Search Results for: single parenting blog

Surviving Holiday Parties as a Single Parent

As a single parent this time of year can be filled with bittersweet emotions. Family and friends are gathering together to celebrate the holidays. While this is an exciting time of year, it can be hard for a single parent to attend such gatherings when they are attending on their own. It can be isolating at times to be in a room full of people with families and children running around when yours aren’t there. Not only are your children gone, but you don’t have that special someone by your side to help you endure it. You can be in … Continue reading →

Parenting When You Just Don’t Feel Well

I got very little sleep last night, and the sleep that I did get was less than restful. My little Logan had a rough night. He was restless and woke up in tears. I’m still not sure exactly what was bothering him, but he clearly wasn’t feeling very well. I tended to him throughout the night, but his restlessness in turn became my restlessness which made for a bit of a long night in the Mommy department. I woke up exhausted with the beginnings of a migraine and knew that it was going to be a very long day. I … Continue reading →

A Note From A Single Parent

Dating a single mom isn’t easy. There are many challenges as they are trying to balance their time between their children and with you. If you are dating a single mom, there are many things to keep in mind. If you are considering this venture, please read this beforehand, so you can gain some insight into what is going through a single mother’s mind as she begins dating you. Dear Potential Date, I am finally ready to get out into the dating world, but I am still a little frightened at this whole dating scene. I have been burned in … Continue reading →

The Co-Parenting Rollercoaster

We all know how important the co-parenting relationship is after a divorce. You have children together, and thus will be dealing with each other for a very long time, which means you are going to have to find a way to get along when it comes to the kids. Sometimes this is relatively easy, sometimes it can be a nightmare. Having to stay in contact with someone who has hurt you deeply is never ideal. It’s natural to harbor some resentment after everything you’ve been through, but you have to put those things aside for the sake of your children. … Continue reading →

Single and Loving It

I’ve never been very good at being single. From the time I was a teenager I was convinced that my life was just not complete unless I had a boyfriend by my side. Luckily I’ve grown out of that and learned to embrace my singlehood, but it has taken time to get here. After my divorce I wasn’t sure how to be single anymore. I couldn’t remember the last time I was single. It wouldn’t have mattered much anyways, being single with a child is far different than being single without. My life still revolves around my son the way … Continue reading →

Parenting Trumps Friendship

We’ve all heard it. You can’t be your child’s friend; you need to be the parent. I know this was ingrained in me early on. Although this is true, I think the same emphasis needs to be placed on the fact that when you are a good parent, the friendship will come later. It gives you something to look forward to. While I have always known that parenting trumps friendship, I have to admit that sometimes I struggle with this. I don’t like conflict with my children. So sometimes I will bend rules in order to avoid it. That’s not … Continue reading →

A Caution to Single Parents

Today in class we read a book called The Spider and the Fly based on a poem by Mary Howitt and beautifully illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi. The poetry portrays a cunning spider who is deviously trying to persuade a dear fly into his home. At first the fly refuses saying she knows what happens to those who give in to the spider’s persuasions. The next day when the fly comes by the spider lures her in with his flattery words and she never returns. As I sat in class thinking about this tragic tale I likened it to us as … Continue reading →

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 →

Protecting Yourself as a Single Parent

This has been kind of a scary week for me. Last Saturday I had the bright idea of taking Logan downtown to walk around Temple Square and see some of the sights of downtown Salt Lake City. We’ve done this on several occasions, attended outside concerts, and browsed along the streets together. But now, I’m afraid I am going to have to think twice the next time I consider traveling downtown just the two of us. We decided to take the Trax Train in order to avoid the stresses of parking in Salt Lake. The ride up wasn’t so bad. … Continue reading →

Confessions of a Single Mom

When they placed my son in my arms over four years ago there were some things I swore I would never do. As a single mom it got harder to keep all those promises to myself and as guilty as I feel, I have done a fair number of them. So here it goes, here are a few confessions from a single mom. This morning my son had chips for breakfast. We were a half an hour late for church, his shoes were on the wrong feet, I couldn’t find my keys (as usual), and I had to gather all … Continue reading →