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I am in awe of single parents and how much they do! This week at Guideposts, I shared why this Father’s Day I was thinking about single parents.
How Do They Do It?
Raising kids is hard; being a single parent is harder.
My husband had been out of town less than a day when Olivia came down with the stomach flu.
My first thought was, “Oh no—not when Phil is away!” I know there are armies of strong women out there who can clean up six vomiting kids without even mentioning to their husbands that they are having a rough day, but I am not one of them.
When stomach flu hits our house, I holler for my husband like a toddler calling for her mommy.
My husband is a fantastic first mate to have on deck. He changes bedding while I clean up the sick child, he takes away filled buckets and brings back empty ones, he holds the baby while I shower off after being hit with projectile vomit.
And then, when I inevitably come down with the bug myself, he looks after the kids so I can throw up in peace. (He has a stomach like a horse.)
Yes, when the kids are sick, I want my husband!
At the end of the four messy days without him, I was even more aware and appreciative of all the little things he does. The single-parent life is not for me!
In fact, all I could think about while I mopped up vomit and changed countless diapers was how many moms and dads parent on their own. I can only imagine how exhausting and lonely it must be to face all the challenges of parenting alone…
Click here to finish reading at Guideposts.com…
Written by Janice.
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Stephanie says
I definitely relate to this. My husband is my friend, my ally, my resting place. I don’t know what I would do without his friendship and support. That would be very lonely indeed.
Thanks for the reminder to help and encourage the single parents that I know.
Anonymous says
Sometimes it is lonlier to be a married mom…but you stay because split families are too hard on the children. Count your blessings that you have a supportive husband and father to your chidren in the house (and spoil that man rotten!). Not everyone is so lucky.
Solo-Dad says
I’m a single dad to a 13 year old boy. I’ve been a Solo-Dad for 6 years now and yes, it’s hard to balance sick-time with business travel and child (teen) care and the rest of the domestic duties that accompany the job.
A colleagues recently put it this way: “You have two full-time jobs; I don’t know how you do it.”
Somehow, they both get done. 🙂
Susie's Homemade says
I have been a single-mom and a married one and married is waaaaaaayyy better! It’s not that I can’t do it. It’s that it is just easier and much nicer when someone is there to support you.
Cascia says
I am just like you. I can’t stand cleaning up the mess when the kids get sick. But my husband doesn’t seem to mind. I wonder sometimes how single parents do it too.
Jen E says
I am also definitely not that mom and so grateful to have a helpful husband in times like this as well as the good times. I was raised by a single parent so I definitely have seen a bit of how much not fun that can be – they really are extraordinary.
ThatMommy says
I do have 6 kids, but I am NOT that mom either. I always want my husband when there are sick kids. I don’t know how single parents do it either. They *definently have more supermom powers than me:)