Tired and slightly bedraggled, I asked my husband to bathe and get the kids settled for bed. We call this “tagging out,” like the WWF.
As I dumped pasta into Tupperware, I thought of all of the parents I know who don’t have anyone to “tag.”
They are parenting alone for a variety of reasons.
Widowed.
Divorced.
Separated.
Military.
Spouses who have road-warriors partners.
Spouses who have judgmental, abusive, or just plain mean to the kids-partners (so one spouse has to run constant interference and get the kids away from mean spouse).
Spouses who have to remain with a sick family member while the other one does the heavy-parenting lifting.
A spouse who is in school and away a lot.
Single parenting by choice
Single parenting by not choice.
The list could go on and on for why someone is parenting alone.
Tonight, my patience ran out and someone was here to help me. To save me from my children. And from myself.
For everyone “alone” out there, please know that while you dig deep for one more book, one more cuddle, one more smile…you are not alone.
You are not alone.
You are NOT alone.
And if I could come and tag you out, I would.