Being a single mom isn’t the easy by any means. Fulfilling the responsibilities of both the breadwinner and the care giver, each an enormous responsibility within themselves, takes an immense amount of courage and fortitude. Difficult as this is to pull off, the whole process can be smoothened out a great deal if the single mom’s career is has a degree of flexibility about it. With shared custody, limited resources, and ever changing schedules in the child’s life, a single mom has to be able to adapt and adjust her working hours accordingly, because despite the importance of her career, the child always comes first.

(Image Source: wikimedia.org)

With that in mind, here are some career options whose hallmark is that very same flexibility. Careers that would allow single moms to be able to distribute their time efficiently and not compromise on either the child’s life or her own career as a result of this.

5 flexible careers perfectly suitable for single moms

• Teacher: A child needs the most amount of attention during his or her formative years – the period of time when he or she is still in school. What better way to make sure you’re always there than by adhering to the same schedule? As a teacher, you not only share the same hours as your child, you also have the same holidays, breaks and days-off in general. This means you can spend the maximum amount of time with your child, and it also cuts down on babysitting or daycare expenses because of the matching schedules. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Teachers earn Kindergarten and Elementary school teachers earn around $50,000 annually. High school teachers earn around $55,000 a year.

(Image Source: pixabay.com)

• Realtor. A realtor is someone who helps homeowners or prospective homeowners sell and buy houses respectively. As a realtor you can set your own schedules, but there are no weekends off, and sometimes you have to even work at night if needed. On an average, realtors earn almost $42,000 annually, although a lot of it is commission based and varies from situation to situation.

(Image Source: jazzedestates.com)

• Hair stylist. It is a fundamental human characteristic to want to look attractive, so a beauty career will never go out of style. You can operate as a hairstylist out of your home, or work at an established salon, both of which are pretty flexible time-wise. You get to meet a variety of people, interact with them, and do something skilled-based rather than a job borne out of bookish learning. It pays decently too, the mean annual wage is $27,940, and according to this account on Marinello.com, it is a great option for a single mom looking to get on her own two feet.

(Image Source: staticflickr.com)

• Librarian.  If organization skills and efficiency are your plus points, then a job as a librarian would suit you well. With part-time and full-time options, and a variety of possible workplaces like schools, colleges, public libraries, law firms, and museums, being a librarian can be ideal for single moms. It pays pretty well too, with the mean wage hovering around the $58,000 mark. Another added bonus is that you can enjoy some much-needed peace and quiet when away from the kids too!

(Image Source: thenest.com)

• Day-care centers. If your parenting skills are top-notch and you enjoy spending time with kids, working at a daycare center, or even having your very own home-based daycare center can be a good option. The pay for a daycare center director is about $44,000 annually, but you can earn even more if you have a home-based daycare center. It is however a big responsibility, volunteering to take care of other people’s children, and one that shouldn’t be undertaken lightly.

(Image Source: strawberrytots.com)