Inspirational single parents

[poshsinglemum]

To counteract my rather depressing thread about being stigmatised I thought I'd start one about famous single parents who are respected.

I'll start;

J.K Rowling
Kate Hudson (although now dating)
The Duchess of York (although fairly vilified too)

I would say Kate Moss but I don't respect her as she dated a heroin addict and put her dd at risk as a result.

Also Rebecca Ferguson on the x factor is a single mum and she is lovely and has a great voice.

i think KM also was in the news for doing drugs herself.

I think we should include anyone who is now in a relationship but who at some point was going it alone.

I think the only one I'd consider inspirational might be J K Rowling...

I'd add Madonna pre Guy but I imagine some people will feel the same way about her as I would about Kate Moss or Duchess of York.

Are they inspirational for being talented, or for working hard, or something else?

I'm not saying they aren't, just interested in the reasoning.

Well imo Kate Hudson is inspirational as she is a very positive, bubbly, luminous persona rather than being a talented actress.
We don't have to be too high brow.

Oh dear- there must be more of us.

JK R i admire for doing what she did sitting in cafes writing while a single parent with no money. she didnt sit around saying "poor me"... sadly tho we dont all have hidden talents!

but - we can take from her - dont sit around whatever your circumstances, get out, do something, build self esteem...

the others i get no inspiration from as they have money to pay nannies etc .... ok i know duchess of york "penniless" at times, but really, come on !

hmm i will try and think of someone who happens to be single parent who inspires me.... some people who psot here actually...who have gone thru it and emerged...

Hmm, what do you really know about people if all your knowledge is based upon the media's distorted view of them. I preferre real individuals such as Godzilla in Son of Godzilla,

After all it's not easy raising a kid when you've got a bad rep for destroying down town Tokyo, and knocking the snot out of other people in rubber costumes monsters.

P.S. Kate Moss, a thin gaunt fassion model, I bet she's done more drugs than Timothy Leary before the The Libertines were even formed.

Can we add real people? My friend is inspirational to me, she had a baby at 15 had to drop out of school went it alone for 5 years before having another baby with a man who turned out to be a loser. She has brought up two wonderful children on her own has completed a degree and now runs a care home. She is amazing!

Kym Marsh?

ooh if we're doing real people, then my best friend's mum. kicked violent man out and raised 3 dcs alone, worked all the hours she could cleaning, bringing in ironing and doing a hairdressing course at the same time. her dcs are a credit to her.

I can't relate much to celeb single mums at all, at least those who were famous/wealthy before becoming a single mum. I can't imagine their experience of being a LP is anything like mine.

I do admire Octomom and the French politician Rachida Dati though, but I can imagine that many others won't!

What about Shirley Williams?

And there are a couple of current MPs too - Caroline Flint who was a Minister in the last government and Nadine Dorries who is a high profile Tory Backbencher. (I disagree profoundly with both of them politically)

And Diane Abbott. Who I like a lot.

And Meera Syal was a single parent for a while.

Firepile - that's more like it... I'm not good at celebs in general and completely agree that their experiences, in general (exc J K Rowling) are unlikely to be similar to ours/mine. Sadly - I'd love to have stacks of cash, it'd make my life much easier (and I know I have it a lot easier than many others).

I also completely agree that I don't relate well to most celebrity single parents. Let's be honest the downsides generally to being a single parent, are lack of money, lack of time, lack of adult interaction. Well if you are single parent with plenty of money, then none of above need be a problem, you can pay for childcare, do whatever you need to do and go out when you like. Obviously I realise that not all will do this excessively, but within the parameters of sensible caring parenting, a stack of cash would make things easier.

kerry of cbeebies. i think she is great.

I agree that if we know about them they are likely to be rich, so it's not the same as real people!!

I may not be an inspiration to the people who know me, but I am proud of the way I escaped from bad situation, prioritised my children, implemented a four year austerity plan (long before Barroso!!). Actually, it may well be a five year credible and austere recovery plan, but I will get there, and damn! I will be even more proud of myself then, because in a parallel universe I would have been driving a quashqai and icing cup cakes for the school fair.

But reeespek to jk rowling for hauling the government up on their lazy assumptions and derogatory comments about single mothers by pointing out that the majority are in their thirties, and that the majority, despite all the obstacles, still work. That article was GREAT. Practically cried reading it.

Do you have a link to that JK Rowling article Valium?

I guess the money issue contributes to Kate Hudsons radiance. why didn't I think of it like that. I think it's because she's so contrary to the stereotype but I know what you all mean.

I think the real inspirational stories are the ones of those raising children away of the cameras, with much hardship and still managing to raise well rounded children. You won't see many of them as celebrities. I'm afraid.

hope this works