Product Description
Advice on coping with potential financial, legal or emotional problems involved in one parent families. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Baby Resource Guide
If you live in Sacramento, CA or anywhere near Sacramento, CA, you need this book!It has local listings of support groups, baby & maternity stores, hospitals, agencies and virtually everything else needed by baby and parents.It even has money saving coupons in the back of the book! Thre is also more than 350 parents parents and what they have to say about the baby proucts they own!They have already researched and tried things out! ... Read more

Product Description
Advice for the single parent that covers the needs of children from infancy to adulthood. Bustanoby addresses ways in which the church can support and encourage single-parents and shows how the single parent family can be a healthy, strong environment for raising children. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Being a Single Parent
The statistics are growing:
' By 1990 it is expected that almost half of the children in the United States will be living with one parent;
* The number of children living with one parent has increased by 66 percent in ten years even though the total number of children in the U.S. has dropped 10 percent during that time;
* Since 1970, two-parent homes have declined by 4 percent, while single-father homes have increased 99 percent and single-mother homes have more than doubled.
Being a Single Parent is a thoughtful, sensitive, and helpful book for parents who are raising their children alone. Whatever your circumstances, this book offers compassionate understanding of your concerns and the needs of your children. There are chapters on emotional well-being, guidance for children of specific ages, custody and visitation concerns, child-care for working parents, and resources for individuals and churches.
Andre Bustanoby believes the single-parent family has the potential for a healthful and constructive environment even though it does not fit the model of the traditional two-parent home. He addresses both the myths and the stereotypes of the single-parent family and also what to look out for in matters of self-esteem, emotional development, and behavior. He shows that the greatest need is for strong and positive parents--and Being a Single Parent shows how to achieve that goal.
Andre Bustanoby is the author of But I Didn't Want a Divorce, The Readymade Family, and other books. A marriage and family counselor near Washington, D.C., he holds degrees from Azusa Pacific College and Dallas Theological Seminary. ... Read more

Product Description
With the growing number of single parents each year, Dawn Isenhart provides insight into the world of raising a child on your own. Whether your are a single mother or single father, the basic principles of this book will offer inspiration, wisdom, and courage which applies to all single parents. In Surviving Single Parenting, you will follow a path that will show you how to:
*strengthen yourself
*deal with your emotions
*be aware of your child's feelings
*structure your life as a single parent
*survive the difficult times
*show gratitude for your blessings
*learn how to make your child and yourself the best you can be
... Read more

Product Description
Children who grow up without a father's positive influence, regardless of the circumstances (that might include divorce, death of a spouse, out-of-wedlock birth, or adoption) are: Five times more likely to be poor, Twice as likely to drop out of high school, Three times more likely to become unwed teen mothers, More likely to end up in foster care or juvenile-justice facilities, More likely to grow up unemployed, incarcerated, or uninvolved with their own children.

Is it true that a father's positive influence is essential to the welfare of his children? If so, why? What are his parenting values, his traditions, and his beliefs?

Steve Horner, a full-time single parent of two boys, from their diaper days to their high school years, shares a father's point of view straight from the front-line trenches of single parenting-and straight from the heart. He leaves nothing out. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This is the greatest book ever to be written!!!
You'll laugh you'll cry.Experience the love and joy you'll feel from this masterpiece. ... Read more

Product Description
A title which tackles the problems frequently met by single parents, shows how to cope with the pressures they face, and describes how to deal with anger, loneliness, money, time, sexuality, remarriage and children.Based on numerous case studies. ... Read more

Product Description

At thirty-nine, movie critic Mary Pols knew she wanted to have a baby. But never—not in a million years—on her own. When she finds herself unexpec­tedly expecting, she plunges into the greatest adventure of her life. With humor, insight, and compelling honesty, Pols reveals what it means to compromise in the name of love and to find joy in an accidental life, suddenly brimming with purpose.

Customer Reviews (5)

Single Dad Review
Mary Pols shares her unconventional life as a single mom, daughter, and journalist in this memoir.The book honestly addresses her relationship with her parents, her baby's daddy, and her movie critic career.

I often found myself being as critical of Mary Pols as she was of her baby's father, Matt.Ms. Pols consistently portrayed Matt as a young man who failed to grow emotionally and accept responsibility.Yet it was Ms. Pols who consciously or unconsciously made the decision to become a single mother ... accidently on purpose.

The story did get a little slow for me when Ms. Pols wrote of her relationship with her parents and their deaths.My interest was in the happy single mother not the unhappy daughter.

There were times I felt Ms. Pols was hesitant to share the details of her relationship with her son as well as the trials and rewards of motherhood.Unlike some of the reviews I have read, I do not believe Ms. Pols is completely forthcoming.

Overall, the book is very well written and mostly engaging.Now I'd like to hear from the single dad, Matt.Has he found the relationship and the situation rewarding?What is your take, Matt?It is your turn.

Funny yet Touching Memoir
I decided to read ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE: THE TRUE TALE OF A HAPPY SINGLE MOTHER by Mary F. Pols because I thought the book looked "cute." I mean the cover is just precious, right? Plus, the author's story had an uncanny likeness to someone I know, and I was a bit curious to get some insight into the situation. After reading ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE, I definitely can say that it was a very interesting story and a very good book. And while I didn't always understand Ms. Pols' actions and I did have some difficulties relating to her, none of that affected my enjoyment of this book.

ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE is Mary Pols' story of becoming a single mother and how she worked out all of the kinks that she encountered along the way. Ms. Pols hooked up one night with a younger man that she had just met at a bar. She had a good time but realized that they were at very different places in their lives -- he was in his late 20s and didn't even have a steady job. They didn't really stay in touch much after the hook-up, until a few weeks later when she discovered that she was pregnant. As a 39 year old woman who knew she wanted a child, she figured this might be her last chance to have one so she decides to keep the baby.

ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE is Ms. Pols' first book; however, she is not a stranger to the written word. She has been a film reviewer for many years before deciding to undertake a book writing career. I found ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE to be very readable, and I became caught up in Ms. Pols' life (and her predicament) right from the start. I was very impressed with storytelling abilities and her writing style, but I think I was more impressed with her honesty. There are parts of this story that aren't exactly flattering towards Ms. Pols, yet she told this story in a very real and upfront manner. I didn't feel as if she were holding anything back! What I also really liked about this book was how she managed to tell this story with so much wit. Her writing was extremely smart and funny while also being insightful.

I expected this book to tell me the story of Ms. Pols' pregnancy and her transition into motherhood as well as her relationship issues with the father (and it definitely was); but what I didn't expect was how much of this story would be about the relationship between Ms. Pols and her parents. I was deeply touched by how Ms. Pols wrote about her aging parents and how she dealt with these changes. I really appreciated how Ms. Pols was able to open up to the reader about everything that was happening in her life and how it affected her -- trying to figure out her relationships, becoming a first time mother, and losing her parents. She definitely managed to go through a lot in just a short period of time -- and survive! I found her story to be rather inspiring at times.

Fine, just fine.
I was intrigued when I found the book in an airport book store and quickly read it without wanting to put it down for a second.On the other hand, I didn't feel like I really found what I was looking for when I turned the page.Somehow I wanted more details.I'm sure if I were in a similar situation to the author's, I would probably enjoy the book more.At the same time, when she writes another book, I would probably read it - and hope that it has whatever I felt was missing in this book.

A very enjoyable read
As a single mum myself I wanted to read Mary's story and I couldn't put the book down. I related to a lot of what Mary went through from when she found out she was pregnant, to telling her family and friends, oh - and the father, to trying to prepare for having a baby by herself, and then the baby actually being present in her life.

If you're in the same boat then definitely read this book. Even if you're not in the same situation, then definitely read this book as it's a very honest account of what it's like to be pregnant when you're not in a 'traditional' relationship. I was also intrigued to find out why she is a happy single mum - it can happen you know - but you'll have to read the book to see.

Engrossing
I read this book almost in one sitting. Such an honest, charming and heart-warming (sorry for using such a clique) story about a woman who ended up in a place she never imagined she would and how it gave her a beautiful new purpose. A great read. It reinforced my feelings that life can be very beautiful no matter what type of path it takes, especially an unconventional one. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Truly helpful & practical - a must for single moms-to-be!
This book has everything a single mom-to-be needs to plan her pregnancy, childbirth, and first year of single parenting.It focuses on six areas - the mother and the importance of nurturing herself, the baby, the father,networking, finances, and employment.The book gives concrete and specificadvice on such diverse topics as how to: develop a support network;announce the pregnancy to family, friends, and employers; handle the fatheror donor; budget for the coming baby; prepare for the birth; tap bothpublic and private resources such as prenatal incentive programs, welfarewarriors, WIC; address child support & custody issues before the birth;and deal with employment concerns such as parental leave, child care, andalternative work arrangements; and talk to the child about the father.Thebook is full of referrals to agencies and support groups and includes phonenumbers and step-by-step instructions on how to go about getting theinformation or help you need.I disagree with another reviewer's commentthat the book focuses too much attention on legal matters.It is anunfortunate reality that the single mom-to-be faces special legal pitfallsthe traditional two-parent family doesn't.As an attorney, I can say withconfidence that the book does mother's a favor by urging them to becomeaware of these issues and to address them head on before they become hugeheadaches.This book gives single mothers the tools they need to get/dothe most for their babies and themselves as the embark on the wonderful,yet truly daunting task of becoming a two-person family.If you're asingle mom-to-be and you're only going to get one pregnancy guide, this isthe one to get.

medium
This book focuses too much on the financial and legal, it's scary and discouraging.I'd recommend "Single Mothers by Choice" or "Hip Mama's Survival Guide" to anyone under 35 and without aninvestment portfolio.

enormously helpful -- saved my life!
The authors help a single mother navigate through very complex issues and provide information and sources. What I especially appreciate is the authors totally non-judgemental stance. Women become single mothers in a variety of circumstances. The authors provide information for the range of situations. ... Read more

Product Description
She can juggle a baby in one hand and a laptop in the other, but when it comes to dating, the average single mom is lost. In SEX AND THE SINGLE MOM, Sharon McKenna shows women how to figure out what they want from a relationship, how to rediscover their sexual confidence, why being a parent makes it easier to find a partner, what to do when your kid catches you in "the act," and how to truly embrace the joys of love and single motherhood. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fun, funny, uplifting with GREAT advise!
This book is a gem!I only wish I'd found it earlier in my dating life.It's like having the funniest, most supportive, and wisest girlfriend with you at all times.Tons of great tips on navigating dating as a single mom, on feeling fabulous about yourself, avoiding pitfalls.... If your a single mom (or even a single gal without kids), this book will arm you with feel-good, feel-strong, heart warming advise to get you through the rough patches.Love it.

Not interesting
The title and topic are great.It's not easy returning to the dating scene once you become a single mom (either by choice or through divorce).It would be great to have a good book on the topic but this is not that book.The book just didn't contain any information that you really wouldn't have thought of on your own and it didn't help in other ways such as being funny or providing support, etc. ... Read more

Product Description
This book of heart songs, soul searches, mind stretches, and humor is the fulfillment of a promise--the promise Lisa Hussey made to God to take all the pain she experienced as the single mother of three young sons and use it to encourage others on this journey of single motherhood.

Lisa says,

“If it touches just one single mom;
if it makes her load a little lighter,
her guilt that she’s not perfect a little less;
if it allows her to gently laugh at herself;
if it gives her the strength to keep loving
herself and her children...
then it will have served its purpose.”

Let Lisa’s words touch you as you join together on this journey.


Lisa Hussey and her family live in North Carolina. In addition to writing and speaking, she teaches school. This is her first book.

Customer Reviews (4)

Wonderful, comforting, tool for single moms/parents.
A friend gave me this book in 2001.I am not religious, but, Psalms has been a Godsend to me and certainly affirms my belief in a loving, supportive, God.Since I'm still using this "tool", I felt I should finally thank the author in some way.My son is now 13.He was 4 when I was given this gift.I pulled my "Psalms" out last night to read AGAIN for encouragement from my old friend who has "been there, done that".I'm currently working on naming his angel. :)
Lisa's psalms touch on just about every single thought or feeling I've ever had or felt as a single mom.I wish she'd write a new book about what it was like to single-mom-parent teenage boys b/c that's my current challenge and I know she would offer more great, faithful, honest, perspective.Thank you, Lisa!!!!!Your book definitely helps make my load lighter.

Inspirational Words
WOW! This book is terrific. I laughed, I cried... "It moved me." I've placed an order for multiple copies.

Regardless of your faith... these short (authentic) exerpts will inspire you, as you struggle/celebratethrough each day. We are reminded that difficult circumstances (often)teach us the most important lessons.

To the author (and herfamily):

Mission(s) Accomplished! Thank you.

psalms for the single mom hit home
All single moms find it difficult being a single mom.Ms. Hussey hits home with encouragement and empathy for what all single moms are going through.She writes beautiful psalms that can get any single mom through ahectic day.The book is both inspiring and insightful.I am sure that youwill agree after you have purchased the book and read a few psalmsyourself.

psalms to get you through the day
If you are a mother who has become a recent single mom or if you have been a single mom for sometime, this book is a must have, even if you are not religious.Lisa Hussey helps moms see themselves as the valuable gem thatwe are.She gives us strength where there is weakness, Light where thereis darkness, and the courage to get on with our day, even when we feel thatthere is not another day that we can go on. This book helped to get me overthe heartache of becoming a single mom, and the reality that I am one.Itis for anyone who needs to recharge their heart, spirit, and soul. Enjoy... ... Read more

Product Description
In this comprehensive, how-to book for single parents, Focus on the Family's Single-Parent Family magazine editor Dr. Lynda Hunter offers practical, positive information on emotions, yourself, your kids, life skills, and financial management. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

And she quotes Cynaumon....
Ms. Hunter refers to 'research' by "psychologist Greg Cynaumon" in this book.Interesting, since Greg Cynaumon is NOT a psychologist and is not licensed to practice any type of counseling or therapy by any government agency.(Try an internet search on Cynaumon for more info on him.)That brings into question Hunter's other sources and conclusions in the book.Overall I found this a very preachy tome with a real negative flavor toward single parents.

Not what I expected in a book for Single Parents.
I was not pleased with this selection at all. Of the five books I purchased through Amazon.com involving the single parent, this was the only one I could not force myself to read. Instead of giving you insight andadvise on single parenting, the author used Bible verses that impliedsingle parents were inferior to two parent families. Too much negativityfor me!!! ... Read more

Product Description
In this volume leading researchers offer an interesting and accessible overview of what we now know about risk and protective factors for family functioning and child adjustment in different kinds of families. They explore interactions among individual, familial, and extrafamilial risk and protective factors in an attempt to explain the great diversity in parents' and children's responses to different kinds of experiences associated with marriage, divorce, life in a single parent household, and remarriage.
... Read more

Product Description
"Life as a single mother is like a Minnesota March,"observes author Cynthia Orange. "There might be glorious days ofsunshine and warmth, turbulent and troublesome stretches ofunpredictable weather, and cold and lonely times when it is temptingto crawl back into bed and pull a heavy comforter over your head."

Almost one-third of all children under age 18 live with a singleparent, and 85% of those parents are women. Yet society neitherrecognizes this fact nor gives women the cultural support theyneed. With creativity and spirit, SING YOUR OWN SONG is out to changethat. More of a self care book than a how-to-parent book, it debunksthe myth of the traditional family and helps erase the stigma ofsingle motherhood. Orange offers straightforward suggestions for howwomen can balance their personal needs with the responsibilities ofparenting-that better self-care means better child care. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

What Every Mother Needs to Know
I wish someone had given me this book when I was raising my children.Although I was not a single mother, the wise advice to be gentle with yourself and take care of yourself are issues for every mother trying to balance many demands in her life. The practical pointers on parenting, rethinking family and creating community are useful for all parents. This wisdom is delivered with warm support, compassion and gentleness. It feels like a hug from the mother/grandmother we all wish we had.

I have also worked with single mothers who struggled under a great deal of stress.They would have found this book a welcome resource for making decisions, solving problems, finding support, developing confidence and building relationships.

One Afternoon In An Italian Restaurant
My waitress saw me reading the book and introduced herself as a single mom.When I told her what it was about - taking care of yourself - she got tears in her eyes. She began telling me of her week.She had two little boys and a hectic schedule."Could this have been written for me?"Yes, it was, and is written for all single mothers.I applaud the author. Her sensitivity and heart-felt honesty laced with humor, make this helpful tool a must read for all parents.

Sing Your Own Song
Every single mother struggling to affirm the validity of a single parent family should make this a "must read". The author includes personal and humorous anecdotes as well as suggestions and illustrations from professionals who deal with children and mothers in one parent families. I particularly found the sections dealing with children in schools helpful and practical. Extending the book to today's realities of caring for aging parents adds an interesting dimension. The myth of the "Beaver Cleaver" family is dissolved, and in it's place, author Cynthia Orange creatively paints a picture of a positive and healthy family made up of a mother and her children.

Exceptional work
I'm usually not a big fan of self-help. In fact, I usually consider self-help to be an instrument of the Devil or, worse, the Republicans. Yet I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Cynthia Orange's prose is without the preachiness and dogma usually associated with self-help. This is a smooth, colorful read, well-written with lots of stories about the experiences of individual women. What I like is that the writer isn't portraying herself as some pseudo-expert, but merely conveying the tales of others in a non-judgmental, peaceful and uplifting manner. It helped me get a profoundly better understanding ofwhat my wife has experienced in her life, and at this price, it's a helluva lot cheaper than therapy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Insightful and inspirational resource for single Moms
(Originally reviewed: August 3, 1998)

This book is packed with nuggets. Although some are sort of buried in the stories, this Mama told the truth without the sugar and spice to make it all nice.

Kelly Williams gave sound advice for mothers of daughters and sons of all ages and races. This book is not to be read like a novel. Single Moms should tuck the little angels in for the night, snuggle up to this good book, and STUDY it.

The most important chapter is near the end, Spirituality. Read this first!

FOR ANY SINGLE MAMA WHO WANTS THE BEST FOR HER AND HER KIDS
I recently became a single mom of a 4-year-old via divorce, and needed guidance to make sure that we were on the right path: Kelly's book is a warm, humorous, reassuring guide to how to find that path. Not only does she have convincing case scenarios, practical tips and advice, she is very quick to point out that the solution is not to latch onto another brother, which made me feel more comfortable in my decision to be alone for now and not just "settling." I passed this book on to another single sister in need, and would heartily recommend it to any woman who wants to make the best out of her situation all the way around. Thank you so much Kelly, for the knowledge and encouragement, and sistas.....COP THE BOOK WITH THE QUICKNESS!!! YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN WILL BE GLAD YOU DID!!!

Kelly Williams understands!
The information in this book gives single moms something to sink their teeth into and something to hold onto.Kelly Williams understands.She's written this book in a helpful but straightforward style.I had thepleasure of interviewing Ms. Williams and SINGLEMamahood is the result of agenuine desire by the author, to give women some positive informationregarding their experience as single mothers.If you're a single mom (orknow one), READ THIS BOOK. It's talking to YOU!

A must-read for ALL single parents and grandparents alike.
Truthful, insightful, educational and at times very funny. I laughed, Icried, I related - but most importantly, I learned that I am not alone inmy single-parenting struggles. You'll see yourself, your friends (and yourmom) throughout the book. Hint - Don't read it like a novel - but rather,bounce around from chapter to chapter to the stories you most identifywith. I can't wait for the sequel!

Insightful and inspirational resource for single Moms.
This book is packed with nuggets. Although some are sort of buried in the stories, this Mama told the truth without the sugar and spice to make it all nice.

Kelly Williams gave sound advice for mothers of daughters and sons of all ages and races. This book is not to be read like a novel. Single Moms should tuck the little angels in for the night, snuggle up to this good book, and STUDY it.

The most important chapter is near the end, Spirituality. Read this first! ... Read more

Product Description

Nonwhite and white, rich and poor, born to an unwed mother or weathering divorce, over half of all children in the current generation will live in a single-parent family--and these children simply will not fare as well as their peers who live with both parents. This is the clear and urgent message of this powerful book. Based on four national surveys and drawing on more than a decade of research, Growing Up with a Single Parent sharply demonstrates the connection between family structure and a child's prospects for success.

What are the chances that the child of a single parent will graduate from high school, go on to college, find and keep a job? Will she become a teenage mother? Will he be out of school and out of work? These are the questions the authors pursue across the spectrum of race, gender, and class. Children whose parents live apart, the authors find, are twice as likely to drop out of high school as those in two-parent families, one and a half times as likely to be idle in young adulthood, twice as likely to become single parents themselves. This study shows how divorce--particularly an attendant drop in income, parental involvement, and access to community resources--diminishes children's chances for well-being.

The authors provide answers to other practical questions that many single parents may ask: Does the gender of the child or the custodial parent affect these outcomes? Does having a stepparent, a grandmother, or a nonmarital partner in the household help or hurt? Do children who stay in the same community after divorce fare better? Their data reveal that some of the advantages often associated with being white are really a function of family structure, and that some of the advantages associated with having educated parents evaporate when those parents separate.

In a concluding chapter, McLanahan and Sandefur offer clear recommendations for rethinking our current policies. Single parents are here to stay, and their worsening situation is tearing at the fabric of our society. It is imperative, the authors show, that we shift more of the costs of raising children from mothers to fathers and from parents to society at large. Likewise, we must develop universal assistance programs that benefit low-income two-parent families as well as single mothers. Startling in its findings and trenchant in its analysis, Growing Up with a Single Parent will serve to inform both the personal decisions and governmental policies that affect our children's--and our nation's--future.

Customer Reviews (1)

Covers much real research
Forget all myths you were told, and concentrate on reality.

Here you have a collection of various kinds of experiments and correlations regarding children that grow up with a single mother.

A striking finding claims that children that grow up with single mothers are indeed less successful, but not because they grow up without a father. Just:
1) Genetic heritage. The same genes that cause the parents to divorce have on average some effect on children's personality etc.
2) Socioeconomic status. Single mothers are usually poorer.
3) Lake of stability. Single mothers move from neiborhood to another more often than married couples. This is damaging the children social relationships etc.

There are other interesting finding there.
I am not the last word in "approving" the conclusion. But they look convincing. And one should certainly give them a thought.

There is a lot of value in thinking our assumptions from the beginning, and trying to give up our prejudices. ... Read more

Product Description

Topics include men and women as single parents, single-mother families and poverty, the legal system and single parents, gay and lesbian parents, moral issues, and the effects of growing up in a single-parent family. The experiences of single parents in other countries are also discussed.

This volume lists numerous resources, among them federal government programs; state statutes concerning child custody and adoption; private and public organizations; a guide to literature, films and videos; and information on the Internet.