I am very interested to see this thread. I am a single parent, with one biio son and (as of today
) two foster kids. I have been fostering for almost 5 years and up until two years ago I hnhad a very successful eBay business. I then had a 4 m.o. baby placed with me who was recovering from pretty horrific abuse and she required a LOT of attention and I thought that it just would not have been the right thing to do to put her in child care while I worked, so I stopped my eBay business and became a full time mom.
Let me just tell you; people say all the time "Oh, being a mother is the hardest job" and I don't think they really mean it or truly understand it. When my bio son was born I was a single, full time, mom, working full time and going to school full time and I thought I had it bad! It was NOTHING compared to being the sole person whom a little baby is dependent on 24/7
Not to mention I had at least 3 other children who are dependent on me to varrying degrees as well. At my job at least I got a break twice a shift! And people who I could have conversations with who were able to answer in complete sentences! LOL
It. Is. The. Hardest. Job. I. Have. Ever. Had.
I have run my own business, I have worked for other people, I have run day cares, etc., etc. Nothing compares. I was also very surprised to find out how much I love it. I feel as if I have found my purpose. I have pretty much always cared for kids in one way or another and I have always wanted to have a big family. In doing fostering I have found a way to do it. I have to budget SUPER careful and I look for little side jobs to bring money in as well. I breed (on a very small scale!) dogs and that brings a chunk of $$ in once a year.
But it is really worth it and I just wish that more people put more importance on parenting and that it was respected more. It is really sad, how in this day and age, in this "enlightened" country, we are so blind to what is important. OK, off my soapbox now
