What have you found most challenging as a single parent?

[Clumsy12345]

I think for me it’s not having any days off, not having any days to myself where I can just switch off for a bit has really been a massive struggle. What have others found to be the most challenging part?

I used to think it was a toss up between not having anyone to share the good/exciting moments with and having to make all decisions alone but for me the worst thing I've dealt with as a lone parent is the awfulness of being in hospital with an ill child. The intensity of it is a beast. I can't really even describe why.

Generally much easier than parenting with a difficult partner. Hard that they have a much bigger student loan to pay off than their friends but they had more money available to enjoy uni.

The tiredness, organising every weekend activity, school things, swim lessons, bedtimes, dinners, hospital appointments, prescriptions, shopping, never a night or even a hour off ( 3 asd and adhd 1 on assessment list) then collapsing into bed realising it's well past 2am and your day is going to start all over again in a few hours and there's no one to even ask if your OK or want a cup of tea made.

Being ill myself. "Mummy why are you lying in the bathroom floor?"

Standing over sleeping youngest son trying to figure out if he was brachiating and needing taking to A&E for his asthma. Not being able to stay in hospital ward with him overnight as my oldest son needing reminding he still had a Mum after being dropped off at school first thing and spending evening with a friends family

Also, missing being with my dad on his deathbed because I couldn't leave DS on his own and XDP wouldn't come.

As lots of PPs have said for me it’s the mental load, having to do every single thing myself it’s just so hard at times with no one to discuss stuff with.
I lived in my own for 10 years b4 I met the ex so I was used to it but it’s so overwhelming being a single mum.
something relatively minor went wrong recently and, of course, I had to sort it alone. It was the final straw, I totally lost it and sat and cried for hours!

Can I ask, if you left your partner /husband/ wife and become a single parent with all these challenges, was it worth it?

@MamOfGirls2 I broke up with DDs dad when pregnant, knew he wasn't the one and he had some controlling tendencies. Of course it was worth it. The chances are the partner in an unhappy relationship isn't fairly pulling their weight one way or another, the good men remain good after the separation and continue to support their children and the mother of their children, the crappy ones make life harder but you are better off without those ones anyway as they wouldhave made a relationship hard too.

Staying together 'for the kids' is never a good idea.

I became a single parent, because my ex had an affair, when dd1 was 3 months old , so I didn’t have a choice . The worst part was endless , rainy winter Sundays , and having no one to ask for advice when dd was ill .

@MamOfGirls2 hell yeah!
Despite it all, I know I can rely on me,not the useless tosser that pretends he's dad of the year on FB.

Money. And also not having enough time to fit everything in, because there is no one there to help you out. I missed having someone around who could fix things and do certain diy tasks, because I cannot and end up just leaving everything. I didn’t have any time off from the children because my ex moved abroad, but tbh I liked not having to fit around anyone else.

Being ill yourself as a PP said.

I had strep throat a couple of years ago, a high fever for 4 days and in and out of delirium/sleep. I couldn't even swallow sips of water. It was agony.
Luckily my son was a tween so could get himself up and ready for school, make a jacket potato and pot noodles.

A baby or toddler would have been totally impossible in that state.
How the hell do people do that??