Is Single Motherhood Something to be Celebrated?

We all grow up in different situations. My father died when I was eight and my then single mom raised my brother and I...she never dated. Not once. I've never seen her date anyone - even after we both left the house.

She worked full time as far as I can remember - except she was generally able to work her schedule around our school and sports. She is a highly educated woman who has worked as a Registered Nurse since before I was born.

Mommy and Me.

It still wasn't easy for her though and both my brother and I recognize the void that having our father die left in our lives.

Daddy's Girl

Some people want to redefine what "normal" is and what, to me, is the logical definition of a family...having two parents (a father and a mother) will always be the best situation for kids. Did that definition make my own non-normal family bad or strange? Of course not.

Obviously there are going to be situations when a mother and a father are horrible parents and the kids are better off with someone other than their own biological parents (one of my friends is fostering kids in this situation...the poor little girl would scoop out her poopy diaper...because she didn't know an adult would change her...think about that for a second).

But if all things are equal, I believe a mom and a dad are going to be the healthiest situation for kids. Moms bring special things to kids...I know when Marshal falls he ALWAYS wants his mommy. Even though I'm not the most nurturing or sympathetic (sometimes I tell him to suck it up) he still wants the "mommy" touch instead of daddy. Other times, he needs his father much more than mommy.

Having a father is still important, no matter what people try to say otherwise. I know bashing guys is all the rage and I've found myself falling into that trap. Making jokes about dumb guys is PC, but a guy makes a crack about a dumb woman and heads will roll. Apparently, all guys are good for is money...

"Young men need jobs so they can pay child support ..."

Say what?

Not a perfect family. Not even a remotely "normal" family.

As the child of a single mother, I do think that society is worse off if we encourage single mother hood as something normal and okay. Kids need stability - not rotating "father" figures as this particular woman seems to insinuate is okay.

In fact women move in and out of singleness, married parents break apart, men and women live together without marrying, spouses or partners die, romantic attachments form and dissolve. 

We just seem to be desperately trying to establish a non-normal as normal in society and I find it kind of disturbing.

And the phrase "Me thinks thou dost protest too much" also comes to mind. It's good to read I'm not the only one who finds the article in defense of single mother hood slightly disturbing.