Single Parent Support Thread

[Carrieannew]

81 days!

If I had $ for every person who has told me I am crazy to take 2 kids alone, I could fund another trip!

People think I am crazy. But my daughter is a huge help and she has already been at least 5 times so she will be ok with a laid back trip.

I am most nervous about the plane and shuffling things and the rental car but it will all work out.

How many days does everyone else have?

 

[DisneyMama629]

I am a single father in same boat as you my ex left me with house and all the credit card bills. It is really hard to get by but I am doing it.

Same here! My ex left me with the house and bills. Now he gets to be a weekend dad and that's it.

I am taking my 20 month old son on our first trip alone in 2 weeks! We are going on the Disney Dream and then to WDW for 4 days!

 

[jennyf2]

I am still in the planning stages. Hoping airfare goes down . I got the FD PIN as well!!! I am so excited . We are looking at the same dates as you, the kids want to stay at ASMusic this time around.

Our plan was to go 8/21-8/28 but with the FD pin we moved it up a week. We've always gone the 3rd week of August & dealt with the heat & loved the lack of crowds--I'm hoping the crowd level will be the same the week of the 13th....My only worry for this trip .....

 

[goingroundthebend]

how do you all find doing disney as a single parent .Im a single parent to 4 kids ,3 boys are 17,14 and 5 and my daughters son.My 5 year old is in wheelchair .

Am planning 2012 but just me and the younger two .Older ones not intrested in disney and have other plans .

How do you mage the rides etc .DD is good as is ds but part of me is nervours as will ahve the airports both ends and teh flight to deal with on my own and not sure how will cope with luggage ,ds and his chair and dd .

 

[MKCP1984]

[/I]

Hello,

I'm the single parent to a 2 year old and have been since my daughter was 10 months old. It's funny how life works...i'd been married for 5 years and after giving birth to my first and only child, all hell broke loose.

At times I feel so overwhelmed which is why my upcoming trip in June is much needed.

Wow, getting this off my chest really felt good! Thanks for listening....

ETA: I've read many of your stories and I can't believe how many of us became divorced, single mothers with young children. At times, I feel as if i'm all alone so it's a blessing to have found this forum to realize that i'm not!!!

Blessing to you all!

I just found this thread and I have to say "Way to go!" to nvsnot.
There are alot of other single, very brave and resilient parents who see Disney as their "happy place." And I'm one of them...

here's my story:
In 2006, I got divorced, sold our house, mistakenly moved in with resentful sibling, and my Mom passed away -- all within 4 months. To help deal with the onslaught of sadness, we (me, DD7, DS4) headed to Disney (BWV) for a week. We only went to the parks one day, but it didn't matter to us. We enjoyed being in our happy place together, not doing anything in particular. We forgot for at least a little while, and remembered that WE were still together. Everyone told us to make 'new traditions', so we did, beginning with Disney as much as possible.

So, each year since then, I've managed to scrape together enough to ship us to our home away from home. Being a DVC member helps tremendously.
This year is no different since we have a July-August trip planned, including a YES program (something different and sounds very cool!)

So, to my fellow single-parent-Disney-fans; thank you for your inspiring stories and for the comfort in knowing I'm not alone. The kids are getting older and our struggles are different now (middle school for DD12 and bullying issues,) but we tough it out and look forward to our family time at disney.

Will there be any other single parents traveling when we're there - July 26th thru Aug 1? I'd love to meet you.
Thanks for listening and thanks for starting this thread. (I hope to be around more on this thread/boards.)

 

[nvsnot]

Just popping in to say that i'm still here and looking forward to my June 7 - 14th vacation now more than ever!!!

Since I last posted i've been making repairs to my home to get it "TENANT" ready. I've also moved in with my mother temporarily until I figure some things out. My plan is to rent my home and find something closer to my family so that i'll have more familial support with my daughter.

It's tough being a single parent, but even tougher when you're going at it completely alone.

Anywho, my trip is PAID IN FULL and i'm counting down the days until my daughter and I can begin what I know will be a longstanding tradition for the two of us

 

[DIS_MERI]

I was going to wait until 2012 for our first trip, but I think we'll be able to pull something together for this fall, at least if Disney is kind with the free dining... Aiming for Nov 11-23, which will allow me to hit the last weekend of Food & Wine *and* both my girls birthdays in one fell swoop and still make it home for Thanksgiving.

I'm a little apprehensive about hitting the parks by myself with 3 kids (Wal-mart can be a nightmare, I'm having a little trouble with the thought of a dozen days at Disney...), but we will be doing a surprise trip daytrip to a local park (Holiday World) for DS's birthday this summer as a sort of a trial run This will also help me to ensure that they will actually ride enough of the rides to make a Disney trip worthwhile.

 

[MKCP1984]

.... My plan is to rent my home and find something closer to my family so that i'll have more familial support with my daughter.

It's tough being a single parent, but even tougher when you're going at it completely alone.

Great idea nvsnot! Especially since it's almost impossible to sell houses now. Good luck with your renters and I hope you find the support you need with your family.

 

[DanielleandBrady]

Needed a place to celebrate and I know a lot of you hear can relate!!

Today I found out that I am cancer-free for the 3rd straight year!! I was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2008 (how I found out the ex-H was cheating on me). i had my surgery 2 weeks after my divorce was final! Thankfully the entire tumor was removed. It had progressed quickly, so every 3 months after my surgery I had paps done to ensure no HPV. Thankfully after a year, I went to every 6 months of checks..now I can go back to annual visits!! Yay!!!

I am so happy!!! And in about a month I can celebrate in Disney with my beautiful DS!!!

Thanks for listening!!!

 

[nvsnot]

Needed a place to celebrate and I know a lot of you hear can relate!!

Today I found out that I am cancer-free for the 3rd straight year!! I was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2008 (how I found out the ex-H was cheating on me). i had my surgery 2 weeks after my divorce was final! Thankfully the entire tumor was removed. It had progressed quickly, so every 3 months after my surgery I had paps done to ensure no HPV. Thankfully after a year, I went to every 6 months of checks..now I can go back to annual visits!! Yay!!!

I am so happy!!! And in about a month I can celebrate in Disney with my beautiful DS!!!

Thanks for listening!!!

Thanks for sharing your GREAT news with us! I am so happy that you won the battle!!!!

 

[DanielleandBrady]

Thanks for sharing your GREAT news with us! I am so happy that you won the battle!!!!

Thank you!!!!

 

[NickNElliesMom]

Any single parents going to be visiting wdw August 21-28? Would love to meet up with you. Staying at ASmo with ds (12) and dd (8). I'm sure that after a few days of 24/7 being together, the two of them will be ready for some other company.

 

[melmar136]

Any single parents going to be visiting wdw August 21-28? Would love to meet up with you. Staying at ASmo with ds (12) and dd (8). I'm sure that after a few days of 24/7 being together, the two of them will be ready for some other company.

Hi! DD and I will be at POR 8/20-8/25. And wow...you are right from Springfield. Small world
Maybe we can arrange something?

 

[graygables]

I could use some advice. But first, long, venty background info: I'm "virtually" single. Hubby is 1000 miles away living in the home we once shared as a family, I'm in central FL, working full time for the Mouse (we have health insurance for the first time!). DDs (almost 15 and 12) have been with me for the 26 months we've lived here. Hubby is generally unattached and disinterested; he was always more concerned with what we could do for him or how we made him feel. How he made US feel was less of a concern. One of the reasons I left was b/c he's self-employed and thinks it's OK to sit at home not working for 4 months out of the year with no thought at all to where money comes from for the payments. I kid you not, one month he said to me, "What do you mean you need more money for the mortgage? We just paid it last month!" Ummmm, yeah, they don't call them "monthly payments" for nothing! I just couldn't take the financial insecurity anymore and had to do something. DDs and I are still struggling as he doesn't do much as far as support and certainly nothing when he's off work. His parents' and our house are connected with utilities, so I have been paying to keep heat/power on all winter for their sake. Bills he's responsible for, I've been paying to try to keep my credit out of the toilet and the phones turned on. Once he does get back to work, I will have all but a small mortgage paid off and untangled financially between us later this year which will make things easier. Obviously, DDs are smart enough to know that we're financially struggling, despite my best efforts to insulate them.

15yo has Asperger's so her ability to form close relationships is already challenged and she has no bond at all with her Dad. He never worked to form one with her and it just never materialized. I have made every effort to keep channels of communication open, providing free access to email, text, phones for each family member, etc. We have even made the effort to drive back to visit him a few times a year, although he makes no effort to come here. He even missed Christmas this year.

Here's where I need the advice: hubby told me today to tell 15yo to email him. He emails them every so often, but she won't reply. She has some interests that she knows he will flip out about (her musical tastes, mostly, and he's very oppressive). She's just not interested in dealing with him right now and feels very disconnected.

In my opinion, he's brought all this on himself. His lack of interest in supporting his family and inability to build relationships with his children (beyond bossing them around) has led to where we are. I don't think I should have to force a teenager to communicate with him. I'm about natural consequences and feel very strongly that everything that has happened has been a natural consequence of his lack of care and concern for his wife and children.

Thoughts?

 

[NickNElliesMom]

Hi! DD and I will be at POR 8/20-8/25. And wow...you are right from Springfield. Small world
Maybe we can arrange something?

It is a small world! Have you traveled alone with DD before? Would love any advice on how best to stay sane for this trip. PM me if you would like and we can chat.

 

[jennyf2]

Any single parents going to be visiting wdw August 21-28? Would love to meet up with you. Staying at ASmo with ds (12) and dd (8). I'm sure that after a few days of 24/7 being together, the two of them will be ready for some other company.

BUMMER....Those were our original dates but I was lucky to get the FD pin that ends on the 13th...So we are now going Aug 13-20th staying at the ASSports.....

 

[NickNElliesMom]

BUMMER....Those were our original dates but I was lucky to get the FD pin that ends on the 13th...So we are now going Aug 13-20th staying at the ASSports.....

I haven't gotten a pin but even if I did I don't think I would have changed, I got a great airfare on SW $150 roundtrip from Hartford, so changing that would have taken up whatever savings I might have had. I still have my fingers crossed that they will extend the fd and hopefully then I'll get a pin.

 

[jennyf2]

I haven't gotten a pin but even if I did I don't think I would have changed, I got a great airfare on SW $150 roundtrip from Hartford, so changing that would have taken up whatever savings I might have had. I still have my fingers crossed that they will extend the fd and hopefully then I'll get a pin.

WOW--that is a GREAT deal on airfare.... Congrats 2 you!!!

 

[Coopers2006]

cant wait to share this thread with my daughter! thanks

 

[Harly1619]

Needed a place to celebrate and I know a lot of you hear can relate!!

Today I found out that I am cancer-free for the 3rd straight year!! I was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2008 (how I found out the ex-H was cheating on me). i had my surgery 2 weeks after my divorce was final! Thankfully the entire tumor was removed. It had progressed quickly, so every 3 months after my surgery I had paps done to ensure no HPV. Thankfully after a year, I went to every 6 months of checks..now I can go back to annual visits!! Yay!!!

I am so happy!!! And in about a month I can celebrate in Disney with my beautiful DS!!!

Thanks for listening!!!

Such great news!!! Wonderful to hear!!!