The day is new, and Daunielle Jones has barely missed a moment of it by the time she is up flipping home-made pancakes in the kitchen. The hour is seven a.m, the number of eager-for-breakfast children is three. Soon, her three girls, Skylar (10), Symone (8), and Sydni (7), will be off to see relatives, and Daunielle must get to a doctor’s appointment by 8:30 a.m. She’d like some time between cooking and departing, but her girls seem prepared to eat as many pancakes as she’s willing to make. All at once, the time to leave for her appointment has come, and only once Daunielle reaches the Doctor’s office does she realize that, after an hour of pancake making, she forgot to eat. It is a typical morning for single mother Daunielle Jones, age 34. With at least 45 hours of work a week, three Girl-Scout troupes and Brownies, and trips from Plano, Texas to Dallas every Saturday and Sunday for church activities and services, she proudly tells me, “I haven’t skipped a beat”. Daunielle worked as a Research Billing Analyst at Accore North America until the recession made her lose her job last July. She is fighting hard to get back in a job, but treasuring the additional time with her daughters in the meantime. Daunielle remembers well her challenges as a single working mom, and shares some tips for how to cope: plan ahead, form a routine that works, and be there.

Plan ahead.

Each weeknight, there’s a lot to do between dinner, checking three sets of homework, bathing, and getting ready for bed. So she saves time and nightly stress by pre-selecting all fifteen of her daughters’ outfits for the school week, down to the socks and shoes for each one.

Form a routine that works.

Daunielle is sure to orchestrate bathing time for one daughter while she checks homework with another. She also manages to work-in mini-breaks for herself, like cooking two days’ dinners in one evening. Involving her daughters in simple chores makes a difference too, because Daunielle knows that as much as she balances, “As a mom you can’t do everything”.

Be there. As short as her evenings are with her girls, Daunielle makes sure to have one-on-one time with each, usually by going over their homework and asking about their day.

Where she draws inspiration?

The daughters she’s raising, and her faith. There’s nothing more rewarding than coming home from a long day at work to hear her seven-year-old ask, “Mom, how was your day?” Her daughters know that it’s her and them. When their mom had surgery three years ago, Daunielle’s daughters were little more than babies, but the oldest (seven), did all she could to help grandma, making the bed and bringing dishes. Their love and participation inspire Daunielle to keep going. And she believes that her personal relationship with God, "has allowed me to be able to take on this task of being a single mother."

The most important rule in her book. In all the hectic hubbub of Daunielle’s life, she abides by one key rule: “You have to make time for them.” She recommends making and keeping reliable weekly routines, like pizza day, and spending time with your kids at least once or twice a week. Ultimately, Daunielle’s message is one of hope to other single working moms doing the same juggling act. She reassures: “It’s definitely workable, and you can do it”.