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Single Parent Travel: Planning a Vacation on a Budget

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So you want to take a vacation with just you and your kid(s)? The first question you need to ask yourself is where you will go. Do you want to visit the beach? A major historical attraction? A city? Are in interested in going on a trip that is just for single parents? Will you be traveling near or far? If you’re like me, a major factor in deciding where you will vacation is dependent upon your budget. As single parents, we often do not have a lot of “extra” money for things like vacations to exotic locations. We are … Continue reading →

“Independence Day” for a Single Parent

I have never been a huge fan of the *Fourth of July* in its traditional sense with the firecrackers and heavy drinking. What I can wrap my head around however, is the “Independence Day” part of the celebration. While I know my history well enough to appreciate the founding fore-folk and all the work they did to bring about our republic, “Independence Day” also has strong meaning to me as a single parent… If I was to pick one word that describes single parents and single parent families, it would probably be “independent.” Many of us are completely self-supporting and … Continue reading →

3 Parenting Mistakes to Avoid with Your Toddler

Despite the moniker “terrible twos”, that period of testing and searching for independence can come as early as 15 months and last up until three years old. Navigating this period of development successfully requires, patience, patience, a little more patience and then just a little more patience. However, setting boundaries during this time will set you up for a life time of positive interaction with your child. This is the age where you’re setting the ground work for authority in your home. It’s not a now or never deal, but parents who are not consistent and firm with their toddlers, … Continue reading →

Are There Ways You Can Foster MORE Independence?

I would probably argue that the children of single parents have a tendency to be pretty high on the independence scale. Just the fact that there is only one adult to tend to things can force a child to learn how to either do some things on her own, or learn to help out a bit. But, even so, there may be times when we need our children to step up more—we need them to help out a little, or at least become more independent in managing their own “stuff.” What can we do as a single parent to try … Continue reading →

Can a Single Parent Be TOO Strong?

One of the comments I get regularly from people—new people I meet and those who are already in my life is that I must be “strong.” This has never set completely comfortably with me—not because I cannot take a supposed compliment—but more because I know how “not strong” I often feel and I also fear that many of these people might be assuming that I am so strong as to not need help or compassion. I assume that I am sending off such a strong competency “vibe” that people never bother to assume I might need a little help… I … Continue reading →

Single and Sad? Or Single and Sassy?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I think that how we see ourselves and how we feel about ourselves can have a huge bearing on how others see us. As single parents, we can send out the message that we are sad, lonely and struggling—or we can let people know that we are happy, secure and feeling great about our lives. I know that even the most optimistic person does NOT always feel sassy. We all have our bad days and those times when we are full of doubts and wondering how on earth we ever got … Continue reading →

Unexpected Outcomes of Single Parenting

If I had known way back in the beginning, when I was becoming a parent, what I know about single parenthood–I might have chosen life as a single parent first, instead of going the traditional marriage route. Just writing that out seems somewhat unexpected and shocking, I know. But, I’ve found that there are a lot of unexpected outcomes from my accidental path of single parenting and it hasn’t been that bad of a gig! I’ve heard all the people who say that a family has to be one man and one woman and then all the children live happily … Continue reading →

Calendar of Strange Holidays and Other Events to Scrapbook In July

Imagine the strange and jazzy layouts you can make celebrating some of these wild, wacky and unusual holidays. These have been collected and compiled from various sources over the years of my teaching and we celebrated many of them in the classroom. Celebrate them with your children and family and create fun and wacky layouts! The Month of July Air-Conditioning Appreciation Days Bio-Terrorism/Disaster Education and Awareness Month Blueberries Month Cell Phone Courtesy Month Dog Days Family Reunion Month Hemochromatosis Screening Awareness Month Herbal/Prescription Awareness Month International Blondie and Deborah Harry Month Learn Arabic Month National Baked Bean Month National Bikini … Continue reading →

No Chance to Miss Your Kid

Does distance really make the heart grow fonder? It’s hard to believe it could in today’s high-tech world, especially when it comes to parent-child relationships. After all, tech-savvy moms and dads can easily reach out and touch their smartphone-toting offspring with the press of a single button regardless of how far they stray from the nest. In fact, according to a new study just published in AARP The Magazine, parents aged 47 to 66 admit to communicating with their 20-something children several times a day despite the fact that they don’t live in the same city. The online query, “Parents … Continue reading →

Micromanaging Your Teen’s Life

Do you attempt to micromanage your teenager’s life?  What that really means is you are trying to control it.  Yet these are the years when we have to learn when to let go, when to start loosening the apron strings. This takes a lot of trust and for me, prayer.  It’s difficult to do.  You sometimes question whether you have done too much or not enough in letting go. At the same time, new freedoms must be earned.  The first day your teen gets his or her driver’s license, you don’t hand over the keys and say, “Have at it!”  … Continue reading →