It’s an irony that’s hard to get around… If you’re a single mum, chances are you went through a lot to gain your single status; divorce and separation aren’t the only ways to single motherhood, but they are the most common. Once you’ve got out of some shit awful relationship and learned to deal with…
Articles by Ellamental Mama
Benefits of Air BnB Hosting As A Single Mum
For the last nine months or so, Air BnB has become my staple. Throughout the term time, I rent my spare room to individuals and couples; in the school holidays I open up the whole house to groups and families. It’s something which more and more single parents are coming to rely on as benefits…
18 Tips To Deal With An Absent Dad
Absent dads are a hugely sensitive topic. Absent usually means the non-existence, however, absent dads can be more complicated than that. We often don’t know if dad is gone for good, or if/ when he may return. Infrequent or sporadic contact can be equally, if not more, challenging to deal with. Seventeen percent of fathers…
What Pregnant Women Really Need To Know
Trigger warning – this post talks about baby loss. With so many advice posts, pregnancy columns and antenatal classes out there you’d assume that all the ‘need to know’ points for pregnant women are covered. The thing is though, they often stick to the fluffy bits, or the stuff that ‘sells’, with a light touch…
Raising Two Kids Solo: The Reality
My path to raising two children solo is slightly unique; we are what is termed a ‘mixed family’. After divorcing my first child’s father, I decided to go it alone and have a second via donor conception. So you could say – more than most – that I chose to parent two as a solo…
Recovering From A Breakdown
Trigger warning, talks about mental ill-health, baby loss, separation and the struggles of motherhood. Recently I saw an incredible piece of performance art by Bryony Kimmings; I’m a Phoenix, Bitch. It had me in tears almost from the first second I walked through the door (which admittedly was about fifteen minutes after the show had…
What Not To Say To Solo Mums By Choice
We’re always being told what not to say nowadays. If you think I’m about to say to hell with that, think again. Learning to be a little more sensitive can go a long way. Diverse families are becoming more and more common and sometimes it seems others haven’t kept a pace with what this means.…
17 Things Parents of Big Babies Understand
Having a big baby is both a blessing and a curse. If you’ve had one, then you’ll know what I’m talking about. 1. You’re fed up with the comments and questions. Does it really matter how tall his dad is*? No, I’m not over feeding him. If you look a little closer you will tell…
Single Parent Children’s Books
I’m regularly asked about children’s books which feature single parents so I’ve pulled together a few of the best based on my own, and others, recommendations. These books are not directly about single parenting, rather they are ‘single parent friendly’. That is, stories which feature single parents and celebrate the diversity of families around us. These books…
Why Single Mums Are So Stressed
The working title for this started off as why single mums shout so much, but then I realised other single mums have it more together than me and don’t necessarily shout like someone possessed. Perhaps not all of us are more stressed than the average mum either, and apologies if you’re sitting there thinking, I’m…