“Nanay na, Tatay pa”: Work and Personal Lives of Single Mothers

Abstract

 This study determined how single mothers balance their work and personal lives. The participants were teachers in selected private schools in San Jose City during the SY 2022-2023. A qualitative research method was used. It utilized guide questionnaires. The guide questionnaires were employed to collect the data on participants’ profiles in terms of their age, sex, highest educational attainment, years of teaching, number of hours staying at work, their monthly basic salary, number of children they have, who is the one taking care of their children while they are in position and if they have someone to be taken care of; the challenges a single working mother in selected private school in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija encounter to balance their work and personal life; strategies to balance their work and personal life; and provide recommendations on how work and personal life can be balanced. All participants were college graduates; some were the only ones taking care of their children, and some were with the help of their grandparents and in-laws. Aside from their children, some were also responsible for the welfare of other family members, just like their parents, grandparents, and in-laws. The issue and challenge identified by the participants was time management. Participants' strategies to balance work and personal life include Proper Communication, Paying Attention, and Good Time Management. Working single mothers' suggestions for managing work and personal life included having a positive attitude,
proper time management, setting priorities and boundaries, and setting family goals.