Moving in together?

A single mom whom we adore has contacted us for some help. She asked if we’d post her current dilemma here — anonymously — and we gladly agreed. So, here’s her situation: “I’ve been dating an amazing guy for more than a year and we’re talking about taking the next step: moving in together!” She [...]

What’s your child support status?

A single mom friend recently posted  a comment on Facebook that hit us hard. As experienced solo moms, we understand the challenge she faces. Frankly, we applaud her pragmatism. Nonetheless, we also understand exactly what it feels like to conclude reluctantly that — somehow — “the system” just does not work. Here’s what this single mom [...]

Working it: Do you work from home?

Both of us had financial problems – BIG TIME – after our respective relationships blew up. Struggling to meet our kids’ needs AND pay the bills was incredibly challenging. We’re still both financially cautious. And we’re thankful every time we can pay ALL the bills — on time. Frankly, we get overly worked up about [...]

Do your parents help you out?

We’re always amazed by your resiliency and boundlessly energetic spirit. Your successful efforts to juggle both kid and career responsibilities truly do inspire. We know it isn’t easy. Many of you chimed in to tell us that help for you comes in the form of house sharing with your parents. Often this is the only [...]

Is child care a fair trade for child support?

Our conversation about what child support is supposed to cover made it crystal clear that the financial woes caused by paltry child support have stretched some of your budgets to the breaking point. Child support (or the lack of it) fundamentally influences SO many of our life choices. That’s that plain truth. And here’s more: [...]

What exactly is child support supposed to cover?

You’ve let us know that many of you struggle with the outrageous choices your co-parent makes. And we know (first hand) how difficult it is to manage your budget when child support is undependable — or nonexistent. The compromises many of you make to keep peace with your ex for the kids’ sake are nothing [...]

Do you go faux shopping?

We’ve all been doing more than our share of artful compromising and careful prioritizing in this iffy economy. Yet a dollar can stretch only so far. And when you’re budget-weary — and tired of the catalogs filled with enticing stuff you can’t afford (or just plain exhausted from constant money hassles) — you might crave [...]

When you and your ex disagree about medical decisions

This week, we got another email from a single parent blogger who doesn’t feel comfortable blogging openly about her dilemma.  She contacted us to ask for some help ASAP. All of you are so generous about offering co-parenting advice. We’re lucky we can count on each other. So, this mom and her ex-husband have had [...]

Pushing the co-parenting envelope too far?

Because so many of you are co-parenting pros, we’re reaching out to you again. So, a single dad who comments here very often has come to us for some advice. Can you help? This father of two has been raising his kids alone for the past five years, ever since his ex told him “I [...]

Should I give my kid an allowance in the New Year?

As the holidays wind down, are you looking forward to getting back into your routine? We really get it. One single mom wrote to us this week to say that although she should feel well-rested after the holidays, she’s exhausted. “It was great to have the extra time to clean my apartment from top to [...]

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