Good things about being a lone-parent...

[Grockle]

I've been finding it hard adjusting to being a single-parent again, after DP moved out. I'm tired from working/ cleaning/ cooking/ doing laundry and the constant treadmill of life. I've been cross and short-tempered with my poor DS and I feel tired and snappy all the time because I'm constantly nagging & repeating myself (DS has a hearing problem)

So, I hoped that if other people shared their positives of lone-parenting, that it might help me remember why this is good.

Not having to deal with DS's father is a plus.

I love doing things with just me & DS.

You lot are doing too good a job here :)

I'm going to end up having second thoughts about moving in with DP! (snoring, football and, worse still, Formula 1, are thoughts I'm not relishing....)

That huge sense of pride at teacher meetings when they say how well your child is doing & "whatever you're doing at home, keep doing it. Its fantastic". Being able to bring your kids up how you want in general I.e. Discipline.

For me it's that I feel a special bond with DD & an amount of respect that some of my friends don't have with their kids cause there's problems with access to daddy or mummy agrees with one daddy does it differently. DD knows & does tell me a lot of things no one else knows. & I love that.

I wanted to bump this thread, as I need some more nice lists.

Am trying to be positive, but have had the week from hell at work, didn't get a job I was desperate for, and I wanted to come home and cry on someone's shoulder.

Instead, have poured wine and am letting DD lounge on the sofa, stuffing her face with sweets, while I silently weep.

Someone please come and remind me of the positives again. please

Sorry to hear about your week AmI. Tomorrow is a new day so do something fun with your dd.

I had a bad day on Wednesday and all I needed was some cuddles from my dd's and I felt better. Knowing that I am the one making them who they are feels good.

Wine and sweets sounds totally the way to go after a tough week.

Am sorry you didn't get the job - was it a promotion?

AmI really sorry you're having a rough time. I think it's times like that when we all feel it, I know I do.

I've felt pretty low for the last week or so but when I finally sit down in the evening, ds in bed, all clearing up done and tomorrow's prep done I just look around and think "this is all mine, I did this, completely on my own, no help from anyone".

That sense of pride doesn't make it all better but it sure does help!

You're doing a fantastic job, don't ever lose sight of that.

You're all great - see, there's a positive . DD is now upstairs playing, just before bed. I have had a bottle of wine and a whole pizza to myself. So that's positive too.

And Peter Barlow has been released

And yes *Nesh" it was a promotion and I have gone through 3 weeks of interviews and tests and now they decide that they are not going to appoint anyone at the moment. So I should take the positive from that - I wasn't dismissed out of hand, just deferred.

oops................meant Nesh Damn wine

I love this post :) and have found myself nodding to most of what has been posted

one of my fave things is that I can turn the music up and dance like a crazy loon around the lounge just because I'm happy/enjoying the music without anyone taking the mickey out of my dancing or music taste (dd loves it and joins right in!)

I have been wondering whether I ever would want a man in my life again as single parenting is so good for me ..
wearing my comfy trackie bottoms with holes in it when i get home
being able to do my beauty routines when i want and spending time just me in the bath
yes, watching whatever i want on tv and dvd 's (a popular one i see)
having time and money to spend on my one and only DS who is growing up with one, great positive influence - ME!! and no-one gets to tell him anything but me.
my home life is just focused around what i want and need and it works for me just perfectly.
it really is the only way forward.

Sometimes i think i have the best of both worlds. Am single parenting my DC, but also have a partner who is also a single parent. We live apart, our children are all settled in their schools and we dont want to uproot them and throw them together. Will probably stay this way for a few years yet. But we have lovely weekends, the occasional evening and holidays together.

I still have my house, my own space and my rules, but someone lovely to share the special things with or just phone for a chat. Even though I have just spent mothers day doing housework and cooking dinner am still as happy as larry

Agree with elastamum as that's my arrangement too.

Looking at my kids and thinking "All my own work".

ooh that arrangement sounds perfect elastamum - might get me one of those!

This turned into such a wonderful thread, thank you all. Elastamum, I had that arrangement with my DP and it was perfect. We've gone our separate ways now and it's quite sad

But, I still have my home, my things, my sanity (just about) and my wonderful, lovely DS.