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 old, I married a man I had been with for about two years. During our honeymoon, we found out that I was pregnant with our son. Six months into the marriage, my daughter’s father terminated his parental rights, which allowed my husband to adopt her.
The marriage lasted for about two-and-a-half years, and after a lot of frustration, hurt, and not seeing eye-to-eye, I filed for a divorce. I was a single mom, again, only this time with two kids, an involved father, and bi-weekly child support payments.
My years as a single parent have been filled with joy, excitement, frustration, and stress, all rolled into one. Parenting is a hard task, and single-parenting is even harder. I have had to learn how to balance my kids with work and time for myself, which is sometimes easier said than done. I have also had to become an expert budgeter so that I can pay my bills and other living expenses on one income.
I have dealt with many issues single parents go through daily: custody and child support, finances, dating, a dead-beat parent, and more. My goal for this blog is to share some of my experiences and knowledge in order to help you better cope with being a single parent. I am also happy to answer any questions you may have.