Parenting Solo

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The True Story

In many cases—OK, most cases—people are single parents because it is their best or only option. Despite what you hear in the media, single parenting is not all bad news—not at all. If you can manage to sort out the difficult issues of money, childcare, and your relationship (if any) with the child's other parent, single parenting can be a joy. You can gain an increased closeness with your kid, plus the increased sense of control or the opportunity to parent from your own vision.

It's vital to get support, though. Here are a few tips from the experts (single parents):

Sandi and Dan's Story

Sandi's life as a single parent began when she accidentally got pregnant by her "kind of" boyfriend Dan, even though she was on the birth control pill. Though Dan urged her to terminate the pregnancy, Sandi ultimately decided to have the baby—by herself, if need be. Dan was not happy about her decision. Sandi continued the pregnancy.

When Amanda was born, Dan was still partially in the picture. He'd spend the night a couple of times a week with Sandi, and he'd take Amanda for an occasional half hour. But Amanda was a difficult, high-energy, colicky baby, and Dan had trouble coping with the situation. Dan dropped in and out—once in a while he'd take the baby for an outing, but too often he'd cancel at the last minute, change his plans.