Lockdown has officially been going on for six weeks in the UK although some families (like ours) have been isolating longer (we’re at eight weeks now). It makes the summer holidays when you can use holiday clubs, go on day trips and travel to far flung places seem like a distant (and rather amazing) dream.…
Articles by Ellamental Mama
Why Single Parents Are Well Placed to Deal with the Coronavirus Pandemic
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that the coronavirus will hit single parents hard. Here’s a list of all the reasons why, and here’s a petition to do something about it. However, there are also – in theory at least – a number of reasons why single parents are well placed to deal…
The Impact of Coronavirus on Single Parents
The coronavirus pandemic is an unprecedented health and – inreasingly – economic crisis for the UK, and the world more broadly. Despite there being almost three million single parents in the UK, we have been largely absent from plans and dicsussions to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus. In London, one of the areas worst…
What Can We Learn From Single Parents
As a single mum I often feel pushed to the extreme. In terms of parenting, coping alone in life, the money in my bank, and my physical, and mental, health. I’m not unique. Most people think single parenting is tough, although, few who haven’t experienced it quite grasp the emotional strain it involves. Many assume it’s double the pressure of…
2019: My Writing in Review
It’s been a year of much writing, but not so much on my blog. Gone are the days of churning out one post a week. Partly because time is scarce, partly because there’s less emotional turmoil to digest and spit out in black and white. It’s a cliche to talk about my journey as a single…
Acknowledging the Abuse
You hear mention of domestic abuse frequently. Perhaps we all think we know what it is and that we’d be aware if it was happening to us. But, do you know what? We often don’t. A friend asked me once if I thought my ex was abusive. I think she asked this not long after…
Single Mum Life Hacks
I don’t write many useful things. I’m more about letting out my emotions for all to read and getting a free dose of therapy whilst I’m at it. But there are some useful things I’ve learned as a single mum of two so I thought I’d share the love. 1. Try not to give a…
Diblings: Donor Siblings
The concept of donor siblings is a funny one. Sibling often means someone you’re related to and/ or have grown up with. Add in the (unknown) donor element to the sibling relationship though and it often means you have no connection beyond a stranger’s kind deed. But for those who want, social media is changing…
Grief: A Year On
Over the year, my grief has evolved into a being of it’s very own. Burrowed deep, it’s taken up residence in my soul. Sometimes it rests there for a week, other times it can’t sit still. The taming process – long and hard. Now she rarely escapes in public. Unless you look beneath the flesh…
The Holiday
How’s the holiday? Was it good? I’m asked. Having fun? It’s an innocent question, from interested friends. As simple to answer as it is to ask, surely? But I have no idea where to start. Good? Bad? A mix of both? It wasn’t in the realms of either. Holidays are for relaxing. After all, sinking…