A single mom has been applauded online for sharing the reality of being the only parent responsible for her two children, and she told Newsweek about her struggles.
Carly Harris, 36, candidly listed all the hardest aspects of being a solo mother in a reel on Instagram, giving viewers a raw glimpse of the difficulties of raising children alone.
Harris said that opening up about her struggles has not only been cathartic but also deeply beneficial for other single moms who might feel isolated by their experience.
Screenshots from Carly Harris’ reel on being a solo parent. She talks about difficulties, including being the one who has to make the adaptations to her job when one of her children is ill.
@iamthefitmummy
“Seeing your feelings validated and knowing other people are experiencing them can be really helpful when going through a difficult time,” she said.
One of the most difficult aspects Harris touched on was the constant emotional strain of single parenting, particularly during moments when stress builds up.
“When you’re deprived of sleep and you might want to be calm, sometimes you can snap or not gentle parent how you might like to. Sometimes, you need someone to tap out to, so you can regulate your own emotions, but we don’t have that.”
Harris, who goes by @iamthefitmummy on Instagram and lives in the U.K, also made it known that she’s no stranger to feeling lonely as a single mom. She acknowledges how isolating the role can feel when constantly surrounded by the demands of motherhood.
“It’s hard to juggle all the spinning plates of motherhood and sometimes we drop some, [such as] messaging back in the group chat or replying to a message from a friend, as something might have happened like a tantrum or your child climbing onto you and before you know it, you’ve forgotten,” she said.
The 36-year-old said that if someone has a friend or family member who has just become a new mom, don’t be afraid to reach out.
“Check in with your single mom friends. Their evenings are often on their own when their children are in bed and stuck in a mundane routine of cleaning and working as that’s the only time to fit it all in,” Harris said.
Harris’ Instagram reel clocked up over 860,000 views on the platform, as well as hundreds of comments from other fellow single moms who appreciated the load they must carry.
“It doesn’t get easier you just get stronger. Kind of like any fitness training. It’s been almost 6.5 years now with my seven-year-old year old. You’ll find your rhythm,” one user commented, while another wrote, “All single mums do such a great job. It’s such a hard job. You are amazing.”
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