Single parents, what is your career?

[Anonymous]

Does it allow a decent work life balance?
Do you earn enough to support an enjoyable lifestyle for you and your children?

I'm considering a career change, thinking about the options.

[Anonymous]

I work in IT Project Management. I WFH full time for a global company. I've structured my hours so that I start at 5am and break from 7:30-8:30 to get the kids ready for school. I work from 8:30-3:00. Then I go get the kids and take them to their activities, make dinner, and help them with their homework.

I make $150 without bonus or options. I pay $92 per paycheck for amazing healthcare and I've been with the company for 15 years so now I have 8 weeks of PTO.

I earn enough to support me and the kids, send them to camps in the summer, have a good vacation once or twice a year as well as multiple mini vacations. I put away the $18K in my 401K and my employer contributes another $9K. The kids each have about $75K in their 529s. Yes, there could be more but I'm content with it for now. So yes, I earn enough to support an enjoyable lifestyle for me and the kids.

[Anonymous]

ES teacher here. I make $65K per year. It’s definitely not enough in this area plus my ex only pays CS sporadically. We aren’t destitute but some months I have to choose which bills to pay and which bills to let go until I can pay them. We don’t go on vacation every year but sometimes we visit family. I have summers off mostly but I really need to find a summer job that pays enough to cover childcare. Not an easy thing to do.

[Anonymous]

I am always confused by what single parent means. I am divorced but their dad is in their lives. One child lives with me full time and the other lives with my ex. I support my household by myself. Does that qualify me as a single parent or do you exclusively mean when the other parent is not involved?

In any event, I am a fed and I make 126k. 11th grader lives with me, 10th grader lives with my ex (they wanted to go to certain schools, thus the living arrangement).

I have good work life balance, although my agency does not have the option to telework.

I accumulated a lot of debt during my marriage that I am just now getting myself out of, so there have been a few rough years, but honestly I am overall better off now compared to when I was married.

We go on mini vacations frequently, plus I travel a lot for work and take them with me when I can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am always confused by what single parent means. I am divorced but their dad is in their lives. One child lives with me full time and the other lives with my ex. I support my household by myself. Does that qualify me as a single parent or do you exclusively mean when the other parent is not involved?

In any event, I am a fed and I make 126k. 11th grader lives with me, 10th grader lives with my ex (they wanted to go to certain schools, thus the living arrangement).

I have good work life balance, although my agency does not have the option to telework.

I accumulated a lot of debt during my marriage that I am just now getting myself out of, so there have been a few rough years, but honestly I am overall better off now compared to when I was married.

We go on mini vacations frequently, plus I travel a lot for work and take them with me when I can.

Ummm yes you are a single parent.

What is your career, what do you do as a fed? That's very broad.

[Anonymous]

I’m an editor. I found a job only a few miles from home. Having no commute is a lifesaver. The job is moderately stressful, but it was so easy to pick DD up from day care and school.

I don’t earn as much as many on DCUM, but it’s enough to save modestly for college, pay all the bills by living fairly frugally, and take a vacation every year.

[Anonymous]

I work for the federal government -- not the most exciting position but its very close to home and I can work at home a couple days a week. I'd kind of like to move away from the DC area but I have such a great work/life balance right now....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am always confused by what single parent means. I am divorced but their dad is in their lives. One child lives with me full time and the other lives with my ex. I support my household by myself. Does that qualify me as a single parent or do you exclusively mean when the other parent is not involved?

In any event, I am a fed and I make 126k. 11th grader lives with me, 10th grader lives with my ex (they wanted to go to certain schools, thus the living arrangement).

I have good work life balance, although my agency does not have the option to telework.

I accumulated a lot of debt during my marriage that I am just now getting myself out of, so there have been a few rough years, but honestly I am overall better off now compared to when I was married.

We go on mini vacations frequently, plus I travel a lot for work and take them with me when I can.

Ummm yes you are a single parent.

What is your career, what do you do as a fed? That's very broad.

I'm a single mother and I would say the PP is not a single parent, especially in this context. I had to leave my former, higher paying job because it required sporadic, not even regular, travel. I would not have had childcare for my trips and could not have afforded to pay for overnight care for the weeks I was gone. Presumably PP has her children stay with her ex while she travels.

[Anonymous]

I'm a lawyer. I don't make a ton of money but it's enough to go on quick international vacations 2x a year with my only child, age 3. That's still very young so we'll see how/if our current balance is sustainable.

[Anonymous]

Paralegal. It's fine.

[Anonymous]

This question is so pointless. OP, it varies greatly depending on how many children, if the person has joint custody, child support, ages of children, educational background, etc. Just do what you enjoy, are capable of, and what provides for your family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am always confused by what single parent means. I am divorced but their dad is in their lives. One child lives with me full time and the other lives with my ex. I support my household by myself. Does that qualify me as a single parent or do you exclusively mean when the other parent is not involved?

In any event, I am a fed and I make 126k. 11th grader lives with me, 10th grader lives with my ex (they wanted to go to certain schools, thus the living arrangement).

I have good work life balance, although my agency does not have the option to telework.

I accumulated a lot of debt during my marriage that I am just now getting myself out of, so there have been a few rough years, but honestly I am overall better off now compared to when I was married.

We go on mini vacations frequently, plus I travel a lot for work and take them with me when I can.

Ummm yes you are a single parent.

What is your career, what do you do as a fed? That's very broad.

I'm a single mother and I would say the PP is not a single parent, especially in this context. I had to leave my former, higher paying job because it required sporadic, not even regular, travel. I would not have had childcare for my trips and could not have afforded to pay for overnight care for the weeks I was gone. Presumably PP has her children stay with her ex while she travels.

Agreed. My definition of a single parent is a parent who is flying solo through the parenting process. PP’s marital status is single; however her parenting status is not. Two different statuses.

[Anonymous]

I earn about $200K.
I work in the vendor and contract management space.
This is plenty for 2 people though like most folks I wouldn't complain if I made more.

My job is fairly flexible, for example I had no issues leaving early yesterday to get my kid by 4 for the early APS closure. I also had to go in late today b/c of the late start. My manager and her manager also had childcare issues yesterday so it has been an across the board mix of working from home and having flexible schedules.

My own staff members don't have school aged children but they have aging parents, sick partners, and one has an infant so we all have our personal issues and requirements for flexibility. Our company it great about that. We have 10 days a year we can take to support family members for sick appointments or unplanned child/elder care needs.

I don't have family local but when I have to travel for work (once or twice a year) my mother comes to stay with DS.

DS has everything he needs and most of what he wants.
We travel during the summer, a few domestic trips and typically one international trip.

What are the job options OP?

[Anonymous]

Work in Grants Management for FDA, but I don't consider myself a single parent due to the arrangement of "one week on, one week off with my ex.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ES teacher here. I make $65K per year. It’s definitely not enough in this area plus my ex only pays CS sporadically. We aren’t destitute but some months I have to choose which bills to pay and which bills to let go until I can pay them. We don’t go on vacation every year but sometimes we visit family. I have summers off mostly but I really need to find a summer job that pays enough to cover childcare. Not an easy thing to do.

Get into summer tutoring. Great extra cash. Definitely a demand. You could have them come to you , or meet at the library.