By Rudy Dicks

Raising a family and pursuing a career require a juggling act comparable to what you'll see the next time the circus comes to town.

For a single parent, the task can be even tougher. One Stellar Dweller who had just moved into an apartment recalled how much of a challenge he faced: "I had a pretty full plate. I had my job and I had two kids to raise."

More and more parents are getting to know the feeling. Mid-September marks Unmarried and Single Americans Week, and it provides a reminder that there were 12.9 million single parents living with their children in 2006. Of that total, 10.4 million were single mothers. Nine percent of households were headed by single parents last year, up from 5 percent in 1970.

When asked about their criteria while apartment hunting, renters with children often cite the school system as their No. 1 priority. Parents, single or together, are characteristically unselfish about the welfare of their children, and make sacrifices all the time. They can't avoid the pressures of parenthood, but there are ways to cut down on the stress, such as getting kids off to school in the morning and creating the most helpful environment for studying.

"The most important thing is that you want to keep it stress-free," says Pamela Bayer of Pamela Bayer Interiors in Hudson. "I know that kids work off of our stress. So, if we're running around stressed, trying to get to work, trying to get multiple kids to school, these kids actually get more stressed."

Ms. Bayer not only has extensive experience in designing and organizing residences and business environments, as a single parent she also raised her son while holding down two jobs. Today, she feels it's even tougher being a parent - and a kid.

"These children have so much on them these days compared to what you and I had at school," she says. Higher education is opening up opportunities for a great life, "but the pressure on them is severe."

Arranging a study area for children can save time and reduce anxiety over misplaced items. Many stores have a variety of organization devices, "and the beauty of that is, if you organize a child's desk - a place for books, a file - they know what they're going to have to study, they know if they have to review it in the next day or two. It's there in a file."

Bulletin boards are "terrific" for visible reminders, Ms. Bayer says. "You can have them half chalkboard and half bulletin board so they're able to put important notes on it."

Involving children in discussions can be beneficial, whether it's decisions on lunches or schedules. "Kids want to have some boundaries," Ms. Bayer says, "but they also want their own independence. Routines are very important. All kids love structure [although] they try to fight us every inch of the way."

Morning rush hour starts before anyone is even out the door, so good planning can make life smoother. "Those few seconds become precious," Ms. Bayer says. "You blink, and it's now 7 o'clock and the kids have to be in the car going to the bus at 7:30, and you're running down to the wire."

Fighting the clock is a challenge that will never disappear, and neither will the pressures on students. With greater competition for college, "The demands on children get harder the older they get," Ms. Bayer says.

But all the good habits instilled while young can pay off. As she watched her son grow up, "the more structure I had with Dylan, the more he succeeded," Ms. Bayer says. "I do believe it came from starting young."

And, of course, as those kids grow into adults and reap the benefits of that structure, one day they can pass along that wisdom to their own children.