Single mum

[PITH1]

I'm 30, a single mum of 2 DC (7 and 3), broke and moving 8 hours away to Scotland next week where we don't know a soul. I'm currently living in temporary accommodation and have no chance of being housed where I currently live. I added myself to open housing lists all over the UK and have been offered a gorgeous little maisonette flat in Scotland on the edge of a small town about 30min from Glasgow. Lots of green space and a small school. Have visited and really liked it. My children's father doesn't want anything to do with them and hasn't since my youngest was born so that isn't an issue. I don't have family support and I haven't been happy for a long time here and have been wanting a fresh start but I'm nervous and it's taken a lot of guts for me to do this. Does anyone have any stories/tips about moving far away on your own? Especially with young DC. Or can anyone tell me their experience of living in Scotland? Making friends there? Thanks for reading x

Where is the most deprived area West Dumbarton? The op might be housed in Helensburgh for all you know.

How exciting PITH1, and so nice there are a couple of posters here who you might be able to meet up with.
When I moved to a new place far away from everyone I knew, I soon realised that the best mates were those in a similar position regarding family backup. It can be difficult to socialise with parents who can go out easily in the evenings as Granny/Auntie is always on hand to babysit. It was great to meet similar Mums without backup locally as we helped each other out with emergency childcare and socialised around the demands of our DC.

Thank you so much everyone for the kind comments/messages. It really means a lot. We leave tomorrow with only our suitcases full of clothes/toiletries and a few toys. We will be staying in a cheap hotel the first night we arrive due to having to wait for our matresses/bedding/towels and a few other very basic essentials I ordered to arrive the following day. Luckily my daughter is super excited and it's all one big adventure. Getting a 12h overnight coach which the kids should sleep on. So bonkers, all this 😊 here's to my new life, bit nervous x

I think you are brave and I wish you all the luck in the world for this fresh start. You sound like a great mum doing what's best for your children. Keep us posted! 💖💖💖

🎉🎊🍾🥳
good luck!!

I'm a single mum on the outskirts of glasgow happy to meet up for a coffee. I am older than you though

Ps YoH are very brave and this will be a fantastic new start for you

Oh OP how wonderful you are. You will look back on this and be so, so proud of yourself. And rightly so.
Best of luck to you and your children, here’s to new starts, love and joy x

Thank you 😊 💓

Good luck. Hoping that you settle in quickly and it feels like home

Wishing you the very best of luck! I'm planning on doing something similar. It's me and one DS though. I have moved to a new place before and made friends through school and joined a gym. Fortunately I'm quite a chatty person and will talk to anybody! I've made loads of friends in the 20
years I've lived here. You'll be absolutely fine and I wish you so much happiness and peace

Just wanted to wish you well. You'll be so glad you've done this. Hope you settle in quickly to the new area. Exciting times ahead!

Thanks everyone ☺️ we are on our way as I type this 😀

West Dumbartonshire is a good location, not far to the city and surrounded by lovely countryside.
I'm a Glaswegian but now live on the East Coast, you'll find ppl are friendly and having young kids is a great way to make friends.
Look on freecycle and FB groups for freebies for the house.
Best of luck and Welcome to Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Good luck wishing you lots of happiness in your new home 🏡 x

Welcome to Scotland. It's currently absolutely heaving it down with rain where I am on the West coast but I've never really been seriously tempted by any other country. I hope you all settle in quickly.

Good luck and I hope you and the children settle in well. Pre-kids I moved on my own from England to a small town in South-west Scotland, I met so many friendly, kind and helpful people and I made new friends through local groups and activities. Being a small town there was quite a lot of local stuff going on and hopefully it'll be the same where you are going. Glasgow was quite a distance from me but was the nearest big city, there's loads to do there and I loved visiting. Not sure how easy it would be for you to get to Pollock Park from W Dumbartonshire but it's a really big country park with Highland cattle, I used to love going there to see the cattle.

I moved to Glasgow on my own. Made some friends. Absolutely loved it there. People were so kind and Scottish landscapes are stunning.

I’m excited for you! Best of luck with your new home. 🏡

Best wishes for your new life in Scotland

Good luck!

Obviously I don’t know you but I just wanted to say that I feel really proud of you and the way you are putting your little family first and striking out so bravely on your own. Good on you and I wish you the very best of everything!! xxx

Amazing!!! Good luck! Scotland is such a wonderful country, you're going to give your DC such a brilliant life. Well done 👏💪💚

This will be a fresh start for you and just know you are more than capable of building a new and successful way of life in Scotland. I am a lone parent and had to deal with a lot of huge changes, but nothing scares me anymore.
It will feel unfamiliar for a while but once you settle in you 'll never look back.

hope it goes well - I imagine having young children will initially help you meet other parents, other connections will come as you settle in.