My daughter’s teacher sent home a paper asking for parent’s name, phone and email address and it had a check box if you’d like to share the info with other parents. I got the list today. 21 kids and all parents opted in to sharing their info.
I’m the only single parent on the list.
It’s like:
John & Jane
Sam & Samantha Fubaya
Robert & Rosie
Adam & Alice
My name is right in the middle and the way it’s lined up on the paper, my short line really catches your attention. I probably should have told her my wife’s name was “ForeverAlone.”
There have to be some step parents and some parents who live apart but are co-parenting mixed in there. No way that 20 kids all have parents who still get along and love each other.
And the upside is that I’m the only eligible bachelor on that list, and my contact info is right there by my name. If I had thought ahead, I really should have registered the milf_lover_on_the_down_low email address to use for this contact sheet.
Actually there’s a second column for the other parent’s name. It’s a statistical anomaly. There’s no box to indicate whether they actually get along and love each other, but they do appear to be all married. It’s possible that some step parents are listed and the other parent has ran off and didn’t have known contact info for the second column. That’s sort of my situation. Although her mom is around minimally, I can’t keep track of her ever-changing contact info, so she never makes the list.
I always thought that would be a side benefit but it hasn’t worked that way. For the most part, people assume I’m married and I’m just helping do school stuff or doing my visitation when we’re out on the town. It only comes up after I already have my foot in the door, then it doesn’t seem to make much difference, I love or lose on my own merits. I really gotta talk to my little girl about being a better wingman.
Even that part isn’t really true. Someday I’ll have to tell the story, but this was more of a fling type thing. And single teachers? No. Believe me, she’s in second grade, I’ve been scouting for two years already. There are a couple of real lookers but every time I check, they still have that ring on their finger.
Just to be clear, I’m not really depressed over it. I’ve dated and loved like everyone else, I just thought it was funny that the list makes it look like I’m the only loser parent that can’t find a woman to save his life.
Yeah we always put down both our names on the list but we are divorced and have been living apart for a long time, but now I see the error of my ways and from now on shall only put my name down as to further advertise my singledom!
It’s a pretty safe bet that those couples aren’t all the original biological or adoptive parents. There have GOT to be some who are step-parents, whether the original couple divorced, were never married, or one died.
single father, with a little daughter from a fling? nothing negative comes to mind. i don’t know how a fling could result in a child absent the mother, but i’d say that it’s a positive thing for you to be the responsible and/or loving parent in this picture.
You should assume that every person who views the list is awestruck with reverence for a job you are clearly handling alone, while they are struggling mightily as TWO adults doing the same work!
Well thanks, but the secret is that I’ve never found it to be that hard. It’s time consuming, but it’s nothing that a million other single parents don’t do every day, and they probably do it a lot better than me. And some of them are a lot younger, I can’t imagine doing it when I was 20.
And sometimes I wonder if I have it easier. Sometimes when I’m dating it’s like having another immature little brat around that I have to worry about, except they are my age and have actual power.
Just remember to be the obvious suspect. They always get arrested early but they’re never really guilty. The police end up letting them go and finding somebody else was guilty in the last ten minutes.
I feel for you. I have two kids who are involved in choir at school, and every time I go to a meeting or activity, I seem to be the only single parent there. Even though I enjoy being a single parent and I wouldn’t change much about my life, it’s still sort of a bummer sometimes.
I’d guess, though, that some of the single parents don’t list their contact info because they don’t want to advertise the fact that they live alone. I’ve been really careful about that.
Holler if you want to commiserate!
I wonder if we should have a single parent support/griping thread? I’ve thought about it before but I don’t know if I have any advice to offer, but I could probably add some gripes!
As a single mom, I understand completely. The worst are the events the school has every now and then, such as the 50 year anniversary. With most in-school functions, a lot of dads are rarely there. It’s not so noticeable when it’s just us moms.
Dinners?
Couple
Couple
Couple
Couple
Couple
Me
Couple
I don’t typically mind it, but these events make me feel like I have a neon loser sign above my head.
