to be on the verge of a breakdown after 3 days of single-parenting...

[Odysseus]

DH has been working long shifts for the last 3 days and as such, has not seen DS at all. I am KNACKERED.

I would like to take my hat off to single parents who do this day in day out. UTTER RESPECT.

Pass me the wine.

Any kind of pizza you like! That's the beauty of virtual food!

ooh... OK, Pizza express american with no cheese for me please. (yes, yes, I am odd, I don't eat cheese)

Bagsy I have your share of the cheese!!!

gives you know me a refill

it's ok, I don't eat tomato so get lots of funny looks asking for no tomato on my pizza!

Feck... I'll be tipsy at this rate cheap night and all that!!

what's everyone up to this tuesday evening?

In my life a single parent is exactly that - a single parent. Ds has a single parent - me. He has no other parent in his life at all ever.

To his father (my ex) he is the 'non-aborted foetus'. To me he is a very lovely and lively 6 yr old.

Being a single parent means that every thing you do you do on your own. Every decision you take you take alone. Every bill you have to pay, you are responsible for alone.

I have no one I share this with and haven't since ds was newborn in NICU and not expected to live.

I would love to have an ex-dp to share the parenting (a regular night off from childcare how fab would that be?), to have someone who took an interest in ds and taught him things, to share the decisions over medical care and education.

I do not. I am a single parent. Maybe those of you who do 'single parenting' would like to contemplate what you do in your life and imagine what it would be like if your dp/dh etc wasn't there (even by phone/email etc) in any shape or form at all?

They always do because some lone parents quite rightly point out the things that have been pointed out. Having someone to share the load in every way even if they're not able to help practically. Financially and emotionally. It is extremely valuable.

Plenty of people here are in the Forces or have husbands who are and they cope day in and day out too.

I am now married to a lovely man and I'd miss that. But I never had it at first.

When I became a lone parent I sang for joy all night an all day because feckwit ex had finally gone. It was so much easier for me to get on with my work and deal with DD without him there. But that's not always the case.

Some people are widowed, some are left with no warning by seemingly-perfect men. it could happen to anyone at all.

If current DH and I split up I hope that he will take financial responsibility for our two DC and then I'll be in the position of having a weekend off here and there (tempting )

So many different situations. You can't ever contrast parenting alone for however long with any other type of parenting. It's too complicated and there are too many variables.

Does that make any sense? Please say yes. I need wine too.

Bring on the Tequilla !!!

Ody it was a lovely, thoughful post :)

Exactly my OP mollie... that is the path the last few days has led me to thinking about.

I am sorry for your situation - it sounds very hard, but you sound very strong. This is probably the wrong thing to say, but I mean it in a nice way.

Glass of wine??

MollieO - we have a party going here... help yourself to wine, tequila, nibbles and pizza (variety of toppings)

We're all agreed the being a parent - whether with or without another parent is tough.

Yes, it sounds great to say have a night off, but there are plenty of issues about letting another woman get close to your child(ren) - I am step mum to two DSDs so I know about this

Make yourself at home

Good lord (again). So if you have one school aged child but no partner, that's gets you more kudos than say 3 under the age of 5 (school aged) that you do completely on your own bar weekends - sorry to shit on the love fest, but really.

Take your shit somewhere else sloanypony We have a little party going on here

And, of course, there is the argument that you chose to have all those kids so it's your problem

Did everyone miss the bit where we were all being empathetic about eachothers DIFFERENT situations??!

Oh come on Sloany AIBU loves a good game of misery oneupmanship.

That was a joke, for those of you who don't have a sense of humour!!

thanks for the pizza. There's a slug of tequila left in the bottle if anyone fancies sharing it with me :)

I dont have 3 kids

I wasn't describing myself

Quite right Morloth!

I usually am.

Sloany - pull up a chair and pour yourself a glass of wine....

Bollocks, my serious (don't laugh) post got lost in tequila-fuelled AIBU shenanigans.

Again

I would, youknow, but Ive had plenty, trust me! x

OK... well, be an angel and put the kettle on for us, would you, Sloany?

How many kids DO you have, btw?

Sorry for the rant . A glass of wine would be lovely.

Oh came back to the virtual bar of empathy for another tequilla

Like I said before the world is diverse but it lovely when someone like Ody recognises a small proportion of it That doesn't make anyone elses situation esier etc just makes you (well me !!) feel a little wrm inside - and need need more vitual tequila to feel warmer!!

Welcome Chipping and Sloany