I can't imagine being a single parent...
By aejey322
@aejey322 (1004)
Philippines
September 11, 2012 9:42pm CST
It was quarter to 12 when I was awaken by my 7-month old baby's cry last night. I touched him to pacify him but it didn't helped. I was alone last night because my husband attended a get-together with his high school classmates because one of them came home from working abroad.
I carried my baby and tried to rock him to sleep. But it was not working. He kept on crying and I have no idea what he is complaining of. But I associated his being fussy with his teething. I just tried and did everything to get him back to sleep (tried to bottlefeed him, put on his pacifier, etc.) but he didn't. Then suddenly my stomach came rumbling. I had a stomach upset earlier after I ate dinner. I need to go to the comfort room but I have no one to leave my baby with. I tried knocking our helper's room but think she is in deep sleep as she didn't even heard my knock and my baby's cry. I was cramming but I kept myself calm so I can think what to do.
I put him in his walker and quickly did what I need to do. I immediately washed and sanitized my hands and came back to him as he was crying again. We went back to the room. I turned on the lights and he stopped crying. I tried rocking him again so he will get back to sleep, but he's starting to cry again. This time, my 2-year-old also started crying because he was disturbed in his sleep. I came to him and calm him down. Good that he get back to sleep immediately. This time, I called my husband to come home before my stomach starts rumbling again.
I looked at my baby's face as I carried him. He seems so awake now. He was busy looking at the surroundings. I turned off the lights again so he could get into a sleeping atmosphere but he started to cry again. I turned on the tv and he stopped crying. And now he's smiling at me. Seems like he wants me to play with him. But it was 12 in the midnight. But I did...
When my husband arrived, he got even more awake upon seeing him, and even chuckled when my husband extended his arms to get him.
To make the story short (even if it's already long), we all slept at 1 am.
When I saw my baby fell back to sleep, I suddenly realized it's difficult to be a single parent and have nobody who can help you do all the parenthood things. That's why I salute all single parents who survived taking care of their kids alone.
1 person likes this
8 responses
@homeshoppers (6166)
• Philippines
12 Sep 12
Im a single parent though my mother is helping me, shes the one who took care of my baby most of the time as shes also well experience in everything, besides i work a lot so i only have few time for my baby that normally i even sleep at home and my mother said my baby keep on kissing me even if im sleeping, though bad thing is if im awake as she want me to carry her over and she doesnt want to let go as she cried a lot, my mother said its alright as she might just want some time with me and want to feel that shes also important for me. The most hardest part being a single parent is the financial support as no one is helping me but just me alone since the father doesnt bother to give his share and his smart enough to think of not to give his name to his child thinking it will make me push him give money to support her child through legal way if my baby bear his name, and so when he said that i might use it to ask a lot from him i told him to just go out and leave us alone.
The heck with him, his not even there during my pregnancy and not even during my delivery and not even there for my baby's hospitalization and i never ask any from him and he have the guts to tell me that i might just going to use his name to ask a lot of money from him huh. Though its not about money but its the real right of my baby to have his name but then i decided that i would be very happy if i will not give his name to my daughter as my name is more rightful to my daughter than him.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
6 Nov 12
oh mydear home shopper I would like to g ive him a virtual kick in the pants for how he has treated you.You know really giving your daughter your name instead will show him for the fool he must be. I hope your mom can really really help you care for your sweet child.I wish though that the law could force him to at least pay you some child support
. what a rotten man he is.
. what a rotten man he is.
@dodo19 (47336)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
5 Nov 12
I can't imagine that it would be easy. I'm a stay-at-home mom, and I'm just lucky that my husband is so willing to help out when he comes home from school, and such. I do have a lot of respect for those, who actually have the courage and are able to do it by themselves.
1 person likes this
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
13 Sep 12
I know what you mean - my husband was recently away for 4 days and I felt like I was so disorganized. Everything was so much harder; I can't imagine what it would be like if I was a single parent and also had to do everything on a single income.
1 person likes this
@savypat (20216)
• United States
12 Sep 12
Children who have both parents are very lucky, if it is a happy marriage. But so many marriages don't last and the children end up with mostly one parent, this makes a difficult job even harder for all involved. Treasuer your marriage and do what it takes to make each other happy, it's not always easy but worth the effort. Blessings
1 person likes this
@jaiho2009 (39141)
• Philippines
12 Sep 12
Being single and a parent is not a joke.
Yes, not to mention the hardship of caring the child alone.
Let the financial aspect comes the bigger problem on this matter.
Lucky are the single parents who receives support from the father/mother of the child.
But what if there is no financial support- that's the hardest part of it.
@STOUTjodee (3573)
• United States
12 Sep 12
As a single parent, you have to do what you have to do. It's not an easy job, especially when you have to work and then come home and take care of the child/children, but when they grow up you can give yourself a pat on the back a say what a good job you did!
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
6 Nov 12
hi aejey oh me too as mine were 11 months apart so I was always busy and my husband was so good with them both so he would spell me he eve bathed them and put them to bed while I did the dishes. He had cooked the meal. lol I am elderly now and my son is 53 now but he was a night owl when he was a baby.I cannot fathom how a single mom does it as what if you need help and there's nobody there of course I guess a lot of moms could call their mom I hope.
so unds like your baby wanted company lol my son w as like that too.
@leeandrew (1225)
• Philippines
7 Nov 12
I can relate to what you just said. I can't do it alone too, not without a husband to support me. We have a one year old daughter here and she's very active and she was a cry baby too when she was younger. I'm just thankful that hubby was there to help me calm our baby. There were time when hubby has to carry her climbing the stairs up and down because it's what makes her not cry.
I raise my two hands to single parents out there who work as well as takes care of their kids at the same time. God bless them and so us too. :)
