We wonder if this sounds familiar to any of you:

This woman became a single mom three years ago, after she caught her husband having an affair. Today, she has a son who’s thriving in kindergarten and a full-time job as a medical assistant. And she has started dating again.

“But my mom says that I’m being selfish,” she tells us. “My mom tells me that I shouldn’t date until my son has gone off to college. Is she crazy, or what?”

“I pay all my bills and I try my best to be a great mom to my son,” she adds. “I think I deserve to have a special person in my life.”

Her mother, however, calls daily to “check in.” She drops by most weekends, too.

“It makes me mad that my mother does this. I don’t know if she’s jealous or lonely. She never dated again after she and my own dad got divorced. Maybe she just needs some attention.”

“But sometimes, I worry that there’s some truth in what she says. Am I really doing something wrong?”

My mother’s words really sting.

I wonder: Am I being selfish for trying to “get a life” before my kindergartener leaves for college. Should I just concentrate on parenting?

Here’s what this single mom needs to know:

How can you tell if your “private” activities do interfere with your parenting responsibilities?

Have other single parents endured such criticism from their moms?

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And now…the winners of our recent contests!

Congrats to Teresa at vietnamwithkids.com for winning the Nanny Care Package!

Congrats to Anna and Jennifer from Our Beautiful Baby for winning How to Marry the Wrong Guy.

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