One of the things I have noticed about single parents is that we tend to be pretty quick on the draw. Of course, I am generalizing and this is just my opinion—but it seems to me that single parents have to be able to make decisions on the fly and react quickly to emergencies, crisis, and just the ordinary challenges of daily family life.
I know that some of the best decisions and problem-solving come from being able to take one’s time and think things through; maybe even get a second opinion or someone to help look at things more objectively—but we just don’t always have that kind of time. I really had no idea what it meant to make decisions under pressure, with limited time and resources, until I became a single parent! Not even those years I spent in journalism and meeting deadlines can compare to three kids and life as a single parent.
To be fair, I have my Amelia Bedelia days when I make plenty of mistakes and am not very quick on the uptake, but I also have my Wonder Woman days when I am able to keep most of the balls in the air and fly my invisible plane to boot. I am quite convinced that single parenting has brought out the quick reactor in me and not the other way around. I would much rather linger and contemplate (at least that is how I imagine my personal nature to be) but single parenting doesn’t always afford us that kind of pace.
So, if you can fix breakfast and lunch at the same time; do a load of laundry while bathing the baby and closing a deal, and pack for a business trip while making cupcakes for class and designing the craft project for girl scouts—AND still react when someone burns their hand, loses a shoe, falls down the stairs, or misses curfew—you just might be a single parent.
Also: “I’m Moving as Fast as I Can!”
How Much Can You Keep in Your Head?