I'm a single person with a kid.

[Maddy McCall]

I know...the downfall of western civilization can be laid squarely at my feet.

Go ahead and bash me. :7

[WI_DEM]

1. It's about time single people with goats stepped up and took

responsibility for the mess they have made in this country.

[Maddy McCall]

2. M-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a.

:7

[candy]

8. I was one of 2 kids of a single mother--Good luck and

don't let the bastards get you down.

[Damien]

31. lol

[xmas74]

3. Me too!

I get enough bashing from the townfolks.

[Ready4Change]

4. I'm close.

Married, with no intention to have kids. When I've mentioned it I've had people react as if I had put a gun to Jesus's head. One guy said "You've got to have kids or Mexicans are going to take over the country."

So apparently you aren't tearing down our civilization all on your lonesome.

[blondeatlast]

13. The logic is making my head really hurt....

But dammit, Ready4Change, when those Mexicans take over the country, I'll know exactly who is responsible.

Damn you single mothers and childless couples! :eyes:

I'm a happily married mom, so you can't point at me! :evilgrin:

[enigmatic]

20. Me too..

My wife and I have gotten the most bizarre, confrontational responses from people when they've found out; it's like we were Satanists...

[Bunny]

5. Me too. And, I'm on the heavy side. And I eat meat.

On the plus side, I quit smoking six years ago, so I must have some redeeming value!

C'mon bashers! Wanna piece of me and Maddy?

:P

[Maddy McCall]

10. LOL! I own a gun.

Let's up the ante a little bit, shall we? :toast:

[blondeatlast]

15. You let the deconstructionists down when you missed your quarterly a....

Ahem; nevermind. Nothing to see here.

[villager]

6. I'm a p/t single parent with 2 kids...

What I mean is... one is *always* a parent. Since my marriage fell apart, I've had my boys about half the time during the school year (2 1/2 - 3 1/2 days a week, incl. weekends, depending), though I do most of the summer/winter travel with them, too...

But spending a good part of my life as a single parent (cooking, laundry, birthday parties!), while trying to "balance" the other, ostensibly "grown up" things, has given me nothing but empathy for those who are in single parent mode for 18 straight years!

[TyeDye75]

9. Your situation is similar to that

of my own mum... and I admire her tremedously for the job she has done/is doing.

[villager]

16. did she "share" you with your dad, then?

I never expected this kinda curveball when my babies were born. Thought the wife & I had a lifetime thing, even if the road was rocky at times.

She thought otherwise.

It's tough -- you want to provide a "normal," balanced life for them on "your" days, too...

[TyeDye75]

18. they divorced when I was two...

he had us for every other weekend until he died in 1995 when I was 9 Im now nearly 19.

It just really makes me uncomfartable when people bash ..any single parent...people say they ruin society well as far as Im concerned theyre holding it together.

[villager]

35. statistically, it appears we have no choice!

There are fewer and fewer "intact" households/marriages anymore!

[SarahB]

24. That's my situation as well.

We're excellent parents together, but we don't much like one another. Weird maybe, but I'm ok with it at this point.

[the Princess]

7. Cry me a river

You're breathin aint ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!}(

[LoZoccolo]

11. Do you bring your kid to restaurants with waiters?

You shouldn't.

[Maddy McCall]

12. Yep. Just left one.

My kid has impeccable manners. I raised him right.

[SarahB]

21. It amazing how they can actually learn to behave.

My children are given a lot of freedom at home to express themselves (which I think helps), but when we go out they know how to act right as well.

[Lilith Velkor]

22. Then why did you leave him in the restaurant?

:evilgrin:

[enigmatic]

25. Congrats..

And I seriously mean that; I wish there were more parents like you out there. It seems like manners is a lost cause these days; from working in restuarants most of my life I've seen it up close to often.

[Maddy McCall]

29. Bet you've never seen any obnoxious, unruly adults, though.

:-)

[enigmatic]

37. Only me!

;)

[politicaholic]

14. You horrid woman. Without a male role model children grow up to be...

normal.

I know my brother and I are.

Oh, and sorry about the whole "going to hell" thing for the children out of wedlock. Go Buddist, I doubt they care about that.

[ashmanonar]

30. meh.

kids grow up fine, unless you specifically train them to be assholes (with a lifetime of preferential treatment and buying their way through EVERYTHING) case in point: bush.

with or without a male or female role model, if they're taught right, they'll grow up right.

i have both parents still, and i turned out just...um...well, i'm not a neocon! :7

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

40. actually Maddy is a male role model

trapped in a woman's body :D

[Maddy McCall]

41. Gosh! I never thought about it like that.

You're right! :-)

[radwriter0555]

17. what for? Us single parents do a damned fine job raising kids.

Bill Clinton was raised by a single mom on welfare no less. He's fine so far....

[ashmanonar]

26. yep. even became president!

he's probably one of those few who actually came from a poor background, and pulled himself up by his bootstraps (or hillary's) to become president. the real american dream.

carter was too, i believe.

unfortunately, that doesn't go for most of our recent presidents.

[micrometer_50]

19. No bashing from me.

I had sole custody of my two after divorcing their mother when they were 3 and 4 years old.
It might have been better if I had found a new partner, but there didn't seen to be time.

On another note, how are your button quail?

My favorite 4-H project was raising 100 day-old chicks.
I sometimes wish I was located out of town so I could raise pheasant.

Anyhow, keep on keepin' on.

[yvr girl]

23. I can top that. I'm the biggest freak of all

I'm 38, single and have no children. It doesn't get more evil than me.

[enigmatic]

27. I hear you..

Try being over 35, married, and childfree. We might as well be lepers in some's eyes.

[Tikki]

28. I've been wanting to say this for the longest time...

THANK YOU single Moms and Dads, who are raising a child/children by yourself.... for picking up the ball and running with it...even when the course you are running on seems like it is scattered with every road block imaginable and the road you are on is never-ending.

You must know that during the hours, each week, that I am the sole caregiver for my two year old grandson..I might have gotten a glimpse into how lonely, frightened, concerned, hopeful, tired, determined and loved a parent, alone, must feel.

Tikki

[Maddy McCall]

44. Great big huge hugs to you!

This post is sent with much love and admiration. :loveya: :hug:

[GOPisEvil]

32. Are you homosexual as well?

No?

Too bad...please play again. :7

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

33. You know, there are a handful of asses on this site that knock children

and parenting, but those people are not the majority..in fact, the posts of reasonable people are often drowned out by the posts of fanatics on both sides.

That said, given that I know you took your son out of school when the school system threatened his well being, I trust you'd never make the poor kid suffer through Mexican food after he's had a coughing attack, vomited twice and given any reasonable person the impression that he's sicker than a dog!

[SarahB]

34. I think parents need not get so touchy.

Most of us try to do a good job and while we've all had the infamous "toddler grocery store meltdown", we need not get so defensive either. On a thread once where I agreed that children shouldn't be brought to fancy restaurants late at night, I was flamed as being a "kid-hater". Yep, that's why I became a mom, have a degree in early childhood education, and now work in pediatric medicine. Damn, he got me. :eyes:

Still though, as much as I love children, I don't want to fork over a ton of money at a nice restaurant to hear someone else's 2 year scream there at 9:00 at night.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

38. Truth be told for all the people screaming ELITIST when they see

these threads, my observations in Southern California are as follows.

If I am in a coffee shop type restaurant with the common folk, they DO tend to their children and attempt to socialize them.
If I am in an upscale trendy restaurant in Santa Monica with the "beautiful people" of Pacific Palisades, it's usually THEIR kids running amok. But that's just my experience.

Either way, if a parent makes a reasonable effort to have their kids behave, I'll never fault them. Kids are kids.

IF the parent is enjoying THEIR meal while their child terrorizes me, I ask the waiter to tell the parent to keep their kid at their table or pay for MY meal. I'm negotiable :D

[SarahB]

42. I don't get that line of thinking.

Well, I kind of do. It's the "show pony" mentality with children. Kids aren't "things" to show off while you sit there and "do lunch". They're human beings, inexperienced human being who need much guidance and then, when they're ready, can go to the more grown-up places. The kids would have a lot more fun if they grabbed sandwiches from Subway and got to have a picnic at the playground.

[Maddy McCall]

43. Preach it, sista!

:loveya:

[GOPisEvil]

46. This is EXACTLY what I was thinking!

"... if a parent makes a reasonable effort to have their kids behave, I'll never fault them. Kids are kids."

[enigmatic]

39. I know the thread you speak of..

And you were one of the few sane posters on it. Again, you "get it".

[Samurai_Writer]

36. Another single mom here

Raised two boys, both 23 years old now. One since birth, the other, a foster son, for 5 years. Believe me, I know what you mean. Heck, check out my signature. LOL

Peace,
Bella

[Debi]

45. I was a single mom for 5 years

After I divorced the asshole and before I married the wonderful man who not only wanted to share the rest of his life with me, but also adopted my son from the asshole so he would leave us alone forever!!

And, you know, my son was much nicer when it was just the two of us (of course he was 2-7 years old) Now, that he has a real dad he's a brat (of course he's 16 - we've been married for 8 years).

Hmmm