A national parent teacher association has found that parents are happier parents if they find ways to reduce their levels of stress. That applies to married parents, but even more so to single parents, where it is critical that you can recover and find some time for yourself.

A few days left to Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Time to think about Christmas and checking your bank account how far it will go. It is also a time to reflect how your year was, what went well and what did not. For many single parents, the holiday season can be a rough time, balancing the fact that you will not see your children on days you used to and figuring out ways to cope with the pressure of buying Christmas presents. Here are nine tips to help you readjust and reduce stress.

Are you ready to get up at four in the morning after Thanksgiving Day, to wait in line and fight over some bargains? You might want to arm yourself with a good strategy that surely would involve studying the best deals out there. The usual suspects have published most major ads and prepared them for viewing.

I have no doubt that some video game or even video game console is on the Christmas shopping lists of most single parents. But before you shell out your dollars, be sure to check what your kids want and keep in mind what will be new next year – especially Microsoft’s gesture recognition technology.

Thankfully, the choices for video game consoles aren’t that tough. Kids tend to make up their minds pretty much on their own. Some research what each console is capable of can be a tremendous help which console and what games you should purchase. Nintendo’s Wii remains the family fun and most social console, Sony’s Playstation 3 has without doubt the most capable and most sophisticated (and also most expensive) hardware that includes a Blu-ray player, but has yet to prove how it can truly differentiate itself other than claiming it is a high-end gaming and entertainment device.

Thanksgiving marks the official beginning of the holiday season. Although usually less fraught with anxiety than Christmas, if it is the first “big holiday” since your estrangement from your spouse, you may be dreading the day. It also may be your first holiday without your children.

Going through a divorce can give you the perfect “excuse” to break with tradition and forge your own way of celebrating. Spending the holiday home by yourself watching videos and eating Chinese take-out (yes, they are open on Thanksgiving) may be just what you need to do!

SingleDadLife has an inspirational article on the relationship between teens and their dads. Especially in single parent environments, the role of the father may appear to be much more complex and difficult to fulfill. Author Ben Murphy has some food for thought for moms and dads.

“As the teenage years progress, there are times that your child will open up and share things with you, and times that they won’t – even if you have a great relationship,” Murphy writes. “Perhaps it’s helpful to understand why teens need their fathers, and what you can do to deepen that relationship.

Yes, it is the time of the year again. Planning for Thanksgiving also means that Black Friday and shopping for toys is just around the corner.

With busy single parent schedules, it is often tough to keep track of the latest toys. Our 10 Hot Toys List for November can give you some ideas of the latest trends and what should find its way under the Christmas tree. Enjoy!

Removing pollutants from the air in your home can be expensive. Some upright filters can cost you more than $700, plus those exchangeable filters you have to purchase every few months. But, if you are a single parent on a budget there is a much cheaper option: Researchers have found several plants that remove toxins and pollutants from the air in our homes.

A group of scientists led by Stanley Kays from the Department of Horticulture at the University of Georgia, tested ornamental indoor plants for their ability to remove harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from indoor air and found some interesting results.

Managing your divorce and custody is most likely one of the most difficult tasks in your life. What you want, what you need and what you eventually settle for are, in most cases, three entirely different things. Every divorce is unique and while it is generally best to avoid expensive lawyers, you may not be able to settle out of court, especially if you are in a highly hostile divorce in which one or both parties aren’t willing to compromise.

The obvious conclusion in such a scenario is that you would go to war and fight. You may have a good reason to. But you need to be aware of the consequences of such a decision and you may want to look at some alternatives. Single Parent Gossip has some food for thought.

Halloween and Trick or Treating are just around the corner. And if you think about it, organizing that walk around the neighborhood is much more than just picking up a costume at your local Halloween store, decorating the front of your house and buying a basket of candy. Aside your traditions, there is a basic set of tips that goes along with the single parent Trick or Treating experience to make sure you and your kids have a fun time.

Teaching your child respect for others is among the most difficult tasks you will encounter in parenthood. It is hard enough to go through this lesson in a traditional family environment, but it gets even more complicated in single parent families. A struggle with what we perceive to be a lack of respect in our children is a growing problem these days – not just for single parents, but for children as well.

And if you are among those who do not know how to answer disrespect and even feel helpless at times, you may not like to hear that there is a good chance that the origin of this disrespect can be traced back to not so great decisions you have made in the past. However, the good news is that most cases of disrespect in children have a common foundation and there are ways you can work with your child.

For many kids, Halloween is one of the most important holidays of the year. The child of divorce is faced with choices and concerns. Who will take me treat-or-treating? Who will get my costume and dress me? Where will I trick-or-treat?