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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think being a single parent shouldn’t trump everything

470 replies

Unher10 · 20/04/2026 14:11

… when it comes to life being hard.

I have 2 kids under 4 and a husband and general family support. Husband works long hours which means I can stay at home and we do not have financial worries but equally I wouldn’t say we are wealthy in the sense that a cleaner etc would be too much of a luxury.

I am really struggling and feel like my parents don’t give a shit. My sister is a single parent to one child age 2 and is back at work, her daughter is in nursery four days a week and my sister works from home whenever she likes while also having a social life with work stuff.

Even though she has a huge income and hefty CMS payments, time to herself when niece’s dad spends time with her AND she has flexibility at work so can shop and go to the gym in peace during her lunch hour…my parents still feel sorry for her and will be at her beck and call if she needs anything, even though she rarely does!!!!

I have said I am not managing and fed up being with one or two children all day every day and they say sister doesn’t complain and she’s a single parent… literally anything I say the answer is she is a single parent and she copes so why can’t I. How are our situations even comparable?!??

I am close to my sister and wouldn’t say this to her as she’s been through a lot and I love her but the perspective that I have it all great in comparison in the eyes of my family just takes the piss. I don’t know what im asking really. Just want to let out my feelings as I feel so down today.

OP posts:
ForPlumReader · 20/04/2026 14:54

It's a difficult one and everyone's situation is different but I don't think being a single mum on its own trumps anything.

I know single mums who have no support and I know single mums who have all the support they need. I know couples who have no support and I know couples who have all the support they need. Some single mums have more support than some couples, so you can't generalise.

Anywherebuthere · 20/04/2026 14:54

Your sister has worked to get to where is and has to juggle everything the way it works best for her. She made her choices. She has your parents support as she is a single parent.

Your husband should be supporting you. Thats the whole point of being in a marriage. You support each other.

Maybe it's time to make a change in your life, get out there and find a job. You may then get some of the perks you believe your sister has. Change the choices you are making. None of your unhappiness is your sisters fault.

benten54 · 20/04/2026 14:54

Unher10 · 20/04/2026 14:20

@McSpoot I can’t just walk into a senior role and demand flexibility can I? If I could I would

No because youve sat around being a SAHM for years. You made your choice.

AprilMizzel · 20/04/2026 14:55

Is it actually that she is a single parent - or is it underlying favoritism?

I ask because that what it was with my sister - same as in childhood really - but there were a long list of reasons - so when she wasn't single any more it still carried on.

Being begruded a family UK hoilday while they had sister child so she could go away with new boyfriend on hoilday childfree did irritate as did being cristised fro training round kids when they had her child so she could.

Coffeeandbooks88 · 20/04/2026 14:55

My husband will look after both whilst I might have a few hours to myself. Why can't yours?

Anywherebuthere · 20/04/2026 14:56

Unher10 · 20/04/2026 14:22

@TheCheeseTax she gets every Saturday and every other Wednesday to herself as well
as the time when she is in nursery, in contrast I am parenting non stop. You are basically sounding like my parents with that comment which is entirely the point of my post. Being single shouldn’t trump everything

Why isn't your husband stepping up to make sure you also get some child free time?

Upearlyaseva · 20/04/2026 14:56

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Ficinothricegreat · 20/04/2026 14:57

Unher10 · 20/04/2026 14:20

@McSpoot I can’t just walk into a senior role and demand flexibility can I? If I could I would

So she has worked hard to get herself in that position, ie made life choices that have worked out better than yours.

nixon1976 · 20/04/2026 14:57

I understand your frustration but I would direct it away from your parents. It doesn't really matter (apart from winding you up) how they perceive your life.

So: 1. get a job, asap. Have a life and a career to yourself. Work your way up until you too gain flexibility like your sister, if that's what you want. It doesn't matter if you're spending most of your salary on childcare - that won't last forever. It sounds like you really need a life outside of children and it will be so much better for you in the long run. 2. your husband needs to give you a break - a night or two completely off each week when you leave the house, plus a day every weekend/half a day a fortnight/whatever works for you

nearlylovemyusername · 20/04/2026 14:59

Unher10 · 20/04/2026 14:25

@Upearlyaseva yes that’s my point! My life is so much harder at the moment and my parents don’t give a shit

You just have no idea!
You have no idea what level of effort and emotional exhaustion is normally required to be in a senior job. So senior that it gives sufficient money and flexibility.
I assume you don't have to worry where your money is coming from?
I assume you knew what having a baby means when you decided to have a second one? why did you go for it if you aren't coping?

Unless there is some disability involved I can't really comprehend how it can be that difficult to be a SAHM.

You sound extremely immature and entitled.

MumofOne28 · 20/04/2026 14:59

I haven’t read all the threads but i am a single mum and i don’t think i appreciated how hard it would be doing it all alone. Feeling vulnerable that all the bills are my responsibility, making all the parenting decisions by myself, not being able to have more children and having zero emotional support. I think your sister probably envies you having a husband, a big family and being a SAHM. Grass always looks greener. Maybe try and focus on the things in your life which you are grateful for which really does help put things into perspective. I bet your sister is having a hard time in reality. Not invalidating your experience as it must be hard having young children to care for mostly by yourself. Maybe look at whether you qualify for any free childcare and start looking for jobs which work around the kids to start getting some ‘you’ time x

Feelingworried26 · 20/04/2026 15:00

Your sister gets childfree time at regular intervals so she can recharge her batteries. You are always on call. Much harder for you. I hope you find a way to change things soon. X

IWaffleAlot · 20/04/2026 15:01

You’re complaining about something of your very own making.
you chose to have two kids, you then chose to have them close in age, you then chose to be a sahm because that is a choice, and then you also chose to give up work. So much of your own choices here so no sympathy for you.
Im not a single parent but I do think that your sisters situation would get my sympathy over yours.

at the end of the day she carries the day to day load alone. And she funds that, and she doesn’t have anyone to just hand over for 5 mins, and she carries much more on her own.

im a sahm too, and I know it’s hard but I chose this. And I cannot imagine doing this As a single parent.

Delphiniumandlupins · 20/04/2026 15:02

I think you probably have choices your sister doesn't have. You are currently a SAHM but you could work, full or part-time. Even if childcare costs took most of your salary you could decide that the investment in study, training or advancing your career was worthwhile, if your family could manage on your DH's salary. Perhaps your DH could work shorter hours and enable you to work more. A single parent often has less flexibility in their life choices because there is only one salary coming in, everything depends on one person, regardless of household income.

I think you need to not compare with your sister. Work out what you want and plan how to get it.

Lavender14 · 20/04/2026 15:02

Op I think what I realised when I became a lone parent after previously having an involved husband (no other parent involved at all now) is that the systems you put in place in your home are everything. You and your husband need to sit down and look at what your current systems are, who is responsible for what, and make a clear plan of when you each get down time. What jobs can be outsourced eg. Shopping online for delivery, robot vacuum/mower etc.

Your sister is completely irrelevant to your issues really - you are focusing on her because she's there and you're looking at her world with rose tinted glasses on. Your parents are essentially holding the place of a spouse in her world. You have another person who you can lean on when things are hard or run questions by etc. Your sister maybe doesn't have that with her ex. I also personally wouldn't want to be without my kid half the week and would also be trying to keep myself busy and occupied during that time even though on the outside it looks like 'fun down time'. It's certainly not something id aim for. If you want down time which is what your post is really screaming for, then you need to sit down with your dh and plan it.

You have chosen to stay at home with your kids which is a temporary arrangement which your husbands job is well enough paid to enable. Your sisters situation is probably permanent. When you feel the time is right you will then have the option of returning to work, meaning more income, more social time, more balance with your dh maybe. Your sister has had no choice but to work and the adjustment of her hours is neither here nor there. You say she has opportunity to socialise while working - that's not socialising it's networking and it's still work.

If you are missing feeling connected to other people then you need to look at who else is free during the day to create your networks. So local mums and tots groups or baby classes and make a conscious effort to make conversation. If your sister lost her job she'd be utterly fucked so you are in a place of real security in that you could both work if needed. How you plan your time otherwise is actually up to you so maybe you need to think more outside the box with how your spending your days.

What you're doing during the day is essentially 'work' you'd be outsourcing it to nursery if you didn't do it so when your dh comes home at the end of the day/ weekend he needs to be completely 50/50 with you on tasks.

You say it's harder for him to give you child free time with two- if God forbid you died tomorrow what exactly would he do? There are plenty of men and women out there lone parenting with two kids the same age as yours so unless there's a drip feed around illness or disability coming there really is no reason why your dh can't manage alone with your two kids for a few hours to let you get out of the house.

You say your dsis often works into the evening and works from home - working from home with a child that age is a nightmare. It's not childcare it's the same as being at work. Working into evenings as a single parent is also not easy, I've just changed job because I couldn't get childcare for evenings after nursery closes. I also hate that I get so little actual time with ds. I see him for about 3 hrs a day awake time which mainly involves getting him ready, driving to/ from nursery, doing dinner and bedtime routine. We get little quality time until the weekend and your sister is getting half of that. She's probably using her hours creatively to give her time with her child and using GP childcare to keep her job secure.

I'm not saying that to minimise the things that are hard for you, but to point out that there is a grass is always greener mentality that isn't going to serve you if you keep looking at what she is doing instead of looking at what your husband isn't.

That's why your parents aren't taking on extra work. They know it's your husbands work to step up to and they (rightly) don't want to give him an easy out. Your sister doesn't have a husband available to do that on certain days which is why they are filling that gap.

If what your husband can do is not enough then maybe you look at settling your youngest into a nursery for a morning or two a week or one day a week to give you some downtime.

Calliopespa · 20/04/2026 15:02

benten54 · 20/04/2026 14:54

No because youve sat around being a SAHM for years. You made your choice.

These kind of comments are disgusting.

The OP has posted saying she is struggling - those are her very words.

No-one would think it was acceptable - and it wouldn't be - to accuse working mothers of farming out their children to the care of paid strangers for the tough grind and larking about like a child-free career woman, so why do you think the sort of comment you have made is appropriate?

Women should be free to make choices and everyone will find them hard at points. They have different stresses.

It is pretty nauseating that on a forum for mothers people would make those kind of denigratory comments to a mother who has said she is finding things tough right now.

WinterTreacle · 20/04/2026 15:03

I think you’re getting a bit of a hard time here. To me you sound depressed - I get it, having young children is physically and mentally exhausting, day in and day out. Work for me was an essential and I went back to work part time after maternity leave. I would have gone crazy if I hadn’t.
Your sister to me does have a better balance between adult interactions in the day and then being with her child. It is the life I’d prefer!
Your parents are being unfair to assume you can’t possibly be struggling because your sister isn’t! That’s nuts. Tell them you are very low - maybe they could have your children once in a while to give you a break?

Greenwitchart · 20/04/2026 15:03

You are in a privileged position: not having to work, having a supportive partner & no financial issues.

Yet you are complaining about a single parent who has to work for a living getting more support...

Are you serious?

You need yo count your blessings and stop being so entitled.

onceandneveragain · 20/04/2026 15:04

@pinkyredrose

why is this so unusual as to need querying?
It's 2026, not 1910, flexible working has been a 'thing' for years. Lots of people are either self employed or work varied hours - I work for the CS and manage my own caseload, so other than the odd meeting once or twice a week can work whenever/wherever I want, as can my colleagues.

I find this armchair Sherlocking of - someone leading a slightly different life to me = they must be lying! So bizarre and small minded.

LeopardPrintFleece · 20/04/2026 15:04

Feelingworried26 · 20/04/2026 15:00

Your sister gets childfree time at regular intervals so she can recharge her batteries. You are always on call. Much harder for you. I hope you find a way to change things soon. X

She's not! She's got a husband there evenings and weekends. She's got someone to talk things through with and to share the responsibility - if he's not doing that then the problem is not her sister!

nearlylovemyusername · 20/04/2026 15:05

Unher10 · 20/04/2026 14:18

@Upearlyaseva @pinkyredrose exactly! She has worked her way up so in a more senior role and has loads of flexibility. She does often work into the evenings when I call her but I would do anything to have that choice about my days and my time

you assume that she works into evening instead of daytime?
Let me break it to you - it's nearly certain that in senior role she works both in daytime and evenings. I held such roles - it's about being always on. Incl when on holidays.

ETA: just re-read your post - so the eldest is in prep school? so you only have a baby half a day on school days? and you aren't coping??? how old are you?

ToKittyornottoKitty · 20/04/2026 15:05

onceandneveragain · 20/04/2026 15:04

@pinkyredrose

why is this so unusual as to need querying?
It's 2026, not 1910, flexible working has been a 'thing' for years. Lots of people are either self employed or work varied hours - I work for the CS and manage my own caseload, so other than the odd meeting once or twice a week can work whenever/wherever I want, as can my colleagues.

I find this armchair Sherlocking of - someone leading a slightly different life to me = they must be lying! So bizarre and small minded.

Edited

What do you meant? Who’s lying? And about what?

WinterTreacle · 20/04/2026 15:05

nearlylovemyusername · 20/04/2026 14:59

You just have no idea!
You have no idea what level of effort and emotional exhaustion is normally required to be in a senior job. So senior that it gives sufficient money and flexibility.
I assume you don't have to worry where your money is coming from?
I assume you knew what having a baby means when you decided to have a second one? why did you go for it if you aren't coping?

Unless there is some disability involved I can't really comprehend how it can be that difficult to be a SAHM.

You sound extremely immature and entitled.

No, she sounds depressed.

Lavender14 · 20/04/2026 15:06

Out of curiosity op does your husband have hobbies? And if so how often does he dedicate time to those hobbies?

Upearlyaseva · 20/04/2026 15:06

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