I thought of it and I realized that there really isn’t anything anyone can do to help. I commented that I take pride in not asking anyone for anything, but if I really had to ask it wouldn’t be money. I’d love a guilt-free night out. By guilt-free, I mean not feeling like I shouldn’t be spending money, I shouldn’t be out having fun, I shouldn’t have ditched my daughter.

And this is not anything anyone can do for me or give me. This is my own issue, much like a lot of the issues that other single parents have. I did note some of the comments and general ideas from the article that people think would help single parents manage better.

Time. Couples barely have enough time to devote to parenting, but single parents would kill for just a couple more hours in the day. Most are working double time already and factor in actually spending the time with the children and keeping your home from looking like an episode of Hoarders, and well, you’re looking at like 3 hours left to sleep. Unless someone has a time machine, this one is hopeless.

Mentoring. Many single mothers and fathers would like some form of mentoring, not only for their children but for themselves as well. I had considered being a part of the Kinship in my area which is similar to the Boys & Girls Club because I thought it would be nice to help a child in my area, but realized that at this point in my life, I cannot give another child the time and attention they deserve. Plus, it’s a program for single parents to use and as a single parent, I felt kind of silly. As far as mentoring the parents, I have a fantastic family that helps me out quite a bit, but there are single parents that don’t have this kind of connection and could use a service that included education and mentoring.

Scholarships. This is a big one for me, although I hope with everything that the budgeting and saving will help out when it’s time for my daughter to go to college, I’m still not sure. I don’t think anyone wants specific scholarships designed for kids of single parents (that wouldn’t be fair) but maybe more opportunities for lower income families? I don’t know. Some will say we already have plenty of those. I wish there were some kind of coupon or guarantee someone could give me that when the time comes, I won’t have to worry about it.

Single Mom Camps and Nights Out. Many comments included ideas like this where someone would organize a camp or night out for single parents and also provide some kind of daycare service to watch the children while the parents participated. As I said in the intro, I don’t know if I’d feel any less guilty about it if it’s organized, but I can see how a lot of people would like to take part in events like these if they were available.

I guess the point is, that it’s not just me, but many single parents aren’t asking for money. There are a lot of other things, less tangible sometimes, that we’d choose if asked. By the way, I could also use some help cleaning because my house really does look like an episode of Hoarders.

If you’re a single parent, what would you like? Or what do you think would help make things better? If you’re not a single parent, I’d like your thoughts as well.