Sometimes it's actually easier to be a full-time single parent! I say that because after 5 years of 24/7 care, I now live about an hour away from my ex so my son sees him every other weekend. It generally takes me the following week to get him "back to normal" after a "no-rules" weekend at Dad's.

I remember being so stressed when he was younger and I had no time to myself! I still have little time to myself, but at least now he has activities and practices where I can drop him off and sneak to the store if I need to.

I would encourage parents of young kids to seek out support systems even in unlikely places. For example, I really don't like mainstream churches but I found some that were wonderful support for me. One church had a giant indoor playground attached to their cafe and offered free wireless. When I couldn't afford internet, I could take him to play while I did my email and online courses and sometimes someone would treat me to something from the cafe. They didn't push me to join the church or anything. Another had a Wed kid's class but no corresponding activity for the adults, so it was basically parent's night out.

Last tip is to try hard to find someone who you can be comfortable with watching your child so you can get out every now and then. This was VERY tough for me because I am VERY picky about what he takes in (TV, games, etc) and I had been scarred by childcare providers (and their children) growing up. I've found that my son needs the break from ME sometimes, lol, so it's mutual

Hey guys! I have been a single mom for 10 months now, and my son is 12 months old. I became a single mom upon finding out that his father was abusing him. I'm his sole caregiver now, and it's just the two of us living in a small apartment. Getting fit is very difficult when I have to carry a baby around with me everywhere I go, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. Please add me and lets become friends...us single parents have to stick together!!!