Monday February 13, 2012
So far, more than 30 different single parent advocates and resources have been nominated for the 2012 Readers' Choice Awards, and the nomination phase isn't over yet. You have until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, February 15, 2012 to nominate your favorites for the following categories:
To learn more about who's been nominated so far, and access their Twitter and Facebook links so you can keep up with their good work, read 2012 Readers' Choice Award Nominees.
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Wednesday February 8, 2012
Do you ever wish you could create your own set of conversation hearts for Valentine's Day? You know, little pastel candies with sayings like, "bug off," "BTDT" (for "been-there-done-that"), or "why bother?" If you've been through a rough experience — either with your ex or a more recent dating relationship — then who can blame you for feeling a little bitter about Valentine's Day?
But, you know, it's funny — Valentine's Day is one of those holidays that is what you make it. So if you decide that it's a day to feel down, you'll feel down. (And that's okay.) But if you decide that it's a day to celebrate the love you have for your kids, or your friends and family, then that's what it will be.
When you look at it that way, surviving Valentine's Day is as much about your own attitude as it is about all the commercial hype associated with it.
Don't Miss: Fresh Dating Advice for Singles | Dating With Kids Quiz
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Sunday February 5, 2012
It's a case of violence, despair, and a system that couldn't or didn't save two young children from the hands of their father. Susan Powell-Cox went missing in December, 2009. At the time, her husband — Josh Powell — claimed that he didn't know what happened to her, because he took his boys, who were two and four at the time, camping the middle of the night during a snowstorm. The story was questionable, but authorities didn't have enough evidence to hold Powell.
Then, in a bizarre twist, Powell's father — Steven Powell — was arrested on charges of child pornography and voyeurism. As a result, because Josh Powell and his children lived with Steven Powell at the time, Josh Powell lost custody of the boys, who went to live with their maternal grandparents. And just four days ago, a judge in Washington State — where Powell had moved with the children — ruled that they would remain the custody of their grandparents, allowing Josh Powell to retain visitation rights.
And it was during one of those visits this afternoon that the murder-suicide took place, according to the CNN article Sheriff's official: Missing woman's husband, 2 sons killed in explosion.
But Why?
What could make a man so desperate that he'd kill his own children? The specific circumstances contributing to this case are certainly unusual, but the degree of violence exhibited against women and children is not. And so while we think today about the young Powell boys and the pain their extended family is going through, let's also remember to take any hint or suggestion of violence extremely seriously.
For more information on what you can do, read Thirteen Ways Any Adult Can Make Ending Domestic Violence His or Her Business, from the Domestic Violence Awareness Project.
Don't Miss: Help For Victims of Domestic Violence
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Saturday February 4, 2012
According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, nearly half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned1, and approximately two-thirds of the children resulting from unplanned pregnancies are born to single moms2.
If you've recently discovered that you're expecting, you may feel a mix of emotions — including joy, fear, excitement, and even loneliness. You may feel empowered and ready to start planning for the future, or you might need time to process the news for yourself before involving others in your plans.
Either way, if you decide to keep your baby, you'll need to make a lot of decisions leading up to the birth, including what last name to give your child and whether to include the father on the baby's birth certificate, and more. For help getting started — when you're ready — read 10 Questions for Pregnant Single Women.
And in the meantime, join us in the Single Parents' Forum for ongoing support and encouragement.
Don't Miss:
Sources:
1"Unplanned Pregnancy in the United States Among All Women." The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Web. 4 Feb. 2012. <http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/dcr/NATC_DCRreport.pdf>
2"Unplanned Pregnancy in the United States." The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. May 2008. Web. 11 Jan. 2010. <http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/briefly-unplanned-in-the-united-states.pdf>
Photo © Tom Grill / Getty Images
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