Single Dads Not Forgotten

So often we write in regards to the single mothers of the world, today I would like to reach out to the single fathers and let them know that they are not forgotten. While there are significantly more single mothers out there, many single fathers are struggling with similar issues that often go unnoticed. Growing up my two best friends were raised by a single father, in a time when single fathers were much less common. It was very unusual in the state of Utah for a father to get sole custody, but due to the extenuating circumstances at the … Continue reading

Stepmothers Are People Too

As a single mother one thing I’ve dreaded is when my ex husband would get remarried. Not because I carried if he was married or not but because of what it would mean to Hailey. I am Hailey’s mom, I want to make the rules, I want to be the one she confides in, I don’t want some stranger disciplining my child. For all single mothers, one day this become a reality. The evil stepmother enters the picture. Cue creepy music and it just gets worse from there. How do you deal with this and how do you help your … Continue reading

Single Parenthood for the Rich and Famous

Isn’t it nice to know that Madonna struggles as a single parent too? Excuse me while I go in the other room and scream! I may be a little bitter about it but if I hear one more extremely wealthy woman complain about how hard it is to juggle single motherhood and her career I think my head is going to explode. I wonder how many nights Madonna has walked the floor with a teething infant or been woken up multiple times by a toddler with night terrors and then had to take that same tired, cranky child to daycare … Continue reading

Single Parents Are Not Bad Parents

I get so tired of reading about how harmful it is to children to be raised by single parents. I look around at some of the young adults that I know who were raised by single moms and I wonder where these statistics come from. No, being a single parent isn’t anyone’s idea of ideal, but it is not as bad as the media makes it out to be. I’m sure there are children who struggle in single parent families, just as there are children who struggle in two parent families. What is the deciding factor for our children’s well … Continue reading

Finishing College as a Single Parent

Getting an education is crucial to attaining independence as a single parent. Without it you can never make enough money to be completely financially stable. After a divorce the thought of going back to school can be daunting. Chances are you are working full time just trying to make enough to keep food on the table as it is. You may be afraid of the added expense of going to school. However, going to college doesn’t have to be expensive. There are lots of government grants and scholarships specifically designed to help single mothers go back to school. Going back … Continue reading

Single By Design?

Is single parenthood hereditary or contagious somehow? It seems to me that once the single parenthood train gets rolling, it’s hard to stop. My father was killed in Vietnam when I was three, so single parenthood was forced on my mother. Now all of my mother’s daughters are single parents. One of my nieces is also a single parent. My brothers are both still married. What does this say about the women in my family? Have we learned by example? It’s been said that we gravitate to what is familiar, is this what is happening to our families? No longer … Continue reading

Making Changes as a Single Parent

Making life changes are hard for most people. Add to that being a single parent and it is no wonder that many parents stress over big decisions. Every decision we make as single parents affects the lives of our children. While that is true for all parents, those of us who are single don’t have anyone else to share the decision with. When there are two parents in a household and they choose together to make a change, they support each other. For single parents, we must be strong enough to make a decision and follow it through. While we … Continue reading

A Single Mother’s Struggle

For most of my life, I didn’t think I would be a parent. I lived the single life to the best of my ability during my twenties. I was 28 years old when I found out that I was pregnant. I wasn’t married to my son’s father and knew that we would not build a life together. I made the decision to become a single mother. I decided that from the moment my son was born, I would base all of my decisions on what was best for my child. I have done that for the past few years. Everything … Continue reading

The Decision to Become a Single Mother

My son is the best thing to ever happen in my life. It wasn’t an easy decision to become a single mother. I did it because it was what was best for my son. His father didn’t want to be involved in his life. While I was disappointed in him, I did understand his reasons and, after a lot of conversation, agreed to accept his decision. Being a single mother is hard. There are trips to the grocery store, where you could really use both hands. There are those times, when you are holding your child and an arm full … Continue reading

Support for Single Adoptive Parents

How can single adoptive parents best find support? Sometimes they feel conspicuous at adoptive parent gatherings, since so many adoptive parents are couples. Other single parents may have trouble commiserating with the single adoptive parent, feeling that the adoptive parent chose to raise the child alone while many single parents were unexpectedly thrust into their situation. Single parent support groups may focus many of their discussions on dealing with ex-spouses and on financial and legal matters. Single parents create networks of support within their extended families and communities, and with other single and/or adoptive parents. These informal networks provide support … Continue reading