Tag Archives: single parent

What is Wrong With Not Looking?

As many of you know, I have been a single parent for a long time. I’m into it, as a friend of mine would say. I am not a social recluse and I do get out and about and have a life. However, there probably isn’t a week that goes by that someone doesn’t ask me something like: “Are you seeing anyone?” or “Anything new in the romance department?” or “Aren’t you getting out there and looking?” I get it from friends, family, co-workers, even my mother cannot resist asking me once a month or so. I am not hiding … Continue reading →

Higher Education Can Be a Priority for a Single Parent

I will be absolutely honest and confess here that I don’t know if getting my undergraduate (B.A.) degree has actually increased my earning power and potential or not. I live in a college city with a rather tight job market and for the work I do, having that degree might help a bit, but I still don’t make a comfortable living wage without doing freelance work in addition to more conventional type work. BUT, I do think that finishing my college degree as a single parent was important for my family’s stability and my own self esteem. I am somewhat … Continue reading →

A Single Parent on the Job—Part One—Supportive Work Environments

One of the typical realities of single parenthood is that single parents have to work. Now, I know that not all single parents also have to work to provide an income and support for their families, but this is true for most of us. As working single parents, many of us face particular issues on the job related to how we are able to work and juggle our family obligations. I think the most important element to being able to successfully juggle work and family as a single parent is to find a work environment that is understanding and supportive … Continue reading →

Cheese of the Month Club

As single parents, meal time can be one of those big challenges at the end of a long day, or even just trying to get something healthy into our kids’ (and ourselves) bodies before we leave the house in the morning. Over the years that I have been a single mom of three, I’ve come up with all sorts of ways to make meal time fun and flexible and suited to a one-adult household (without having to rely on takeout and pre-packaged food). One of our recent developments is something we’ve named “Cheese of the month club”… Finger foods like … Continue reading →

Can a Single Parent Home School?

The answer, in a nutshell, is of course a single parent can home school. It just might take more time management and coordinated logistics than a stay-at-home parent with spousal support. As one single parent who has and does home school (not all my children all the time, I admit), I can testify that it can be done, it just takes some focus, planning, and flexibility. The age of the child will have a direct impact on how you can go about home schooling. A younger, elementary-age child will need much more direct supervision and guidance than an older teenager … Continue reading →

Boost Your Single Parent Confidence

As single parents, sometimes we can be our own toughest critics—we may carry around some insecurities and wounds that make it hard for us to feel good about ourselves as parents. Or we may have internalized some of society’s stigma about being a single parent. Even if we’ve chosen our role and taken an active responsibility for building our families, we might still be feeling a lack of confidence in our abilities and our “right” to parent our child as we see fit. Instead of expecting the rest of the world to grant us that confidence, we have to find … Continue reading →

Changes: My Music

Chris Worley, Jyckyl’s Drummer, once said to me “Hey, I know you!” as he walked over to give me a big hug after one of their shows in the Twin Cities. “I wouldn’t admit to that if I were you” was my reply. Now a days, he probably wouldn’t admit to it. Not because I have done anything to make him not want to admit it, at least not that I can remember (just kidding!). Only because that is one of the big changes that were brought about when I became a single parent. Music was, a huge part of … Continue reading →

Working: My Flexible Jobs

First, I am a PCA (personal care attendant). I work with an individual with FASD (fetal alcohol spectrum disorder). We work on living skills, social skills, communication skills, and anything else they may need help with. For this job each person only gets so many PCA hours per week, and they are split between at least two PCAs. So for example, one gets 21 hours per week, and they are divided between me and another PCA, so each of us get ten and a half hours a week with this one. I usually work three days with this one for … Continue reading →

Single Parent Week in Review June 17th – 23rd

This last week, I covered a lot information about traveling as a single parent. I covered this, because I recently traveled with my son to visit my niece in Craig Hospital and spend some time with her there. This was the first time that I really traveled with my son since becoming a single parent. Most of what I covered were helpful hints of things to help you while you were traveling. I covered ways to help ensure that their behavior remains in the acceptable range. In Single Parent Travels: Behavior Rewards I covered one way to do this is … Continue reading →

Single Parents and Emergencies Two

As I said before, single parents aren’t immune to emergencies. Apparently, every spring, someone sets fire to the field across the street from our new house. We didn’t know that when we bought our house, and though it wouldn’t have changed our minds, at least we would have been forewarned. A couple of weeks ago, my brother needed a ride to work, but I told him he needed to wait while I threw in a load of laundry. When we stepped out the back door, we both immediately smelled smoke, if I wouldn’t have thrown in that load, we wouldn’t … Continue reading →