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“Independence Day” for a Single Parent

I have never been a huge fan of the *Fourth of July* in its traditional sense with the firecrackers and heavy drinking. What I can wrap my head around however, is the “Independence Day” part of the celebration. While I know my history well enough to appreciate the founding fore-folk and all the work they did to bring about our republic, “Independence Day” also has strong meaning to me as a single parent… If I was to pick one word that describes single parents and single parent families, it would probably be “independent.” Many of us are completely self-supporting and … Continue reading →

Are There Ways You Can Foster MORE Independence?

I would probably argue that the children of single parents have a tendency to be pretty high on the independence scale. Just the fact that there is only one adult to tend to things can force a child to learn how to either do some things on her own, or learn to help out a bit. But, even so, there may be times when we need our children to step up more—we need them to help out a little, or at least become more independent in managing their own “stuff.” What can we do as a single parent to try … Continue reading →

“Backing Off” is a Process

I have written lately about letting go of kids who are growing up. I have been quite open in sharing my experiences with having two of my three children graduating from the high school experience and preparing to move on to college. A big chunk of my focus as a parent, particularly as a single parent, lately has been learning how to let go and back off. As much as I would like to report that I am doing it perfectly, I am learning as I go. I have good days and bad ones. Sometimes I say and do the … Continue reading →