As the coronavirus crisis strips back family support systems it’s become clear who’s been holding the fort: women. Women have absorbed the bulk of the economic and emotional impacts, the additional childcare and the home management responsibilities. In some circles these additional burdens have led to coupled mothers claiming they ‘feel like a single mum’. Whilst many have indeed experienced some of…
Families
Exiting the Ashes of Lockdown
My counter tells me its been 4220 hours (or is it days???) since my little family of three went into lockdown. As restrictions have eased, things have become easier for many, but looking at social media tells you the difference in experiences of many this summer. Of course we aren’t still living in full lockdown,…
Single Mum Life Hacks
I don’t write many useful things. I’m more about letting out my emotions for all to read and getting a free dose of therapy whilst I’m at it. But there are some useful things I’ve learned as a single mum of two so I thought I’d share the love. 1. Try not to give a…
Diblings: Donor Siblings
The concept of donor siblings is a funny one. Sibling often means someone you’re related to and/ or have grown up with. Add in the (unknown) donor element to the sibling relationship though and it often means you have no connection beyond a stranger’s kind deed. But for those who want, social media is changing…
Dating With Young Kids: The Reality
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…
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…
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…
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…
My Writing In Review: 2018
2018 hasn’t been quite as busy writing wise as 2017 was; thirty posts, not including this one. I did make a baby though, so it’s not too bad going. The year started with a post about new years resolutions – a promise to myself to be a little more selfish when it came to who…
Adjusting to life with two children
Adjusting to two children as a one parent family is like fighting to reach the end of one of those bungee jump runs; with the tension running both ways. I could analyse the whys and wherefores of my struggle to bond with the baby. How thinking my baby was taken at birth placed a barrier between…