When we talk about single parenting I know that the assumption is that single parents are lonely. And often that is true. The hardest part can be the weekends, when your mum friends are spending time with their partners on family days out so you’re stuck on your own. Or holidays like Easter and Valentine’s.
I am not blind to the reality of relationships, though, please don’t think I’m staring wistfully off into the distance thinking that you’re all experiencing perfection, I know that’s far from the truth. And I also knew that this would be the case - I was prepared for it.
One of the unexpected lonely parts of single parenting is that there is nobody to share the cute. Nobody to share the excitement.
What do I mean?
The two children hugging in the bath. Judah talking about how he’s giving her a “huggy hug” and I just melt and I want to turn to somebody and say – isn’t that the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen?
I want somebody to tell Judah’s jokes to when they get home, but there’s just me laughing to myself.
Autumn-Violet was being so cute today refusing to go to sleep and practising her rolling skills and my heart felt like it was going to overflow and I just felt like my love was too big for just me to contain.
I took a photo of the children in the bath and it was so beautiful and I knew I couldn’t share it on social media so I sent it to a friend – “will you be my kids’ dad and appreciate this with me?”
And of course she did, because she’s a diamond.
Maybe I overshare on social media, that’s true – but sometimes I just need somebody to catch the overflow of my love for these fascinating, beautiful beings.
