Tag Archives: responsibility

Beware If Your Pet Gets Hurt During a Kennel Stay

Just as Aimee (and most of us pet owners) experiences separation anxiety when she has to be away from her pets for an extended length of time, so do I. But after what happened this last time we went away and came home from vacation to a hurt Murphy who needed surgery on his paw, I’m going to be even more anxious. And not at all inclined to entrust my Murph to any kennel. A Lesson in Responsibility Wayne and I learned very fast that the kennel was not going to accept any responsibility for Murph’s injury without us pressing … Continue reading →

Our Kids Don’t Owe Us ANYTHING

While I like to tease my kids about how they will be taking care of me in my old age just to watch them moan and roll their eyes, the truth is, our kids are not here to take care of us, pay us back or in any way make our parenting worthwhile. In fact, I believe that it is we who owe them… I think it is a mistake and a set-up for guilt trips and power struggles if we parents are convinced that our children owe us or that they should somehow pay us back for the upbringing … Continue reading →

Celebrate NOT Needing a Babysitter

I know that those of you with young children may find it impossible to imagine, but the day will come when you will no longer need a babysitter. As a single parent, we often spend a great deal of our energy and income trying to arrange for quality childcare for our children when we are working or during the summer months. That is why I think when the day comes that the babysitter is no longer needed, we really need to celebrate! To be honest, I am still celebrating and still counting my blessings and acknowledging appreciation every time I … Continue reading →

Privacy, Teens and Parents—Part Three

In my first two articles about privacy and the adolescent years, I wrote about how we parents can and should respect a certain amount of privacy for our teens. By the time our children are 18 years old, after all, they should be approaching adulthood and independence. Of course, we may not treat a 13 year-old and an 18 year-old the same way, but we can work on the process of privacy and respect during the teen years. I also want to talk about how we can set an example and set our expectations about privacy by expecting our children … Continue reading →

I Don’t Want My Kids to be That Coworker Who Won’t Do Dishes

We all know those co-workers—the ones who don’t clean up after themselves: they leave a mess in the company microwave and leave their dishes stacked in the sink, just assuming that someone else will clean up after them. I don’t know if I have ever worked at a job where there was not at least one of those people who had never learned the lesson of how to clean up after themselves and have some consideration for others. I am determined that my kids will NOT be that coworker. I know that I cannot fully control what sort of adults … Continue reading →

GULP! I’m a Caregiver!

Last month I knew there were going to be big changes to my marriage when my mom’s illness forced me to fly home and we made the decision to move her back with me. But it’s only recently that it dawned on me: GULP! I’m a caregiver! Big Responsibility When I was in Denver and taking her to and from doctor’s appointments, I was helping her out. That’s how it seemed. I knew I was caring for her on some level, but it was different somehow. I guess because it felt more like I was doing a favor than being … Continue reading →

Detachment vs. Responsibility as a Parent

I don’t know about you, but I never forget that I have the ultimate responsibility for my three kids as a parent (this is one of the main reasons I do not know how I am going to adjust in the next several months as they become adults and start to push out in the world.) I also know in my head and have learned how important it is to take a back seat and be detached from my children’s choices and personal decisions at times—but for me, it is an ongoing struggle to balance out the detachment from my … Continue reading →

Doing What You Have to Do

Life as a single parent can get tiresome—it can be overwhelming, exhausting, scary, and frustrating. These are all topics we talk about fairly regularly here in the Single Parents blog. We also talk about some of the pleasures and joys so I do not want to focus only on the challenges. What I have learned as a single parent is that there are surely and certainly times when I am feeling overwhelmed and I want to complain, rant and whine—but in the end, I often just have to buckle down and do what needs to be done. The strange thing … Continue reading →

Do I Use My Kids as an Excuse?

Family life and obligations can keep us from doing things that we really want to do; but it can also be a way of getting out of things we don’t want to do. Over the years, I have to confess that having three kids to tend to has given me an “out” plenty of times. Probably, more times, than I should comfortably admit. I find that as my children get older, however, and I get a little more confident and solid in the life I am living that I use my kids as an excuse less and less—but it is … Continue reading →

Single Parents are Devoted Parents Too

Combating the myth of the neglectful and self-absorbed single parent seems to be at least a small part of every single parent’s existence. Sure, there are lousy single parents just as there are lousy partnered parents. While we might not be able to change and control what everyone thinks about us and about single parenthood as a whole, we can find and surround ourselves with those people that can see single parents as devoted and competent parents too… It amazes me that this myth prevails and is perpetuated by so many different people in different areas of life. I have … Continue reading →