Who would have believed it? There is no doubt that the Coronavirus pandemic has taken us all by surprise. Even those who should have been better informed on the risk of a pandemic sweeping the globe have been caught out! (Coronavirus: World must prepare for pandemic, says WHO).

Sophia Mico gives us some tips on how to speak to our children about racism.

Who would have believed it? There is no doubt that the Coronavirus pandemic has taken us all by surprise. Even those who should have been better informed on the risk of a pandemic sweeping the globe have been caught out! (Coronavirus: World must prepare for pandemic, says WHO).

Who would have believed it? There is no doubt that the Coronavirus pandemic has taken us all by surprise. Even those who should have been better informed on the risk of a pandemic sweeping the globe have been caught out! (Coronavirus: World must prepare for pandemic, says WHO).

Single parents in and around this pandemic seem like a forgotten and underrepresented group of people. There are so many complex and hard hitting issues that we at SPW are hearing and seeing being discussed by our members. From loneliness to anxiety and trying to get a food shop shop slot, to everything in between we are hoping to voice these issues, and document some of them.

It was suggested on the group that we come up with daily ways of combatting the negativity and loneliness and isolation that single parents might feel during the Covid-19 outbreak, and uncertainty in these times.

When I first split from my partner the idea of dating somebody new was not at the top of my priority list, it was more about finding a new house and keeping a 4 year old and a newborn alive on my own.

I posted on our Single Parents FB closed group asking for single parents experiences around online dating, and oh my god, the responses were both funny and concerning. I myself haven’t had any bad experiences with online dating, but I have only been on 3 dates in 5 years, so maybe I’m not the best person to ask. Which is why I reached out to gain some more understanding of this online dating world.

When children are ill it is gross any way, but I realised whilst holding my child’s poo in my hand last night, that when you are a single parent it is extra tough. But mostly I was struck with… The guilt

The thought of another woman ‘mothering’ my little boy has always filled me with dread and fear. A woman I know absolutely nothing about, a woman playing ‘happy families’ with my son and his father, taking over from me.

Teaching your child to ride their bike is right up there with the first time they walk etc. It’s a huge moment for any child learning to ride their bike. Also it is something that single parents express that is especially a proud moment for them as they have done it, often, alone. So we have some tips from Bikeability Wales so that you can tick this off your list of what a super hero parent you are.

My personal feelings after being on a ramble with my children is that my head is clearer, I have roses cheeks and a spring in my step, and the biggest bonus is that my children sleep like, well babies, actually not babies as they don’t sleep well at all, they sleep like logs.

It’s Maternal Mental Health Awareness week and this subject is very close to my heart and a lot of other single mums. As a single parent you are twice as likely to be depressed than a mum in a coupled relationship. I had Post Natal Depression with both of my children, and I want other mums to know that they aren’t alone in their dark feelings and thoughts at this difficult time of having a new baby.

I’m so happy to see that there is a lot more awareness at raising girls in a more gender-neutral way, teaching them to choose which toys they’d like to play with, not directing them to certain types of clothing, and raising them to be strong and independent. We are seeing the rise of lots of little feminists and even the media changing with amazing Disney role models such as Moana.

Life as a lone parent can often bob along without you really noticing that you are not in a partnership and that your child/ren don’t have a relationship with their other parent; but, BUT there are some days of the year where it really does come crashing towards you like an asteroid on the path to destroy your equilibrium and happy bubble.

My experience of having a life threatening illness taught me the absolute need to make memories for my son should I not be around to see him grow up. Putting photos up on Facebook for family and friends to see was the obvious storage choice for me but I realised I needed some kind of order to our enormous  photo collection.

We’re open to publishing a range of blog posts on topics such as self-care, health, wellbeing, free family events, life hacks, mental health services, personal stories and expert advice. Try to hone in on a particular area that you know loads about and this should make it easy for you to write about. Don’t worry if you’re not an expert, your personal experience still counts!