Tag Archives: alone

(Sort of) a Vacation?

The end of last week was a whirlwind for my family. I’ve been in technicals the past week for a theatrical show I’ve been working on, my wife had an obligation in another city, and my graduate work for school certainly hasn’t let up at all. To top it all off I ended up going with my wife, out of town, for her work obligation. This ended up being a great thing but it certainly outlined the difficulty of trying to be in two places at the same time. It also outlined the difficulty of the types of work my … Continue reading →

Facing the Fear of Being Alone

We have talked about loneliness now and again here in the Single Parent’s blog. I realize that there are some of us who wrestle with this issue a lot while others of us have either moved past it, or it has never really been an issue for us. Regardless, loneliness can be an issue for a single parent and for many of us, we first have to face our fears—mostly our fear of being and staying alone. My relationship with loneliness has been fairly common—I found that I was much lonelier when I was married or partnered than I ever … Continue reading →

You Don’t Have to Stay Busy All the Time to Keep From Feeling Alone

While some of us single parents have a hard time getting the confidence and energy to go out and get involved in the world; to pursue interests and activities on our own—there are others of us who stay super busy; we have to keep every night and every moment full so we won’t have to feel alone. I cannot help but think that if you are staying so busy you never get to feel and be alone, you are missing out on one of the great personal growth opportunities of single parenthood. Learning how to feel comfortable in one’s own … Continue reading →

Learning to Play Alone

When my youngest son was a toddler, I recall being at a parenting class that was covering various developmental stages for growing children. Watching how differently my son—the baby of three children very close together—was developing had me worried. I raised my hand and asked the facilitator if he would be developmentally “behind” if he never learned how to play alone? She looked perplexed as I went on to explain that he came into a family with a lot going on and when he wanted to play—he went to a PERSON, not a toy. In his toddler world, there was … Continue reading →

When Kids Must Fly Alone–Part Two

This is a follow up to my previous blog addressing a recent message posted in the “Parenting” forum that reads: “A colleague put his four year old son on a plane from Sydney to London to see his mother. It’s a 25 hour trip. At what age would other parents feel confident about putting their child on a plane alone?” In “When Kids Must Fly Alone—Part One” I detailed the airline’s requirements for minors flying unaccompanied. This blog provides tips on how to make your child’s solo flight as smooth as possible. · Make sure your child is traveling with … Continue reading →

When Kids Must Fly Alone–Part One

A recent message posted in the “Parenting” forum coincided nicely with a travel blog idea I had outlined two weeks ago. The posted message reads: “A colleague put his four year old son on a plane from Sydney to London to see his mother. It’s a 25 hour trip. At what age would other parents feel confident about putting their child on a plane alone?” Personally, I pray that there never comes a day that I would have to put one of my children on a plane unaccompanied. But, it sounds like in the case of the boy flying to … Continue reading →

Tips To Remember When Traveling With Children

I was at a local “Kid’s Expo” recently and listened intently as a police detective provided tips on how to keep children safe. The one piece of advice that stuck with me was to always make a mental note of what your child is wearing no matter where you are. Whether you are in the mall, at the park, or at a movie theater, there is no such thing as a completely “safe place.” And in case your child were to get lost or God-forbid kidnapped, knowing what your child was wearing the last time you saw him or her … Continue reading →