I came up with the idea for this post while I was taking a shower and my 3-year-old daughter was yelling at me to come play with her for the 29th time.
My partner is a firefighter, so he’s away from home quite often in the evenings and on weekends. That means I spend a lot of time alone with my daughter (much to my delight, sometimes).
I would never dare call myself a “part-time single mom,” because I think that would be very disrespectful to the moms and dads who are truly raising their children on their own.
Just when I need to take a shower, it’s very rare that I’m not interrupted by the 1,000th time she needs to pee or a third glass of water. I can’t even imagine what it’s like when you have a child who wakes up several times a night, when you have to get up early to go to work, when you have to keep the house clean, make lunches, cook dinner, play with the kids, handle the bedtime routine, and so on.
Sometimes I have to do all these tasks on my own, and by the end of the day I’m completely wiped out…and I only have one child! I can’t even imagine what it’s like with two or more.
So to you, dear single mom or dad, I tip my hat to you. I tip my hat to you because you’re an incredible parent. It must be so hard sometimes—you might feel like you’re not up to the task—but I guarantee that your child loves you to pieces and that you’re doing an excellent job. They’ll remember all the sacrifices you make and will be grateful for them.
And if you happen to be reading this and have a friend who’s a single parent, don’t hesitate to offer your help. Just playing with the kids while the parent makes dinner—or even while they take a bath! I promise you, it can make a world of difference in their lives.