Parent and Child
The Two-Person Family
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There have been times that I have wished I could be that parent parading around in the car with the numerous family stick figures stuck on the back windscreen, you know the ones...Dad with the barbecued sausage, Mum the tennis racket, with the three kids (usually also involved in extra-curricular activities) and dog in tow. As wonderful as this family unit may appear, these images do not denote the real family involved in everyday day to day living. Nor do these images depict the average family structure given that there are so many variables. How easy it can be to dwell on and become envious of what these images portray; ' the happy nuclear family'. In reality though we all have different family shapes, each bearing sometimes similar and sometimes different sets of challenges. As much as these images try to trick me into believing that 'their life is better' I have come to an acceptance of my own family situation and the benefits of such. There can be so much more freedom in a smaller family, and when you desire more companionship you can make your own family bigger by incorporating your extended family and/or widening your friendships. The grass isn't greener on the other side. There's green grass growing in all sorts of paddocks. Enjoy the paddock you're in!
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About the Book
Whether by choice or the result of an unpredictable predicament, heading a two-person family is probably not what you anticipated as a youngster looking toward the future. Perhaps you envisioned having a conventional family of your own, but that plan was stumped by illness, separation, divorce, or death of a partner. Or, maybe, you found yourself of an age where the traditional family scenario was no longer obtainable. Whatever the circumstances, single parenting has its challenges.
In Parent and Child, author Kathleen M. Waddington offers practical advice for single parents raising a child on their own. Based on her personal experiences and those of other single parents, she addresses a host of topics, including: living in the moment, family dynamics, keeping the peace, creating your community, discipline, managing stress, the pursuit of happiness, enhancing confidence, and more.
Offering guidance for a variety of stages in the parenting journey, Parent and Child recommends letting go of the fallacy that bigger is better and begin to appreciate the advantages of being part of a smaller family unit. It shows you how to discover ways of embracing challenges fueled with courage, strength, and integrity.
About the Author
Kathleen M. Waddington fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a nurse. She planned to marry and have a large family. It didn’t happen that way. Instead, she became a single parent to one child. Waddington lives with her teenage son in Melbourne. She currently works as a nurse, midwife, and hypnobirthing practitioner.