To ask if you call yourself a single parent....

[MiaMarshmallows]

If you-

1. Have a partner who spends half the week at your home.
2. Share 50/50 care with the other parent

You’re a single parent if you’re single and a parent. You’re not a single parent if your husband or partner works away but you are a single parent if you’re single and your ex sees the children often.

^^
Exactly as above

I use the term "lone parent", although my situation is different from what you've described.

Nowadays, "lone parent" seems more fitting since my partner lives with us and does contribute to a) household bills b) buys the kids things if he sees them aka trainers/ clothes/takeaways etc. c) light discipline aka "[child name] put your shoes away before your mum trips over them"

DP doesnt contribute with the daily grind of morning wakeup calls, lunches, dinners, football training etc (he works away Mon-Fri), he doesn't get involved in the top level discipline or the foundations I built long before I knew he existed. So, he doesn't get to claim "parent" status, in my book. However, I cant claim "single mother" status because I do have help which is appreciated and I know he would be there to help the kids with anything they needed at the drop of a hat.

What I consider myself, in both these scenarios, had zero to do with the biological fathers involvement. He did not factor in the way I ran my life when he did see them (he's out of their life now, hurrah!), but previously his visitation was never close to 50/50.

Is the partner your child's father? If no then yes I'd still say you were a single parent to your child. If yes then you're in a partnership with your child's father - nothing about that makes you a single parent.

The amount of time your child spends with either parent makes no difference to your parental status

Is the partner the children's father or not?

If not, then yes, single parent.

If he is the father than you're not a single parent.

I consider single parent to be if you are a single person who has custody of the children (or 50/50 arrangement).

If you have a new partner and you fully live together and combine finances, of course you are not a single parent anymore.

If you and your partner have separate homes and finances and basically date/spend a few evenings with each other each week, I think the single parent status remains valid.

I do think it wierd when you see men described on TV shows/dating profile as "single father" and it turns out they see their children 4 days a month or less. But I call myself a single parent even though my son sees his dad every week because its the best description of my status - I am not in a relationship therefore I am single. I have a child therefore I am a parent. Also it does affect how I live my life massively. I think lone parents, where the ex has nothing or very little to do with the children have things harder though and would never pretend otherwise.

What @PizzaForOne said.

This been asked before.

If you have a partner you are not single. Doesnt matter if he is their dad or not.

If you have no man or woman in your life as a partner and you have children you are a single parent.

I have seen mums with boyfriends still saying they are single mums but havent seen someone saying or thinking they arent a single parent because the ex is very involved with the children. Whether the parent is a dead beat or hands on is irrelevant.

It depends on whether you are thinking of this in relation to marital status (a single person, as in one who is unmarried or doesn't have a live-in partner) or in terms of being a parent (as in someone who is a sole parent).

I think of a single parent as one whose husband/father or wife/ mother of their DC has either died or has no input to bringing up the children.

If you share the upbringing of your DC 50/50 or 60/40 then it is ridiculous to regard yourself as a single parent.

Most people tend to put in the same bag
a separated/divorced mother sharing childcare equally with the kids dad

and a separated/divorced mother doing 100% of the work because her ex has conveniently disappeared

A friend of mine whose husband died gets really offended when someone calls her a single mum, because in her view it's not her husband's fault if he is dead.

Everyone has a different opinion on the subject really.

If you share the upbringing of your DC 50/50 or 60/40 then it is ridiculous to regard yourself as a single parent.

I do agree with you

the clear inference of calling yourself a single parent is that you do all or almost all of the parenting

A single parent does all or most of the parenting. Otherwise it’s co-parenting.

Does he stay over? Or see the kids then go back to his? It's all a bit vague...

I'm a single parent. DS's dad is involved but I do the lion's share, about 80% I'd say on average.

To me a single parent is someone who is single and a parent, that's it. Someone who does all the parenting and their ex isn't involved is what I'd call a lone parent, which is different.

My SiL calls herself a single parent so her parents can visit when her DH is at work!!

Single parent is single and a parent. Although it does annoy me when the extremely uninvolved non resident parents decides to call themselves a single parent. You may be single, but are you doing any parenting? Mostly this is reserved for a Disney dads, although I've met a couple of Disney mums too

I'm not but sometimes feel like I am...Me and DP live together and both contribute bills but he doesn't pay anything towards my DS and I do most of the school runs intact I did them all until covid and we both starred to wfh...am I stupid? Yes probably but then DP has a much higher salary than me so also pays for most of our holidays or any outings for tea etc so I do feel it balances out in some aspects

Yes, do you have to endure your x in your house half of the week?

That sounds tough.

Nowadays, "lone parent" seems more fitting since my partner lives with us and does contribute

But that's not a lone parent. You're not alone.

I am single and a parent, so I’m definitely a single parent.

I’m also a sole / lone parent, in that ex is almost entirely absent.
Separated or divorced mums do tend to do the lions share of parenting though, which is probably why single and sole parents have become confused.

Single parent is if you’re single and a parent- I would say even if you had a 50:50 arrangement as presumably when it’s your 50% you still have the single parent problems and limitations, no one to share stuff with, need to make all the decisions alone.

Lone parent is if you’re widowed or other parent has never ever been on the scene.

If your husband is in the forces or whatever, even though they’re away months at a time you’re still not a single parent in my book, sorry, though I do acknowledge that’s an extremely challenging situation.

If your partner works a really challenging job and isn’t v hands on and you call yourself a single parent I will roll my eyes!

I was a single mum for a few years but now have remarried.

@Fatbottomedgurl but that isn't a lone parent. A lone parent is if you are literally alone.

I class myself as a lone parent. DS father has zero involvement with him (financially, practically or emotionally) and I'm very single.

My husbands ex wife still calls herself a 'single parent' even though she is getting married to another man......it's normally thrown in during some sort of argument. He doesn't even correct her anymore, it's just ridiculous!

The answer is no, if you have a partner you are not a 'single parent', you are a parent.