I'm a Single Mom......

I know this is not a new concept!  Women have been raising children on their own for decades!    And there are mixed feelings, reviews, and studies as to how well children turn out in single parent homes. I am not here to say one is better than the other.  And I'm not saying parenting in a two parent home is any easier. Parenting in general is tough.

I have very helpful, reliable parents who make it possible for me to get to work on time in the mornings by seeing my boys off to school.  Who will be there to go pick them up when they are sick and I can't get the time off.  My parents are my support system!  I know I would find a way if I did not have my parents.   I am very grateful and very fortunate to have my parents.  

That all being said.  I want to vent...vent about the fact that the fathers in the divorced relationship not ALWAYS, but in most cases have no freakin' clue what we do! They didn't know what we did when we were married, they have no clue NOW especially.  They get to be the fun weekend parent.  They don't have to worry about homework, carpooling, phone calls from the school, sick kids being sent home from school, taking the kids to their appointments, blah, blah, blah. They don't have to worry about finding child care.   Breakfast, lunch, dinner, NO they only have to worry about taking them to dinner when they pick them up or ordering take out....they get to do the fun activities.  They get to fill their weekends up with fun, they don't deal with the mundane, day to day issues.  So of course the kids can't wait to go to "dads" for the weekend...of course "dad let's you do this, or dad let's you do that".  DAD is the fun part time parent.  They do not parent 24/7.  Oh there are those who actually call their children during the week, and kudos to them that take the time to do so... there are those who don't even do that....BUT you still don't have to be the parent 24/7 and you don't know what it's like to do it alone.

The realization hit me this morning..I am the primary parent.  I AM the one who has to make sure child care is arranged so that I can make it to work on time.  I AM the one who is responsible for everything. And I don't mind it at all, I make it work.  I LOVE being a mom.  I LOVE my boys.  They are my world. BUT the realization that I no longer have a partner to "partner" in parenting my boys, hit me hard today. It overwhelmed me.   I really am a single mom.  And I know I can do it...I will do it. I AM doing it!  I am fine, they are fine, WE will be fine.  BUT it still sux sometimes!  

I would love to hear from other single moms/single parents...Offer up some encouraging words for each other!   How do you do it sometimes?  Does anyone else feel overwhelmed at times?  What do you do when you are feeling overwhelmed?