Search Results for: blog handling those intrusive personal questions

A Chance to Improve Your Social and Personal Skills

I don’t mean to seem like an overly-optimistic Pollyanna, but there really are all sorts of personal development opportunities that come with life as a single parent. One is that we have the chance to expand and improver our social and personal skills in ways we might not if we are partnered or married. Think of it–as a partnered parent, you don’t have to reach out to the outer world as often and don’t have to ask for help, look for alternative ways to deal with transportation, child care, social activities, etc. I know that as a single parent, I … Continue reading →

Handling those Intrusive Personal Questions

For some strange reason, people seem to think that the life of a single parent should be an open book. You may be surprised by the number of intrusive, personal, and inappropriate questions people ask you once they find out that you are a single parent and you may be caught so off guard you don’t know how to answer! I have been asked questions like: “How did you ‘end up’ as a single parent?” and “Is your kids’ father ‘any good’?” I’ve also been asked if I would have had kids at all had I known I was going … Continue reading →

Dating During Pregnancy

Sometimes I wonder if, with all of the controversial things about being a single parent, if there is one super-controversial topic. Perhaps, if I had to choose one, I might choose the topic of whether or not single pregnant parents should or shouldn’t date during pregnancy. Of course, I am not the sort of person who is the slightest bit qualified or interested in telling someone else what they should and shouldn’t do—but it does seem like there are some definite considerations for those who have chosen to become or stay pregnant and are single to boot… To be honest, … Continue reading →

Controversy Over What is a “Healthy” Family

There is a lot of talk about what makes for a “healthy” family and what “healthy” relationships look like. We talk about it here in the single parenting blog too, trying to sort out what a healthy parent-child relationship looks like and what healthy dating might entail for a single parent. One thing I have learned is that it depends on where you read and who you ask and you get very different ideas and opinion about what is “healthy.” What is a “healthy” relationship? And, for that matter, what is a “healthy” family? I think that the evolution of … Continue reading →

Combating the “Stigma” of Divorce and Separation

I was brought up to believe that it is not WHAT happens to us in life that determines our happiness, but the attitude we choose to adopt around those circumstances. When it comes to divorce, separation and single parent families, we are faced with some stigma around what it all means. As parents, we can protect our children somewhat from this stigma and help them understand that divorce and single parent families do not have to be a tragedy or even signify failure. I know that we cannot protect our kids from everything and everyone out there in the world, … Continue reading →

Finding Single Parent Family-Friendly Service Providers

We single parents get enough judgment from folks for free, we shouldn’t have to pay for it too. At least, that is my theory on why it is important to find service providers—child care providers, doctors, nurses, housekeepers, etc. that are friendly and supportive of our single parent status. I am of the opinion that we don’t need to pay for all that extra judgment that isn’t helpful for us anyway! I admit, it can be hard to “interview” prospective service providers in order to find out how they feel about single parent families. But, if you are hiring someone … Continue reading →

Boost Your Single Parent Confidence

As single parents, sometimes we can be our own toughest critics—we may carry around some insecurities and wounds that make it hard for us to feel good about ourselves as parents. Or we may have internalized some of society’s stigma about being a single parent. Even if we’ve chosen our role and taken an active responsibility for building our families, we might still be feeling a lack of confidence in our abilities and our “right” to parent our child as we see fit. Instead of expecting the rest of the world to grant us that confidence, we have to find … Continue reading →