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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:)