I became a single parent when my girls were 3 mos, 3 yrs, and 6 yrs old. That was 11 years ago and it feels like yesterday.
Sometimes I look back and wonder how I did it (and am still doing it!)
But you know...it's amazing what you can do when you have no choice!!! I have always thought of my kids as my greatest gift and greatest responsibility, so that makes it easy in that sense.
The hard parts:
1) It used to be just
getting everybody ready and out the door on time every morning!!! Now they're older and self-sufficient and I have another driver in the house.
2) Working all day and then finding enough energy to carry me through each night...cooking, cleaning, homework with the kids, bathing them, etc.
3) Getting enough sleep to get up and do it all over the next day.
3) Taking care of ALL the household responsibilites...bill paying, maintenance, shopping, yardwork, etc.
4) Being the sole: spider "squisher"; comforter during storms & after nightmares; nurse; disciplinarian; counselor; light bulb changer; etc.
5) Not having a spouse to share the girls' day-to-day successes and challenges with (family and friends were only a phone call away, however!)
6) Rare moments to myself until three years ago when I was going to move to another state to be near family...and XAH decided to step up and be a DAD!!! Now I have every other weekend to myself and 6 weeks each summer. The first weekend I had to myself, I was lost!
7) Making ends meet -- I still struggle with this one, but God always provides.