Anyone else wish they could travel back in time to tell themselves not to do this?

[SplunkPostGres]

Inspired by the suicide selfishness thread where few people seemed to have any idea how frustrating some people’s lives could be, does any else (frequently) wish they had a time machine so that they could go back and not end up in this position?

Most mistakes can be fixed, but you can’t unhave a child right?! I regularly curse my poor decision making that led to my being a single parent.

Everything is so much more difficult with one parent, one income. I have a good job and earn an okay salary, but my living standards will never be that of an equivalent dual income family. Car, house, spending patterns are all dictated by only having a single income. Not awful, but not what I’ve have chosen for myself. And I’m so fed up of the assumptions people make about me based on what I can afford as a single parent.

I just wish I could have a magic wand to go back and do it all over again.

Yep.

Definitely.

Just need to try and educate my kids not to make the same mistakes as me... without telling them exactly what/who the mistakes were! 🙈

Definitely.

Single motherhood is the hardest thing I've ever had to do and I've done it since DD was a baby (12 now). Just when you think you get through the worst , then comes a whole new challenge in the pre teen to teen years.
Throw in trying to hold down a full time job and an ex determined to make your life hell, it's not what I had planned but it is what it is.

I am a single mum too and I know it can be very difficult. Finding childcare, finances, discipline, behaviour management and loneliness are incredibly tough. But like you have said in your post, you can’t unhave a child.
It really sounds like you need to change your expectations and stop comparing yourself to others. Are most of your friends married? Try to find some happy, interesting single friends. And be grateful for what you have. Because although it would be great to have a big house and new car I bet you would miss your child if you didn’t have them. Stop worrying about what you don’t have and what you perceive others to have and be grateful you have a child, a job, whatever else you do have.