Latest news with #singlemom
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Mom of Older Kids Refuses to Be ‘Stroller Shamed' at Theme Parks
This mom is proud to use a stroller for her 'big' kids. 'Why would I worry about what other people think?' Nicki Marie, a Massachusetts mom who does not share her last name online, tells Marie sold her point in a TikTok video, wherein she pushed a double stroller containing her children, ages 8 and 10. 'Moms with grown-a** kids in strollers at Disney,' Marie captioned the video. The video voiceover stated, 'And she gave no f----.' Marie recorded the video during a two-week trip to Disney World, an annual vacation that she says is a 'milestone' after her 2019 divorce. 'When I got divorced, one of the first things I thought was, 'How will I do Disney with just me and two kids?'' says Marie. Enter 'Kim,' Marie's nickname for her double stroller, a 'co-parent' since 2016 that she says, now represents her 'empowered single mom' identity. Marie explains that she chose the name 'Kim' because, 'We all know the stroller isn't a man.' According to Marie, no one in public has shamed her for using a stroller for her older kids, however, 'I'm making fun of myself before you point it out to me.' 'Kim' is popular on MomTok, as some wrote. 'I hate when people shame you for using a stroller when you're walking like, 20 miles a day.' 'A stroller is sometimes the difference between having an amazing day and having everyone crash way too early. This is PRO behavior.' 'The stroller is just as much for mom, if not more, than for the kids. I don't want to hold my drink, carry a backpack or have nowhere to put my snacks. Stroller for the win!' 'This also helps normalize kiddos that need strollers/mobility devices. My kids do this and this would help them feel more at ease instead of sticking out.' 'My daughter is about to turn 7 and has low stamina due to having a tethered spinal cord until she was 3.5. Nicki and 'Kim' are giving me more confidence in continuing to use our BOB until over 8.' 'The stroller helps the children not complain but also gives you peace of mind knowing where they are in a sea of people. Imagine always panicking if they walk five feet away.' When a parent wrote, 'Absolutely not. My kids very rarely used a stroller and had no problem walking, including at Disney when they were 3. Hauling a stroller sucked,' the responses included a sarcastic, 'Congrats!' and 'Great for you!' Marie doesn't understand the big deal about strollers. 'Since when is vacation a competition to see how bada-- you can be?' Marie tells 'I'm trying to let down my guard so my kids see me having fun. I bring a stroller because I'm anticipating what could go wrong that day.' Marie says her 'very active' kids like resting in the stroller and do not care whether it's 'age appropriate.' Marie relies on the stroller at theme parks, airports, or at home, where she sometimes uses it as a laundry basket. The children do not use their stroller to traverse the entire theme park. Marie says when they are exhausted from walking or waiting in line, they plop down for a rest, including during Disney's evening fireworks display. Marie says the stroller lets her be a present mom and still 'shut my brain off,' knowing her kids are safe. The mom appreciates the TikTok posts in which she is tagged by moms revealing their strollers. 'People say, 'I use a stroller because of you — and I named her Kim,'' says Marie. 'If parents can get more out of an experience by using a stroller, it's not going to ruin anyone's life,' Deborah Gilboa, a family doctor and resilience expert tells emphasizing a 'more interesting' question: Why do we shame parents at all? Gilboa says the instinct to meddle precedes thousands of years, when family systems and communities needed to toughen up to survive. 'Matriarchs did it all the time,' says Gilboa. 'Now, we do this to strangers ... who we will never meet in real life.' Some parents judge, she says, 'to take the pressure off themselves by saying, 'At least I'm not as 'bad' as that person.'' Gilboa adds, 'Parents should be strategic and use whatever accommodations exist.' This article was originally published on
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dear Abby: My son doesn't want me in his life after I raised him as a single mother
DEAR ABBY: I have a full-time job and am in pretty good health. I have one son, 'Brian,' who is married and has three children. My problem is that my son is often rude to me. I was a single mom who raised him on my own. I thought I was a pretty good mother. His wife is super sensitive to any comment I make and finds fault with almost anything I do. They spend a lot of time with her family and exclude me. If I make a comment about Brian's wife, he gets mad and calls me hateful or rude. I have been good to both of them, helping in any way I can, yet they do not take that into consideration. Brian and I get into arguments over this. Sometimes I have gone overboard and told him he needs to figure out what his problem is with me. He never tells me why he behaves like this. They don't visit me or bring the children over. They say they are busy, but they always find time to visit her family, their cousins, etc. Must I give up on having any kind of relationship with them? I love my son and would like to be a part of his life, but I don't think I should accept him being critical of me all the time no matter what I do. If I try to talk objectively with his wife, she says I'm trying to start something. Please help. — HEARTBROKEN IN GEORGIA DEAR HEARTBROKEN: I'll try. Assume control of your life and quit looking for crumbs from your son and his wife! Doing otherwise has brought you only pain and disappointment. Recognize that however you raised your son, you did the best you could under difficult circumstances. Your daughter-in-law seems to have taken control of your son, and he has allowed it. Sadly, it's not unusual. When you see or talk to them, exchange nothing but pleasantries. Concentrate your energies on your friendships and other aspects of your life. This may save you from additional grief and be more rewarding than continuing to hit your head against a brick wall. DEAR ABBY: I am a 14-year-old girl. There are some mean girls at school. When I talk to them, they say mean things. I don't have a good comeback, so I just stand there doing nothing. I need some good tips. I keep telling adults, but the girls keep doing it. How can I make them stop for good, and do you have some comebacks I can use? — SPEECHLESS IN IDAHO DEAR SPEECHLESS: There is no way to force a bully to stop. This ugly behavior is who those girls are. I don't recommend trying to beat them at their own cruel game by competing on their level, because if you do, they will win. Instead of approaching them and giving them the opportunity to say mean things to you, consider trying to make friends with other girls — girls who might like to be friends with you too. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Minneapolis car recovery group helps a single mom find her stolen vehicle
The Brief A neighborhood recovery car service in Minneapolis helps find a reported stolen vehicle for a single mom. The single mom had her 2016 Hyundai two days after paying $6,000 in cash for it. A tip led to the location of the stolen vehicle. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A neighborhood recovery car service in Minneapolis finds a reported stolen vehicle for a single mom. She purchased a used 2016 Hyundai Elantra, and it was stolen two days later. What we know Stephanie Tubman didn't even get a chance to put on the license plate of her 2016 Hyundai Elantra before it was stolen the first weekend in May. So she contacted the company TC Nighthawks. From there, they got to work using a variety of platforms, from drone pilots to street recovery teams. What they're saying It wasn't until they put an ad out for a $500 reward for a tip leading to the reported stolen vehicle. The first two leads were a dead-end, but the third one led them to it. "We got a tip, and it sounded like a good one. I sent a spotter out there. The spotter confirmed it was the vehicle. And at that point, we started working with the Minneapolis Police, and we got the victim over there," said Lacey Gauthier, the founder of TC Nighthawks. "That was everything I had. That was literally everything I had to try to get this car so I could have something reliable to drive, probably go to two of my jobs and go to college and take care of my kids," said Stephanie Tubman, who had her vehicle stolen. Minneapolis police say the vehicle was located at 37th Avenue North and Humbolt Avenue North on Mother's Day. The steering column and ignition of the vehicle were damaged. TC Nighthawks helps to find cars all around the nation, recovering 31 cars so far.
