Not every baby winds up with Daddy's last name these days! Whether you're a single or married, choosing your baby's last name is a serious decision. Here, moms share four considerations to help you decide which last last to give your baby.
When it comes to blending a family, reality can be very different from expectations! Here, moms share the biggest surprises they encountered when becoming a blended family.
Do you keep your last name after a divorce or ditch it? Here are three reasons for keeping your ex's last name, three reasons to lose it, and the funny truth about making this complicated choice.
There are fewer things more painful for a parent then when a teenaged child chooses to move out. Circle of Moms members who have faced this painful situation share words of comfort and three key strategies for staying "Mom."
Traveling solo with your child can be harder than you think. From obtaining a passport to getting a Consent to Travel form, here are some travel rules and precautions single parents ought to know.
"I feel as if my daughter has to actively and constantly find things to say about me that are negative and invented, in order to justify her rage at me," says a mom going through Parental Alienation Syndrome. What can a parent do about PAS?
Home alone for the holidays? Circle of Moms members who are single and girding to celebrate the holidays without their kids share 5 tips for staving off the holiday blues.
How do you explain why Dad's never around? Moms who are parenting solo share the key messages to give to a child wrestling with feelings of abandonment.
Making the plans to spend time with family over the holidays is tough, but for blended families it can be a nightmare! Here are three tips to help you finesse the holiday shuffle.
Remarried moms say that parents who expect previously unrelated children to live harmoniously under one roof, à la The Brady Bunch, are in for a rude awakening. Here they share the scoop on what it's really like to blend— plus 5 tips that make it easie
What do you tell a child who wants her amicably divorced parents to remarry? Here, divorced moms share 3 tips for ensuring that a good relationship with a former husband doesn't become a sore spot for the kids.
What are the most common fears moms face when they think about going it alone, and how do they overcome them? Single moms share how they overcome financial uncertainty, loneliness, and the fear of losing custody.
Should step-moms have equal say in family decision making? Here, step-moms share five reasons why they have a key role to play in family decision making — and why everyone wins when they participate fully.
Teens aren't easy to parent, so what do you do when you're parenting them alone? Single moms share five savvy tips for overcoming the hurtles involved in raising teenagers — whether you're doing it alone or with a partner.
"I know you're disappointed in me. Trust me, so am I. All I want is to be your little girl and I ruined it." Teen moms speak out about what it's really like to face pregnancy when you're still a child yourself, and how it changed them.
What happens to friendships between moms when one of them gets divorced? Here, moms who've survived a split offer three ways for newly single moms to maintain friendships with friends who remain coupled.
When is it absolutely a no-no for step parents to weigh in on decisions about their step children? Here are 3 parenting situations moms generally flag as areas of caution for step-moms, plus wisdom on how to tread when these issues come up.
How do you explain divorce to children? Here are 5 strategies for breaking news of a separation, split, or divorce to your grade school-aged kids, as shared by moms who've been through it.
A child's upcoming birthday, once a cause for simple, joyful anticipation, can work single or divorced parents into a lather. Do you host a party together? At whose home? And who's invited? Here, divorced moms share 3 good ways to answer these questions.
What happens to your friendships when you divorce? Moms who've lived through a post-divorce friendship shuffle share five tips for minimizing damage and holding on to the friendships that really matter — whether you're the divorcee or the friend of one.
Many moms who have step-children or who are remarried struggle to know when it's appropriate for a stepparent to "step up" and be a disciplinarian to a spouse's children. Here are four tips to consider as you broach this issue within your own family.
Why get married? a growing number of young moms are asking. Here, they share the reasons they’re living with the fathers of their children rather than marrying them.
Want to know how to strengthen your marriage while also juggling parenthood? Ask a mom who is divorced! Here, moms whose marriages have ended confide the hard lessons they've learned — 5 useful tips for every couple raising children.
Telling your children can be one of the hardest parts of ending a marriage. Here, moms who've divorced share five hard-earned pieces of wisdom on helping kids through that fateful conversation — and the life changes that follow.
When it comes to dating as a single mom, one of the toughest challenges is introducing a new partner to your children. To make the process easier, moms who've been there offer four tips on how to finesse this all-important introduction.
Do stepparents have any rights at all when it comes to children they have raised as their own? Here are the most common questions stepmoms ask on this issue, and a look at the ways families around the country are dealing with them.
No matter who she hears the news from, learning that the father of her children is remarrying is almost always an awkward and painful experience for a mom. So would it actually be better to hear it from the new wife than from the ex spouse?
How do you establish and maintain a positive connection with your in-laws — post divorce? Here, divorced moms share wisdom gleaned from navigating relationships with their children's grandparents, aunts, and uncles after a breakup.
For a long time, my new husband and I were sure that having a baby together was a terrible idea. But eventually we did. My daughter was 14 and my son was almost 8 when their half-brother was born. And here's how he changed my blended family for the better.
When you're a single mom, how do you know when to introduce your kids to the guy you're dating? When is the right time to start dating after having a baby? And how do you know whether the guy is going to treat your kids well? Here, members provide answers.
Step-siblings don't have a parent in common. Sometimes they don’t have anything in common, which can cause a lot of conflict. Here's how moms can help.
Like many Circle of Mom members who are step moms, Bianca N. has a dirty little secret: “It’s been a tough ride with my husband’s kids." She wonders, "Am I terrible for disliking my step children?" Here's what to do if you're in her shoes.
There are few moments as heart-wrenching as when your teen tells you he wants to live with his dad. But how you respond is what really matters. Here, Circle of Moms members share a few things that ease the transition — and the pain.
After a separation or divorce, co-parenting gives your children a continued sense of stability and the chance to continue good relationships with both parents. But how do you co-parent with someone who won’t let the past go?
Circle of Moms members who are parenting solo agree that loneliness is hands down the toughest part of single motherhood. In the spirit of helping one another to feel less isolated, our members share the five toughest parts of single parenting.
When you're a single mom, people think your personal life is their business. Here are my "favorite" rude questions, the ones that truly drive me nuts as a single, divorced mom... and the answers I'd give if I could really speak what's on my mind!
It's not easy being a single mom. But Mary M., who is raising two teens alone, says she's learned to love it. Here, she and other members describe the upside of single motherhood — the special gifts that emerge when you raise your kids alone.
We asked you to vote for your favorite bloggers in the Top 25 Single Moms - 2012, and now we're thrilled to announce the winners! Here are your top 25 bloggers, sharing in their own words what makes their blog unique and tipping you off to their favorite p
"There are things that I would never do, as a Mom, that they did." An honest look at how the divorce of their own parents has shaped the way five moms are raising their kids.
Blended families bring unique challenges to the role of "mom," whether you're in it as step-mom, biological mom, or both. So we asked our readers to nominate their favorite blended family bloggers, and we're now thrilled to announce the winners!
The moms behind these blogs face formidable challenges and still manage to share not only their very personal stories, but also their hard-won and inspiring perspectives on overcoming life's challenges. Read on for words of strength, support and hope.
I am divorced and single and consequently not having sex. As in not getting my groove back. Many of you married moms out there probably aren't having sex either, darn shame for the both of us isn't it? But here's why I'm okay with it.
Sure, it would be great if you could stay together for your children's sake. But what happens when the only way to end the constant fighting — and hold on to your self esteem — is to walk away?
