One of the hardest things for single parents to deal with is isolation. So often our family and friends don't understand what we're going through and the mix of emotions that comes along with single parenting. When my husband and I separated, I thought I was losing my mind. Our separation was a long time coming and I thought I was psychologically prepared. I wasn't. Logically, I knew that other women had been through what I was going through, but I didn't see them in my daily life. Even the single mothers I knew in real life seemed to be holding everything together so well. I thought there must be something wrong with me because I was falling apart. I felt like I was completely alone in the world.
A turning point came for me when I started searching for support on the web. I discovered some amazing single parent communities and realized that I wasn't alone. I made friends with people who were in the same place I was and some who had been there and made it through. I realized that I wasn't alone and there wasn't anything wrong with me. I met people who were struggling with the same issues I was - some were handling things better than me, some not as well - but we were all doing the best we could with what we had. That was a great comfort to me.
Whether you're new to single parenting or an "old pro," it's vital that you build a support network of people you can trust. You need to have people who understand what you're going through and don't judge you. You need to have people who can let you vent when you need to, then give you a hug when you need it or a kick in the butt when you need it. Below are some of the top single parent communities I've found on the web. If you know of others that I've missed, please leave me a comment!
iHeartSingleParents was founded by Clare Bean and Morgan Siler (who also co-founded Single Parent Magazine) as an authentic community for single parents by single parents. Their goal is to bring single parents together in a positive atmosphere for support, inspiration and fun! The site features discussion forums, groups, chat, and blogs as well as articles, videos, and links to resources for single parents.
Single Parents Connection is a Facebook group founded by Rachel Sarah (author of Single Mom Seeking: Playdates, Blind Dates, and Other Dispatches from the Dating World) and David Mott. Single Parents Connection was started as a gathering place for single parent bloggers but it has grown into a full-blown community.
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SingleRose.com was started in 1995 by Tammy Jones (author of Single Mother Sentiments) as an emotionally supportive resource site for divorced, widowed, and never-married mothers raising children alone. The site features discussion forums, articles written by doctors, lawyers, and psychologists, and links to resources of interest to single mothers. There is also a Single Mom of the Week feature showcasing inspirational single mothers.
ChoiceMoms.org was founded by Mikki Morrissette (author of Choosing Single Motherhood: The Thinking Woman's Guide) to create a supportive, welcoming, educational environment for single women who consciously decide to become mothers without a partner. The site is filled with resources and advice for women considering becoming single mothers and women who have already made the choice. ChoiceMoms also hosts events for single mothers and is involved in advocacy efforts to support single mothers and their children.
Founded by "RJ" Jaramillo, SingleDad.com is the first comprehensive online resource developed for single dads. It provides an extensive array of valuable services, advice and referrals, plus an interactive social network that connects single dads nationwide. SingleDad.com is dedicated to helping single dads navigate through the daily challenges of single parenting by providing the highest quality resources and timely information to support the family’s continued health, wealth and general well-being.
For more information, check out the Durango Single Parent Examiner's article on the Top Single Parent Personalities on the Web.
Comments
Great article! They are all wonderful resources!
Thanks Barbara.
thanks for including www.singlerose.com & my book! I appreciate it.
We are so honored. It means so much to us to be able to provide a safe, supportive authentic community for single moms and single dads.
Thanks for giving iHeartSingleParents the thumbs up!
Great article Barbara. I agree these are all great resources for single parents.
Thanks for the link too! ;)
Thanks so much Barbara! It's so great to see you here. I'll be back for more...
Thank you so much, Barbara. This is terrific.
Please include Single Parent Meetup groups (major cities across the country) to your list. They provide a chance to meet other single parents face to face. We have awesome playdates and fun adult only events for your non parenting night. These groups can be found at www.Meetup.com
Hi Barbara! Thank you for this great article, I can so relate to your situation. Isn't amazing that apart from the Single Rose (hats off to Tammy for being ahead of the game), most of these sites are fairly new. Single parenthood is finally getting some well deserved recognition and your article contributes a great deal.
So true! I felt the same way. I know my friends want to help me, but most of them are not having a similar experience, so they aren't sure how to help. Thanks for the great resources, too! I will pass them on to my other single parent friends.
Thanks so much for linking to these great resources. As a single mom who works with families, I often refer people to these types of sites and some of these are new to me so I am excited to check them out!
thank you for putting up this marvelous resources!
Single mother grants
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