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Use our Single Parent forum to speak to other parents raising a child alone.

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Use our Single Parent forum to speak to other parents raising a child alone.

Lone parents

following on from another thread, let's all think up some answers to common small-talk questions that don't involve a defensive urge to explain why we're single parents

30 replies

OverMyDeadStuffedTurkey · 01/12/2007 18:34

You know the ones, questions like

"so are you planning on having any more children?"

"What does your husband/partner do?"

I dread being asked these questions, so let's think of some good answers to them that don't make us feel horribly inadequate or 'pathetic'

OP posts:

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lemonstarchristmastree · 06/12/2007 18:45

'he's an unemployed dope smoking wanker who hits his kids' generally shuts them up!

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Debra1981 · 06/12/2007 23:29

'Are you planning on having any more?' I get that so much from virtual strangers, always other mums. T'is a bit sad being asked it but easy enough to answer- don't need to give details of reasons. One I still don't know how to answer without sounding pathetic, melodramatic or malicious is 'why did you split up?'

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niece · 06/12/2007 23:30

I was talking about this the other day to my friend, after another nasty down right rude comment from a man selling accident cover in town.
She said why don't you say he is dead, 'cos he might as well be!
Then there is no more explaining, Trouble is no-one has asked me since, and i really want them to, cos i know it will shut them up!

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Alambil · 07/12/2007 11:04

OOOO that's a good one niece!

Debra - I just tell the whole, unabridged truth (inc words such as rape, battered, imprisoned in own home) - shocks them in to silence!

I am not a victim - I am a survivor. I can say that stuff so matter-of-fact-ly that they don't know where to put themselves. It is great

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Debra1981 · 08/12/2007 22:52

LFBAH I'm a survivor too but I don't feel like shocking people- i'm still tryna build some bridges and make friends round here, not scare people off. of course i would tell the whole truth if i did get to know them more, for now i'm just crossing everything that people don't ask me that one. i think i got lied to so many times i tend to think other people's stories aren't worth much 'til proved, and expect others to think likewise. and i still feel like a bit of a fraud because i didn't get a full-on battering.