Single Parenting Memoir ~ What Life is Really Like

A discussion with the author of the single parenting memoir, “Three of Us”. We discuss what it’s really like as a single parent – the things you never thought yourself capable of and the parts of life that remind you that you’re a single mom.

Single Parenting discussion with the author

(0:51) Summerlin talks about what prompted her to write a book about her single mom experience.

The whole experience of being a single parent feels isolating and I could never find a book that I felt came across exactly what I was feeling.
I thought that maybe if somebody else read this, they would feel a little bit less alone.
My hope would be that they would get a kick out of the book or feel a little bit inspired to that know that they can get through it.

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(2:48) Jen tells about some of her “me too” moments while reading the book.

When you realize you don’t have anyone to write down as emergency contact and suddenly you have those forms in front of you.

(5:01) Summerlin and Jen talk about those early years as a single parent when you face the weekends alone when the kids go to their dads and the house is too quiet.

I very clearly remember the first few weekends when the house is suddenly silent. You remember before you were a single mom saying, “if I could just get a break” and now you get a break and this is a break I never wanted.
The first five minutes would be great and then I would just become overwhelmed with missing them and feeling lonely.

(7:17) How reentry from one house to another is difficult for kids and how we as parents often overlook this.

I realized I needed to take a minute and just think about what if I had to go back and forth between two houses and two sets of rules and two ways of living and two ways of eating and drinking and bedtimes.
Once I realized that I kind of lowered my expectations of how it should be when they come home and I gave them the space, they needed to be wild and crazy for a little bit. And I knew within 24 hours that would kind of calm down.

(12:17) Summerlin tells a great story about how she actually fixed her own car like a real mechanic when she was desperate and strapped for cash.

I am a big believer that single parents are hustlers when they need to be and get the job done because there’s no one else to count on.
Sometimes the only option is to do it yourself. That’s one of the hard parts about being a single parent.

You can buy Summerlin’s book here.

Single Parenting discussion with the author

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