There’s an interesting conversation brewing on this post from months ago: Help me I’m drowning: single mother overload
Folks trying to get it right, do the right thing, carry a certain amount of guilt and self-recrimination around. Believe me, it’s the narcissists and sociopaths who think they are perfect, can do no wrong, and expect the world to bend and warp and change to accomodate them.
And everyone’s breaking point is different. We can each only do so much before we run screaming for the hills. Add a few hours of poopy diapers, Barney, teen aged angst, and a smidge of a tantrum and there you have it. No amount of Calgon in the world could take you far enough away.
I’ve got it good. I’ve made some serious trade-offs to have it this good, though. I pay a lot in rent to live so close to my parents who, in turn, are there for me and my son whenever we need them. And often when we don’t need them, but would like to have them around. But even though I rarely have to worry about what to do with the kid, I feel guilty.
What do you think, single mothers? Do we have the right to bitch every once in a while? Can we understand that one woman’s crisis is another woman’s before breakfast routine? Can we be more supportive of each other?
Can I finish my work for tomorrow morning’s event at work before midnight?
Let me hear it now, sisters: YES WE CAN.
*thud*
Oh yes. Let the wild migrane begin. >.@
Anna, you’re right. Do all you can whenever you can and don’t sweat the small stuff.
NASM, you said it. I’ve even got a post on here somewhere about driving around the beltway with the windows down and the music up loud so you can scream a bit.
It is a big transition, from doing half (OK more than half) to doing everything, and I think it’s a pretty steep learning curve. You can’t stop life to say, “Hey! I’m sorry I didn’t plan well enough to get to that one last thing… Can I have a do-over?” If the laundry doesn’t get done, it doesn’t get done. Thank goodness I accepted early on that I just don’t care what other people think because they are not living my life.
It can be done, but we cannot be too hard on ourselves. It’s a constant life lesson, and we have to be able to accept less than perfection! We also have to accept the help that is offered (difficult for some of us with a smidge of pride).
Of course we can. Especially with the support of other single parents in the blogosphere or right here in person.
Single parents Unite!
and have a good scream or cry now and again to keep our sanity!
Good luck on your work event