Tag Archives: custody

Be Nice!

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Why is it that divorce makes us forget how fragile our children are? I firmly believe that in most cases our kids are more resilient than we realize, but when it comes to their parents, that’s not the case. We seem to be a society of fragmented families, so many people get divorced now. It doesn’t have to be all bad, sometimes a divorce was very necessary and everyone, including the children, is better off because of the divorce. So why are we still so bitter? I was listening recently to a friend recount her boyfriend’s interaction with his ex. … Continue reading →

Custody Battles Over Pets

I’ve heard of nasty child custody battles, but I’d never thought of the same for pets. However, after reading about the concept in a recent Huffington Post article I don’t find it that surprising. After all, pets are like children to many people and even those that aren’t are still beloved by their owners. It’s no surprise that either divorcing party wouldn’t want to part with their pet. Pet custody has recently become a more contentious issue. Cases have risen 23% and Harvard Law now offers a course in the field. While I imagine that pet custody struggles are not … Continue reading →

Parental Alienation Syndrome

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I have seen many couples break up and use their children as pawns during arguments and custody battles. Too often, I hear one parent bad-mouth the other parent in front of the children. I have to admit, I have been guilty of the latter. I do make a conscientious effort not to do this, but I’m human, and it does happen from time to time. If this badmouthing occurs frequently, and is causing the child and other parent to have a poor relationship, it may be a condition known as parental alienation syndrome. Parental alienation syndrome occurs when one parent … Continue reading →

New Single Parents Blogger

Screaming kids, dishes piled high in the sink, past-due bills, and one person who is solely responsible for it all. Such is the life as a single parent, a life I am quite experienced with. My name is Jacky Gamble, and I am the newest blogger to the Single Parents blog. I first became a single parent at the age of 20, when my daughter was just 6 months old. Her father was not in the picture and failed to pay any child support. I was left to raise and support her on my own. When she was 6 years … Continue reading →

Britney and Alison Score

Finally, it’s good news for popwreck Britney Spears. The malfunctioning mother of two young sons may be on the right track after all… at least that’s how a judge sees it. The singer was just awarded overnight privileges with her sons, Preston, 2, and Jayden, 1 by a judge assigned to her custody case. The decision was announced a few hours ago and already rumors are spreading that Spears might regain all of her custody rights (the ones that were completely stripped from her following her mass meltdown in January) by the end of the summer. Sources connected to the … Continue reading →

A Single Mom Looks at Father’s Day

In all honesty, I have some ambivalence about Father’s Day. While I definitely still remind my kids that it is coming up, they are old enough now that I have stepped out of the loop when it comes to being overly assertive in trying to help them do something for their dad. In fact, I pretty much leave it up to them other than mentioning that the day is impending. There are some great fathers out there. I have heard tales and I know there are plenty of people on this site who are constantly commenting about having the most … Continue reading →

Blended and Divorced Families and Major Events—Part One

For many of us single parents, most of the time we can get away with NOT having to interact with our ex-in-laws or other extended family members on a regular basis. In fact, as the children get older—even parents who have shared custody may find that they rarely have to talk to each other. When major life events come along, however—such as a wedding, funeral, birth of a baby, or (as is my current family situation, graduation)—we are forced to have to figure out how to get along, coordinate and/or detach in order to salvage what sanity we can. I … Continue reading →

Establishing a Chain of Information

Communication can be one of the ongoing challenges of the single parent. We have to get information to our children, their schools, family members, and often, we have to share and communicate information with the ex or the other parent. Exactly HOW we share that information can be one of the ways we get some order and structure into our single parent families. An effective and healthy “chain of information” can be beneficial. By this, I mean that we set an expectation and a priority of how we will communicate what and to whom and stick to it. For example, … Continue reading →

Single Parent Conflicts—Agree to Disagree

There is a time and a place for standing your ground. I know that many of my experiences as a single parent have taught me how to stand firm, advocate, and stick up for my own interests (and my families). This advocacy can turn to defensiveness, however, and we also need to learn how to communicate and coordinate with other parties and sometimes that means that we simple agree to disagree… Whether it is a disagreement with the Ex or your child’s other parent, a teacher or administrator at your child’s school, a grandparent, or some other person or party … Continue reading →

Coping with Illness and Shared Custody

Sick kids are seldom fun. As parents, we not only have their health to fuss over when one of our children gets sick, but we generally have to rearrange our schedules and make adjustments in order to accommodate and tend to the illness. As single parents, one of the illness realities that we have to contend with is a child who is going from one parents house to the other while sick. Either the child has gotten sick at one house and then has to travel mid-sick, or you might find that the child you sent away healthy has come … Continue reading →