Attachment Parenting as a single parent...

[jaidymama]

So, I'm a single mom to an only. Every now and then my parenting (and perhaps his behavior) skids off the road into the ditch. We dust ourselves off and get going again...  I talk to friends for advice/support, yet it's different b/c they each have a partner who can help with things. I go to parenting classes that generally seem like ideas that would work great in a 2 parent household. Now, I want to be cautious about stereotyping and avoid sounding like a victim. But it's darn hard right now.

What have you found helpful in the moment when you know you've driven off the cliff, or are about to? What do you do to prevent yourself from losing it with your kids? Are there single parenting books you would recommend for Attachment style parenting?

oh-and if there's another thread that discusses this I'd be glad to read what others have asked/answered before.

thank you ! 

[Chantelle691]

Hm. I'm a single mom to an only as well. How old is your ds?

[floss&ferd]

Just remember that those great ideas in parenting books, don't always translate into real family life.   And if you had a partner, it doesn't mean you would automatically agree on every single parenting decision.   

I was a single mom with my first until she was 4 and she was just an easy kid.   I was married with my next two kids.   It was nice when they were babies/toddlers to have help at times even if the help wasn't always reliable and I had to beg for it.  But as they got older, it was actually easier to just take care of them by myself because of issues with my ex.

My kids are happier, well-behaved and doing better in school post divorce and I think the 100% consistently of rules/routines in my house are a big factor.   Ex was bad about under-minding rules partly to annoy me and partly out of laziness on his part.  

Figure out what routines work for your ds and stick to them.   For me, sleep is a big issue.   A good bedtime routine keeps me sane.   For example, I was very big on the co-sleeping, etc with my oldest and not as much with my younger kids.    You just have to decide what works for you and not work yourself to exhaustion to try and meet some parenting ideal.   (Which I am totally guilty of for years and years.)