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it has just hit me that i will probably have to be mum and dad forever

11 replies

MavisEnderby · 07/07/2010 20:04

It is scary.

When dp was alive in the last few years i guess he wasn't up to doing much really and long spells in hospital meant i was pretty much on my own anyhow.

but i have been thinking loads in the last few days and it is just me and them.What if i got ill?

how do i prepare ds for life when i don't know what it is like to be male?

has hit me like a sledgehammer today.

tell me to pull myself together and stop being stupid

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MavisEnderby · 07/07/2010 22:15

ok so maybe from this self pitying bollocks what i was trying to say was mums of sons,how do you ensure that they have a good male role model in their lives if you are a lone mum?

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Hassled · 07/07/2010 22:21

It's not self-pitying bollocks, it's a good question. And I'm not a lone parent, but I do have 3 boys. There are good male role models everywhere - teachers, TAs, the tennis coach, the football bloke, etc etc.

All you have to do is teach your DS to be a decent person. Really, you have enough to deal with without throwing gender into the mix as well. You'll find your way, and so will your DS - as long as he's supported and loved, he'll be fine.

But re what happens when you're ill - you need a decent back up plan. You need friends/family set to go - and a legal guardian set up should you get hit by a bus.

GypsyMoth · 07/07/2010 22:24

i have 2 girls and 3 boys....grandad and uncle try hard and put themselves out to be role models...make time etc

more male teachers as they get older i've found

friends husbands/boyfriends and my own boyfriend too

also,i have a good friend who is a single dad to 2 boys. he is good too

MavisEnderby · 07/07/2010 22:25

Thanks hassled.Made a will last week actually,esp important as no 2 has sn.

I think that boys do need some male input though,I am thinking of teenage years etc,maybe I'm old fashioned but i do think i have no idea about how it is to be a teen boy

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gillybean2 · 07/07/2010 22:26

No idea. I don't have any for my ds, but I'm hoping that at least that's better than having a bad role model...?

Best I can do is send my ds to scouts, even though it's mostly run by ladies. Least he gets to spend time with other boys doing boy type things.

Keeping the memory of your dp alive and ensuring your dc know what a good man he was and what things he did with and for them before he became ill will help. Hugs

MavisEnderby · 07/07/2010 22:34

Tiffany,I don't ever see myself in another rl Who tf is going to want to take on a nearly 40 yo woman with 2 small dcs 1 with severe sn (cynical emoticon)

hopes for lots of good male teachers and hopes uncles more supportive.Own db lives away as does df.dps bros.1 waste of space,1 has own family,1 all loved up in new rl and prob doesn't want the hassle...

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MavisEnderby · 07/07/2010 22:36

gilly ds has just joined Beavers and loves it

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jamestkirk · 07/07/2010 23:34

ere mavis - pull yourself together!! well at least i didnt say stoopid

it does hit you tho so know what you mean - i'm a fella and raised two dd's and a ds on my own so had a whole different set of scarey what ifs.

the thing is tho i managed it with no input from their mum, have had a couple of decent gf's over the years - 15 years !! tho they didnt have much to do with the kids - so if i can do it (an average to useless bloke) i'm sure you can.

thats all, take care and have fun with the kids - it really is most of the time...

elastamum · 08/07/2010 14:56

Hi Mavis, You can do it!!

I am a single mum to 2 boys 9 and 11. Their dad left a couple of years ago and no male role models here. I do a lot of things with my boys, such as campbuilding, rafting, cycling, skiing that they might have dome with their dad and we have all taken up climbing. We have a blast and I love what we do.

My situation is a bit diffeent. Mine still have a father, but he has a young family and they dont do so much with him. I decided that if I wanted them to have an adventurous childhood it was up to me.

I can honestly say I am having far more fun with my boys now than I did when their dad was around. I also make sure I share my feelings discuss with them anything they do that I am proud of or not happy with. They are growing up into lovely young men and make me proud every single day

exexpat · 11/07/2010 00:12

Mavis, just saw this - I'm in much the same position as you but for longer - DH died nearly four years ago, and have DS 11 and DD 7. I also can't see myself starting any kind of new relationship for the foreseeable future.

I had the same concerns about DS, and so far what I have been doing is making sure he spends time with his uncles - unfortunately none live close by, but we do spend Christmas and go on summer holiday with one for a couple of weeks each year. He's done things like take DS to rugby/football games with his older cousin, and also subjects DS to the kind of blokey teasing and banter that he doesn't get at home. He's getting better at dealing with it....

Also, he has a sort-of godfather - I'm not religious, but this is a family friend who agreed when DS was born (and DH was still alive, obviously) to be a non-religious godparent for him. He's been living abroad for a while so we have only seen him once or twice a year, but he's moving back to this country soon, so I hope DS will see more of him. He is taking the responsibility quite seriously, and by a sad coincidence he also lost his father at a similar age to DS, so can be a good role model/sounding board.

Do you have any good male friends or relatives who might be willing to take on the role of special uncle/godfather as your DS gets older? Doesn't have to be an actual uncle - sounds like the ones you have are not ideal - but do you have any cousins or good friends of yours or DPs who might step up to the mark?

Also, although I am not a particular fan of single-sex education, I chose an all-boys school for DS when he started secondary this year (it was the school he liked best too, luckily), as I think the blokeish atmosphere there is a good antidote to his rather female-dominated family and home life. Though I do try to do some fun stuff as well as all the usual single-mum responsible stuff, like take DS on a high-ropes and zipwire course, or launch the occasional tickle-attack .

PinkButton · 13/07/2010 08:19

Hi Mavis
Similar situation for me too. My DH died 20 months ago when DS was 16 months old. I worry about male role models for him, he does spend time with his uncle and male cousins so that helps a bit. I too worried about what would happen if I became ill. Then this year I have had breast cancer, two ops and a third stay in hospital. My brother and his wife have been fantastic, had DS each time and made sure he was very well looked after. Also I have met someone, early days yet but DS (now 3)gets on very well with him.

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