Reply to What is the definition of a "single parent"?

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Reply to "What is the definition of a "single parent"?"

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[quote=Anonymous]My sister and her husband have been separated for a year and are divorcing.  They have two young children.  My sister is constantly complaining about how hard it is to be a single parent.  So, the reality of her life is that she and her husband maintain separate residences (closeby to one another though).  They have an agreement for split physical custody since the legal separation went into effect.  The kids stay with her 50 percent of the time her husband 50 percent of the time -- 3-4 days at a time at each house depending on their schedules.  The kids are both elementary age children and thus in school for all-day, plus aftercare.  Since they have been separated and sharing custody, my sister has had 10 entire days and nights away from them on vacation with her boyfriend (don't get me started on that one), plus at least a few other weekends free completely when her husband has taken them on vacation/to visit his parents.  Plus, when she has the kids, she does get babysitters when she wants to go out without them.  And her soon to be ex contributes far more money to their upbringing than she does given that she is self-employed and makes a lot less.

The total number of hours she actually spends with her children each week is far, far less than I do with mine, and my husband and I are together...this is comsidering my husband's hours at work and the time he works at home or is out of town for business.  I am, by no means, complaining about my life...My busband does his fair share of parenting certainly.  But it does make me roll my eyes a bit to hear her call herself a single parent.  Her to be ex is very involved with the kids on every level.  One of my best friends is raising her children alone because the father is literally absent in every way -- physically, emotionally and financially.  To me, that is being a single parent.  I don't consider my sister's situation at all the same.

Am I somehow missing something here?[/quote]

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