Single and proud

[mamagaga]

Im taking a mo to say that im not ashamed to be a single parent, i used to dread the questions and judgement of others. We get such a bad name thanks to the press and bloody jeremy kyle (I cant stand that man!!) but like every where theres good and bad people and ive never known a single parent who didnt do theyre damned hardest to give their families good upbringings.
All parents should be proud of their achievments and their choice to have stability and happiness for themsleves and kids.

That's a lovely positive post,thanks.

I'm a new single mum and i must say i'm loving it so far

I'm also a new single mum. Why do the mums get slated when it's the men who have left the families?

We are the ones holding it all together for the children!

I'm not proud or ashamed to be a single mum - just scared

I stoped avoiding the question a few years ago now and always challange people who start going on about single mum scroungers etc.

They've stopped that kind of comment at work after I piped up a few times saying 'what like me you mean' to which they would mumble oh well no not you of course...

Also pointed out to the bus driver driving my ds on holiday with lots of other dc last summer who was complaining about the dc from the previous week that those 'children from broken families' he was moaning about included families like mine

Only way to change people's opinions is to show them that their sterotype is wrong by making yourself visible. So I agree. Never be ashamed of it!

I hate the stereotype and always make jokes in the office about my kids being out burning cars whilst I am working as I am a single mum!

My kids are lovely young men who are polite articulate and a pleasure to have around. They go to a big private school where I am the only single parent in either class! since my ex left us I have held down a big job and worked like a trojan to keep them in school. Although most of the mums think I am an oddity, they and the teachers are really supportive of me, as they have seen so many single mums have to take their kids out of school when their fathers refused to support their education.

I used to feel uncomfortable at the school gates - now I just dont care

Love this post. I'm a single mum and proud, trying to bring up my two lovely boys as their father left three years ago. It's hard but I'm finally proud of myself and all of the work I do to keep it all together :)
I'm on a lovely thread called "Dumpling no more" in relationships. We are all fab single mums - have a look :)

i'm a single mum and although it is a stuggle i wouldn't change a thing.
i think all single parents are great you have to do everything on your own for very little credit.
can i also point out not all single parents are single by choice (that was for you jeremy kyle )

Single mum for 8 years now. DS has just turned 12, got a place at grammar school and is preparing to sit first foreign language GCSE this year. He's a polite, confident and very caring boy who seems to be very much liked by his peers! Also, he's a very sporty lad and adores his rugby.

I've always worked full-time, put ds through private education on my own and have worked like a dog to provide for us. I have no family around to help and ex is not in ds' life at all - by choice btw.

Should I have stayed with ex and let him drive us into the ground? No, thank you. It's sad and ds lacks a male role model at home but a million times better (in every possible way) than if I had stayed with ex. Shame on ex for being a lousy father and husband, he should be the one being slagged off by JK!

I guess I am proud of what I achieve day in, day out, but I do still find the stuff some people believe hurtful and edit my circumstances to avoid confrontation. I wish I had your confidence, because even though I know I am a good person and a great mother, I do still hate when people say mean things about single parents because I take it personally sometimes.

im very proud to be a single mum, and i dont feel that people sterotype me, or perhaps it just passes me by, but ive never noticed

I agree with you that us single mums should be proud of ourselves!
I think we are the ones who will reap the rewards and always have a great bond with our kids

Er, what's wrong with being a single mum by choice?

When I conceived (outside of a relationship) I knew I'd be able to provide for who now is my DS.

I own my own house and run my own business, plus have lots of lovely family as excellent role models for my boy. And I can give him as much love as someone who is married/in a relationship.

I don't need a man to validate my life whether that's with children or not!

i am also a single mum by choice

I've been a single parent for 8 years now and when I feel a bit down I try and think about my grandmother who was a single parent of 2 boys (one just born one 18mths) back in 1936.. one of them my father. The doctor had told her to move out of the city for my uncles health and my grandad refused to go. So she went on her own! She held down a fulltime job as a clerk at the town hall and obviously had no low income benefits as they hadn't been "invented". Both boys got into grammer school, the eldest got a scholarship to Cambridge and my Dad was offered a place at Sandhurst to become an officer after having joined the Army as a private soldier. He ended up as a Lieutenant Colonel! She never divorced but never had a man in her life again...
I didn't find any of this out until after she died but I really admire her spirit, determination to give her boys the best opportunities she could and sheer courage.
Hurrah to all the single Mums who go the extra mile...!!!

Just read all these great replies, stick that in your pipe jeremy kyle haha! Im also a single parent out of choice, its nice to find other people who have a positive take on single parenthood. GoogooMamma im going to take a look at your thread now.

I neither proud or ashamed. I like that it is just me a DD, while I miss some things my DD and I get on great, what else do I need?

Viewfromawindow - that is so inspiring.

Im currently trying to concieve via donor imsemination to become a single mum.

Although it would be nice to have a man in my life, i dont need one!

I have a very good job abd a great support network around me. My family ans freinds are behind me all the way.

I have my whole life to find or not find a partner but i dont have my whole life to have chidren, and i want to be young enough to enjoy every minute.

I plan on being a very proud, independant single mother!

Just need my BFP now!

I'm proud of being a single mother .

I don't own my house or work full time like some of you, but I've managed well despite being on benefits due to a disabled child, and I've made the best of our council flat. No reason I should be ashamed of not being able to work or living on a council estate. I know I work hard for my son and I don't need to prove that to anyone else.

He's no high-achiever, in fact he has SEN and won't be end up in grammar school or private school or Oxbridge. But that's not the yardstick I use to measure someone's worth. He's a fantastic boy and I'm proud of him, despite the various difficulties linked to his SEN.

I don't feel I need a man in my life either, I was the one who walked away from a dysfunctional father and I'm proud that I didn't stay in an abusive relationship out of fear or wait for him to walk away. Nor did I go running straight into more disastrous relationships through fear of loneliness and mess up my boy by introducing him to a series of strange men.