal and external clutter, creating a refreshing sense of satisfaction for a more enjoyable & stress free life! Through hands on organizing, coaching, consulting, speaking engagements, media appearances, and writing Tracy has positively impacted countless number of lives by inspiring, empowering and motivating people to take action and take back control of their lives. She specializes in working with people living with ADD/ADHD and helps families develop coping strategies. If you are interested in learning more about Tracy’s organizing services you can visit her at www.tracypaye.com. You can also follow her on Twitter www.twitter.com/missorganized.