Single Mom in search of Single Mom

Oh thank you thank you! I had no idea there was such a program out there! How wonderful!

I would love to hear about your experiences with this! I have thought about house-sharing, but my teen insists she'll run off any roommates.

Is there a Craigslist in Knoxville? I got my room-mate through Craigslist, and she was a single mom. Mind you, I really wish I hadn't let her move in, because she couldn't pay the rent, and ended up stiffing me for the last month's rent and utilities.

Having her there was good in some ways--our kids did play together--but we didn't end up helping each other with babysitting mostly because of her daughter's severe separation anxiety.

She was pretty clean, but then, she picked up smoking while she lived with me, and actually smoked in her room against my wishes. I lived in an apartment, and she would want to smoke late at night, and wouldn't want to wake her daughter, so she'd stuff towels under the door and open the window, like I wouldn't know. I've got a nose like a dog, so of course I knew, even if finding Sprogly walking around with a cigarette lighter didn't clue me in. And she was not not NOT AP.

Maybe you could post in FYT? Whatever you do, think about it very carefully, and spell out all your expectations in advance. And get a security deposit!

wanna live in Asheville?
i've been wanting to do the same thing....somehow i did get into a roommate situation that i wish i hadn't, and am committed till february 1st, but if ya wanna consider "community" living after that....sure! but i have way higher standards after this experience...*sigh*

pamela

here's us:
~AP
~vegetarian or at least *conscious*, *occasional* meat
~goal of gentle discipline (trying!!)
~non-smoking or drinking (occasional but no drunkenness/addiction) or drugs
~unschooler but NOT for food and bedtimes-- do believe in some limits, which lessen with maturity and age
~video but not television
~not by any standard a neat freak, but a wannabe-- but definitely not a slob-- i can't possibly leave the kitchen dirty to wake up to, and would expect you to feel the same
~have chore turns, not leave up to "whoever gets to it", and live up to responsibilities
~absolutely do NOT think it's ok for kids to climb/jump on furniture or countertops
~do not approve of kids using swear words, or hitting to solve problems

i'm sure there's more, but i can't think of any right now! am i too picky? be honest? do y'all think this is reasonable or too much to ask for?

anyway, i was envisioning a houseful of either single mamas, or a couple small families for a mini-community, only renting.

pamela

Hey! Move to DC instead!!!

Everyone move here to solve my living-with-Mom woes!

i got all excited when i first saw this post. but then i realised can it really work. can u really find someone with whom u can agree. has anyone had a successful single mom room mate. for instance i met a mom with two older kids who live half a block away from me. the mom and i get along v. well as do our children. i really like her parenting style and all the projects seh does with her sons. yet she has the worst diet i have ever experienced with friends. her kids get so much sugar and in my opinion too much tv.

so i think there is always going to be differences. how are we to overcome this. esp. if both moms are WAHM or staying home all the time. that would be hard.

i see with pamela's list a couple of things which would be ok with me not her - like jumping on the couch, the bed and video not tv. these are out there in black and white. there are many more tiny grey areas.

as much as i would love to co abode with another single parent, it would be a really hard thing to do in my opinion.

I think it sounds like a great idea. I put up with lots of crap from dh so almost anyone would seem to be an improvement. The only downside, I am a wannabe tidy person.... there are dirty dishes in my sink as I speak. I've been gone from 8 am til 9 pm the kids are asleep and I think I'll leave the dishes til tomorrow. Of course I am the only adult here and my kids don't seem to notice dirty dishes. I used to be a vegetarian could do that again easily I know it is healthier.

My major is English Lit and my minor is Elementary Education.