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New member? Introduce yourself here!

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Star contributor
Janine-RO

Re: New member? Introduce yourself here!

Hi @mia123 , 


Thanks so much for sharing your experiences here - single parenting can be incredibly challenging and you sound like a strong and resilient person - I love what you say here especially: . I know this of your situation, because I've been through this experience, is that you're stronger than you think and coming here is proof of that. 

I was also a sole parent for several years, and I agree - it can sometimes feel like every day is a battle, but it also showed me that I was stronger than I realised. I think what you say about having to help yourself before you help your children is also such an important thing to realise. It's sometimes easier said than done though. It's great that you have been able to give yourself space and find support to grieve the end of your marriage- and I agree, there's something about getting to the beach or out in nature that can be so therapeutic and calming. How are you and your family travelling at the moment?  

 

 

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Active scribe
Kat70

Re: New member? Introduce yourself here!

Hi @mia123, thanks for your message. You have said it, I need to look after myself and grief things I haven't grieved yet. Your message gives me a lot of inspiration. Thank you. 

Active scribe
Kat70

Re: New member? Introduce yourself here!

Thanks @Hannah-RO 

Active scribe
Kat70

Re: New member? Introduce yourself here!

Hi @Janine-RO , thanks for your lovely message. We are in the middle of the storm now, and I hope that we will get through this at some point. I don't have family here, so I am relying on my friends, that have been a great support so far. 

Parent/Carer Community Champion
Birdwings

Re: New member? Introduce yourself here!

Hi Kat 70,

Thanks so much for joining our parent forum. I like to think of us hanging out at a cafe somewhere having coffee together and helping each other out. I have some serious health issues and have to be careful with covid. So, coming here made a lot of sense. My husband and I are still married, but our family has been through a lot of trauma around more acute phases with my health and the repeated and ongoing threat of losing a parent has impacted out kids. Not all the time, but I've found that we need to revisited things about every 18 months to update their understanding of things to their current stage of maturity. Our kids are just about to turn 17 and 15.  Both has anxiety and there's some depression there as well. Our son has tried to take his life in front of me once and has threatened a number of times. Our Last year our 15 year old daughter was caught taking a bottle of vodka to school and also drank a fair amount of it. That came as a huge shock because I had no idea she was drinking. She was suspended for 4 days after that. Found out she'd been having vodka cruisers at parties. That was like a bomb going off, and it was hard to know what to do. 

I ended up going back to advice we had when the kids wee really small about spending "special time" with them which last 15 minutes and you focus on what they're doing. With her being older, it was different. However, we've been shopping, had coffee together, and I've had to drive her to some dance competitions and the time in the car is always beneficial. To me, it's about building and maintaining those grass root connections with our kids. Getting them comfortable to a point where they're talking about their friends and what's going on at school and it doesn't al come at once but every bit counts, especially when you're starting out. It's like playing Scrabble and pulling a letter out of the bag, but after awhile the board starts to fill up. 

Addressing the sense of abandonment you all feel, that's a tricky one. Many of us have these traumas which seemingly live with us like a backpacker whose taken over your couch and next thing has taken over your house. For me, there are some really traumatic memories of when I was first diagnosed and put into hospital in a wheelchair and didn't know what was happening. You wouldn't know looking at me now, but that trauma flares up and I wonder why. Why have you come back out of your box and why can't you go away. Well, like you I'm dealing with lingering fallout, especially as I haven't been in paid work for a long time and I have mixed feelings about that. 

While it might seem like it's impossible to heal from this, and it's much harder when your husband and father has left and abandoned you than dealing with a inanimate illness, I do believe that improvement, recovery and healing are possible and that we have to keep chipping away and not accepting this intruder in our lives. Not letting it become us, or take over who we are. Yet, at the same time, I've also found acknowledging what happened and how you feel are important. That could look something along the lines of "I know you're here but you're not going to get the better of me. Or, the best of me." All you have to do is stay a step ahead.

I probably should explain that last bit. I've always seen my health issues as a separate entity. They have never been me, although I often refer to it as my disease, simply because it's very rare. This perspective came from working in HIV/AIDS communication many years ago where the correct lingo was the someone was "living with HIV/AIDS".  I can be a literal at times, and am when I became ill myself I saw my disease as an obsessed stalker who'd moved in. I then wrote a short story about that and there was this bizarre twist at the end...I introduced him to someone else on RSVP. 

Anyway, I hope I haven't digressed too much there, but I thought this might help.

Best wishes,

Birdwings

Contributor
Hannah-RO

Re: New member? Introduce yourself here!

Hey everybody!

 

Just tagging some new users who might want to introduce themselves here Smiley Very Happy 

 

@kevinfinn @Parent1234 @kelsma @ADELED @Jazzy21 @Butterfly51 @Frustrated22 @Ryebread @LuckyGirl2000 @Lolos @Bacardi @WorryWartMe @Elica1016 @eitak1 @Leo-mum5 @starlin @Magnum50 @whirly @ruined4life @Holly_p @Bassam99 @Lenny80 @Vocal_74 

 

A big welcome to you all! Feel free to tell us a bit about yourselves and maybe something you enjoy doing with your children Heart 

Scribe
kelsma

Re: New member

Hi all i am just searching for answers to support my 16yr son! Struggling maintaining that support for him .
Parent/Carer Community Champion
eitak1

Re: New member? Introduce yourself here!

Hi everyone
I am a solo parent interested in emotional and social intelligence in childhood development. I enjoy learning how adults can learn from parenting how to change their relationships with other adults! I have found being a parent a struggle that has been rewarding. I enjoy playful parenting, arts and crafts and trying to find ways to bring smiles into the school day. I am also interested in anti bullying activities that can be integrated into the school curriculum in all aspects of the primary school day. I believe bullying and feelings of isolation can start in kindergarten and if not worked with properly can make high school and beyond worse (than the studies make it!).
I enjoy creative conversations and supporting people through difficult times, when I can, because I have experienced and worked in areas that highlight the real social need to create a more supportive society that helps and protects rather than isolates, shames and blames people (single mother stigma questioned here!!). SCAPEGOATING and blaming , I believe is a way of life people find easy. Accommodating differences and supporting positive changes seems, for some, more difficult.
Great chatting looking forward to chatting more with you
🌞
Cate
Scribe
LAWZE_H

Re: New member? Introduce yourself here!

My daughter turned 17 last Sunday. She has a funny personality and often does funny, goofy things. I try to keep my stress levels down by keeping a journal, going for walks, meditation, speaking to good friends and having a glass of wine. I have reached out today because I have been going through difficulties with my daughters behaviour for the past 4 years. I am a single mum also. We seem to be clashing more and more, she blames me for everything that goes wrong and how she is feeling. I can't seem to say or do anything right and her behaviours are being more erratic and abusive (towards me).

My top tip for parents who's children are entering teenage years is be consistent, have boundaries and don't deviate from them. Don't let your children dominate and become the boss of you. Seek help ASAP and don't let things drift in the hope they will get naturally get better. Get support from family and friends. Allow yourself respite and be kind to yourself.

The best thing about the weekend is I don't have to stress about work and I can have more quality time with my family.
Super contributor
Taylor-RO

Re: New member? Introduce yourself here!

Hi @LAWZE_H, welcome to our forums and thank you so much for sharing your experience! The tips you have provided are really insightful and I think it is great that you have made a point of having firm boundaries and looking after yourself in stressful times. Parenting is a tough gig with no manual, so decompressing is a must! If you do want to share more about the difficulties that you are going through (which I am sure other parents would appreciate), please feel welcome to create your own thread by clicking 'Start a topic' in the top right hand corner Heart