Why the name Singleparentopia?
As (single) parents we tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves to be “perfect”. That was the case with me for sure. The name of this blog hence makes reference to utopia – “an imagined community that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities” .
But as Toni Morrison, a single mum herself, put it brilliantly:
There was something so valuable about what happened when one became a mother. For me it was the most liberating thing that ever happened to me. Liberating because the demands that children make are not the demands of a normal ‘other.’ The children’s demands on me were things that nobody ever asked me to do. To be a good manager. To have a sense of humor. To deliver something that somebody could use. And they were not interested in all the things that other people were interested in, like what I was wearing or if I were sensual. Somehow all of the baggage that I had accumulated as a person about what was valuable just fell away. I could not only be me—whatever that was—but somebody actually needed me to be that. If you listen to [your children], somehow you are able to free yourself from baggage and vanity and all sorts of things, and deliver a better self, one that you like. The person that was in me that I liked best was the one my children seemed to want.
Who is behind Singleparentopia?
When I started Singleparentopia in 2016, I was a single full-time working mum of a wonderful 5-year old, based in Geneva (Switzerland).
As back then, I still enjoy spending time with my daughter but equally appreciate some alone time. I love learning – books, articles, podcasts and blogs related to healthy living and personal development are at the top of my list. You’ve got the point – leading a fulfilling life and being a role model for my daughter is very important to me. I’m also a big latte lover – this blog almost ended up being called mycupoflatte.com;-)
But above all, I’m passionate about helping single mums and dads out there with plenty of useful advice and empowering them to live fulfilling and happy lives. In short – to rock (yes, singleparentsrock.com was also one of the shortlisted blog names ;-))
Remember, there is no such thing as perfection nor do our children expect it from us. Instead of thinking of utopia, rather lead by example and focus on becoming the best version of yourself!
Welcome aboard of this journey!
