Search Results for: blog making friends as a single parent

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 →

Single Parent Chaos

It was one of those mornings. They seem to happen much more frequently as a single parent than they did when I was married. I am in the middle of my college finals this week. This is stressful in and of itself; then you add a three year old in the mix and things get slightly more stressful (ever tried studying with a three year old?); to top things off you’re doing it on your own, there’s no one there to give you a 20 minute study break, you simply learn to multi-task like a mad woman. As if this … Continue reading →

Making LIfe Easier

Life can be overwhelming sometimes, especially when you are raising children alone. There is so much to do and never enough hours in the day. On top of that, it’s just hard to remember everything you need to do. In the course of raising my girl I found a few things that were indispensable if I wanted to keep some type of order in my life.. I could tell the difference when I used them and when my life seemed more insane than usual I would realize that I had stopped following my own guidelines. Here is what helped me. … Continue reading →

Valentine’s Day as a Single Parent

Valentine’s Day takes on a whole new meaning when you are a single parent. It no longer means candle light dinners, roses, and romantic nights out on the town. Your focus is no longer on a significant other, instead it is solely on your children. I’ve never been real big on Valentine’s Day, even when we were married we didn’t seem to do much. However, now that Logan is getting a little older he gets pretty excited about holidays, even the little ones like Valentine’s Day. He hears about them from his friends at daycare and insists on celebrating every … Continue reading →

Getting a Handle on the Stresses of Being a Single Parent

Everyone knows that being a single parent is stressful. Face it, you’ve got a lot on your plate and no one to help you balance it all. Stress is just a way of life when you are parenting on your own. And for those of us that get overwhelmed easy, it can be a nightmare. Trying to get finances worked out, dealing with the ex, getting kids ready for school, taking them to all their appointments, making sure that dinner is on the table, making sure the house is in order. There’s a lot to deal with. Here are a … Continue reading →

The “Kindness” of Strangers (and Family and Friends)

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Since my daughter’s diagnosis of cystic fibrosis, I have heard many comments and received tons of unsolicited advice from people who probably mean well, but who leave me feeling hurt and inept. They might just be words to you, but here are some key phrases to avoid when talking to a parent of a child with special needs. I’m Sorry Parents of children with special needs do not want to be pitied and even more so, don’t want their children to be pitied. Telling someone that you are sorry that their child has autism or Down syndrome may seem like … Continue reading →

How to Parent Adult Step Children

Almost thirty years ago, Robert married a woman who had five grown children. No big deal, right? They ranged in age from mid-twenties to mid-thirties, so they had all been on their own for many years. They appeared to be well-adjusted, independent, responsible adults. They lived locally, and Robert and his wife socialized with them on a regular basis. So what was the problem? It turns out that there were many, but primary among them was the fact that his wife’s family was, what the shrinks would call, enmeshed. They were ‘all up in’ one another’s business—they spoke to one … Continue reading →

Alhohol Abuse in Single-Parent Teens

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Studies have shown that children who are raised in single parent households are at a higher risk of developing alcohol-related problems. This could possibly be due to low supervision, inconsistent discipline, poor communication, or conflicts within the family. Teens with the highest risk of developing alcoholism are girls, those who begin drinking prior to age 14, and those with a parent who suffers from alcohol-related problems. Alcohol contributes to a number of problems, including an inability to pay attention, the risk for developing alcoholism, car-related deaths, higher risk for suicide, greater possibility of engaging in unprotected sex or sex with … Continue reading →

Blessed to Be Single

As the new single parents blogger, I have been spending some time reading through other posts in this blog. In doing so, I have been able to get a sense of what has already been covered and find inspiration for my own future posts. One topic that I have seen a lot of is dating as a single parent, and while I understand why this would be an important issue, I am amazed that I have not been able to locate even one post about the joys of being single. So I decided that would be my inspiration for this … 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 →