My biggest tip as a single parent with an only child is to have lots of stuff to do in my backpack. I always had small toys, paper a marker, snacks and a water bottle with me at all time. For her and really for a lot of kids a nice protein snack can either head off a melt down help shorten one. Of course not all kids but cheese sticks and slim jims were/are lifesavers for us!
When I needed a break I brake out the activity. Once in line at the Nemo show at AK I had about 10 kids making pictures with the 3x5 cards and colored pencils! Now that she is getting older I can shove the phone at her for a few minutes, but when I need 30 of peace I still bring a craft for her to do. Michael's has these wooden frames, door hanger things that come with little markers, they are complete junk but for a dollar I get 20 minutes and a glass of wine in peace!
Also I am unapologetic that I use TV or DVD as babysitter when necessary, and LOVE that the Disney channel is on 24/7 in the hotel! Haters can hate but sometime you just need to clean out the dishwasher or finish something for work! Now that she is older Netflix is my friend!
Netflix...oh...Netflix.
On our 2013 trip my kiddo found the new Scooby Doo series on that (I had an iPad with the HDMI dongle, so we could connect it to the hotel TV). And, it's actually a really good show (if you like Scooby Doo), so I recommend it.
Anyhow, we watched a few episodes while we munched on snacks from the food court at POFQ and put together her new "
Lego Friends" sets that she'd gotten at Legoland earlier that day.
Went to bed.
The next morning, we went to Hollywood Studios, and she was a complete grump. Complaining and whining and generally frumping about. It was so bad, it's the ONLY time in all our trips (average 10 - 14 days since 2010) that I've called something off. As in completely. She needed an attitude reset, and quickly. So, we left. (she whined as we were leaving "but we didn't even get to do a ride!"). Nope, missy, we are going back to the hotel for an attitude reset!
Get in the car, and she passed out asleep quickly. I had to carry her to the room and tuck her in bed...she slept nearly all day.
And, while she was sleeping, I happened to find the iPad. Not next to the TV, where I had left it charging the night before, but tucked under a pillow. And, what was the app that pulled up? Netflix. And, what did Netflix show me? Yeah, apparently after I had gone to sleep, she watched the rest of Season 1 on the iPad the night before and got NO sleep.
Well, at least that explained her grumpiness! (and, I also changed the password on my iPad
)