It Happened at Daycare

It finally happened.

And it happened at daycare.

Someone made fun of Ryder for not having a dad.

Poor kid. And I am pretty sure that the other kid doesn't see his dad, either.

So Ryder asked me the other day where his dad was. I told him that I didn't know. He asked if he had told me and I explained that I hadn't spoken to him in a long time. I asked if he had any other questions, but he said that he didn't.

He didn't tell me about the kid at daycare, but he told my parents.

I hope he feels comfortable enough to ask me any more questions, if he has any. And hopefully if he doesn't feel comfortable with me, maybe he'll feel comfortable enough to ask my parents.

Have you had to field any of these questions?





P.S. Come like my facebook page!

Boy Scout Dilemma

My son came home with a flyer for the boy scouts. He was very excited and couldn't wait to show me. He said "I am really excited for this, Mama." How can you say no to that? I haven't been thrilled with the boy scouts, but how do I explain that they do not like gay people or atheists to a six year old? I certainly do not want my son discriminating or being discriminated against.

What do I do?

Also, he has told me that they only do boy things at boy scouts. I tried explaining that girls can do anything boys can do and vise versa. We ended up agreeing to disagreeing with him asking that we don't talk about it any more. I certainly do not want some organization reaffirming that boys cannot do girl things.

What do I do?

I'm going to look around and see if there are any other clubs he can join, maybe at the boys and girls club or 4H? Do they have 4H anymore? I'll have to look into it.

Suicide Awareness Day

USC’s MSW Programs Blog Day.

So, here is my thought on the matter: suicidal thoughts and talks should be taken seriously. So many people ignore them because the person is just "looking for attention" or are being "dramatic". You know what? Maybe they are looking for attention and they need to be dramatic for someone to hear them and help them. I know what it is like to hear someone say that they want to kill themselves all the time. I know that it gets old, but you know what? It is probably not just "getting old" to them. Hunter S. Thompson talked about killing himself all the time. Guess what? He did. I bet people around him stopped taking him seriously.

I am not blaming anyone. I am not looking to point the finger at anyone. I just want you to know that I will take you seriously. You are not alone. Loads of people, myself included, have had suicidal thoughts. And no, most of the time they come to nothing. Good.  But sometimes they do. And because of that, I think we need to take people more seriously and people need to know where to get help.

The number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1 (800) 273-TALK (8255).

There are online resources. I am a personal fan of Twitter for mental health issues. There are so many groups out there that you can tweet to and someone will respond.

There are other options. There are people who know what you are going through. You are alive and for that I am grateful.

Does taking a lot of medications mean that I am crazy?

I know that the answer is no, but sometimes it is easy to forget that. Especially when I go to the pharmacy and the pharmacy technician practically whispers my total because it is so much money. This happens every time. I understand prescriptions cost a lot of money, but when they whisper, it feels like something that I should be ashamed of. They probably just don't want to tell the world that I spend a lot on meds, they are probably just trying to be polite, but it makes me feel crazy. I know that no one else knows that the total is made up of only prescriptions prescribed by my psychologist, but I know. And the pharmacy technician knows. And so, I feel crazy.

Has this ever happened to you?

The 2013 Back To School Social Party

Greetings fellow party-goers! Welcome to my blog.

For those of you who do not know, VoiceBoks is hosting a social networking party. There are going to be some great speakers and prizes! If you are interested, use coupon code twentyFive for 25% off of Tier 2 or Tier 3 passes.

A little about me and my blog. My name is Raine and I have a six year old son named Ryder. We live in Salem, MA, and, man, is it a good time! I am a single mom and I suffer from depression and panic disorder. I am more of a listener than a talker, mostly introverted, and a pessimist. I am also a great mom, down-to-earth, and, on occasion, funny.

This space here was originally all about being a single mom. I do still talk about the difficulties of single parenting, but recently I've been talking more and more about mental health. I like to think of my blog as somewhere I, and hopefully others, can connect with people in similar situations. A place where you can go to know that you are not alone. A place where, at some point, we can attain peace together.

How To Afford Your Summer Vacation

Today I have my first guest post ever! Shaye from Simply Shaye has some great ideas for us single moms to help the finances a bit.

As any single mom knows, summers stay busier than ever. I work 40 hours a week, or sometimes 45 if I need to fill in for someone. The kids are growing up, but they're bored and it's a hot summer. We absolutely cannot wait to go on vacation! Yes, that's right! Last summer, I shrugged and asked "How can I afford to take us on vacation? My salary is already stretched six ways to Sunday!" Then, I found some reliable ways to make money at home.

For all the other single moms out there, you CAN go on vacation this summer! Use the talents you have, whether it's hobbies like photography or crafting or writing: the money adds up, whether you're a stay-at-home mother or in the workforce like me. And don't forget to save money. It's not always how much you earn...Check out these 4 unique ways to supplement your summer bankroll:

Dog Boarding

No, this does not seem like work to me, and you will love this! Offer your services to a loving pet owner. Taking a pet to the kennel can be traumatic. Find a quite room or space for someone else's dog or cat to stay in your home. This is a win-win for everyone. You get to play with the puppy, the puppy has fun (and gets frequent walks if necessary on a leash) and the owner has a stress-free vacation.

Freelancing/Writing

If you like to write, check out oDesk for writing assignments that add money to your vacation account every week. You decide how much freelance work you'd like. You stay at home, at your comfy desk or kitchen table. If your kid is like mine, this option works out very well. You make money for vacation and it doesn’t really feel like work.

Take a Hike, Give Up the Gym

Ah, the ties that binds. My gym and I were together for more than 10 years, but when I added up all the days I couldn't get there--because I work, have a child, and like to make extra money--spending $50 per month did not make sense. Now, I have a new pair of running shoes and I’ll workout from home!

Drink Tap Water

Okay, that's harsh. But think about how much you spend on bottled water! We spent more than enough on bottled water. Every Tuesday morning, we collected the water bottles for recycling. There's so much waste associated with bottled water. Your municipal water authority makes sure the water is potable--but if you're worried, call them or buy a water filtration device for the kitchen tap. We use Brita, and our water tastes great. Check out http://thewaterproject.org/bottled_water_wasteful.asp now!

Now, you see? Make a few savings adjustments can make you a little extra money. The thousands of dollars you save pays for a nice vacation. You and your children deserve it!

Shaye is a single mom that has a passion for family, budgeting, healthy living, fitness, and travel. She loves finding new ways to cook healthier and stay fit, all while doing it on a budget. She has a beautiful son and one eccentric dog, but wouldn’t have it any other way.. Follow her blog at http://simplyshaye.wordpress.com!  

Crush

I am a blusher. Bad. Even the smallest thing makes me blush. It is quite embarrassing sometimes. It is nowhere as bad as it was when I was younger, but I still blush. Sometimes it is just the completely wrong situation for blushing. I can't help it though.

I loved math class. Not because of the math, no, that sucked. Because John was in math class. John was a year older than us, but in our advanced math class. I'm still not sure how that worked out, but who am I to complain? He was a soccer player and a track athlete and I really liked him.

Because it was an advanced math class, it was the same students in the same level of math every year, so every year, for three glorious years, John was in my math class. One year, I sat next to him and was his math partner, whatever that meant.

So, because of this huge crush, I knew that every time I went into math class I was blushing. I could feel it. I went into the bathroom one day and my face was super red. I almost refused to go back to class. But I couldn't leave my math partner to derive on his own.