Were you raised in a fatherless/motherless home?

[B Strugg]

How many of you were born/raised in a single parent household? how has that molded you into the person you are today?

Those born into a single parent home, but had a steady relationship with either parent, how has that molded you?

[No Screen Name]

My parents divorced when I was 11. I moved in with my dad when I was 13. It had a profound effect on my life.

[Highly Favored]

My dad died when I was five. My mother raised me, with support from my grandparents. I think having my grandfather around made up for the fact that I grew up without my dad, so I didn't really miss the male influence in my life.

My brothers (from a previous marriage) were much older than me, so I was basically an only child. My mother and I are very close. I regret not growing up with my dad, but I think my relationship with my mother would have been much different had he lived.

My mom married when she was very young. In fact, she dropped out of high school to get married. Her first husband was killed in a boating accident. She and her second husband divorced. Her third husband, my father, died of a heart attack. I can never say that she was not able to meet my basic needs, because she did a wonderful job. We were a low-income family, but I never knew it. She never let me see her struggle, even though I know she must have. She wasn't qualified to do anything, except the lowest-paying, hardest jobs, when she worked. But she did what she had to do. She is a testament that a woman does not have to make a career out of living on public assistance, unless she wants to.

My mom's experience taught me that it is wise to pursue education and position oneself to shoulder the burden of family in the event that I, due to circumstances, beyond my control find myself without a husband's support/help. I find that self-sufficiency is one of the things I try to instill in other young women that I meet. I don't think I realized until this very moment how much of that had to do with how I grew up.

[The Elect Lady]

My dad passed when I was 9. My mother moved my now step dad in when I was like 11. The whole situation was jacked up. My step father beat on me, my mother accepted it. The whole ordeal gave me insecurities and to this day, I have jacked up relationships with men...

[Sista08]

Sorry to hear that ^


My parents split when I was 10 but they always lived very close to each other. We even alternated houses for years at a time.

Living with my dad and always having that contact taught me what I should and shouldnt tolerate from a male. Our relationship was healthy and he would always say that he had the prettiest daughters. Aint no nappy headed hoodlum gon roll up and tell me something different.

I think the split might have had more of an effect if they lived further apart. This arrangement allowed them to still coparent and punish as required.

[The Elect Lady]

lol! Poor sista...

"they took turns, one was beating me while the other was driving"...lol!

[happy1]

Mother died at 6, father at 9. I hope they are proud of the life I have created (with Gods help)

[BKupInHere]

May 22, 2008 13:22:53 GMT -5 happy1 said:

Mother died at 6, father at 9. I hope they are proud of the life I have created (with Gods help)

Wow & {{{hugs}}} for Happy...which is an ironic name considering he lost his parents before he hit the double digits...

[1neosoul22]

My mother was not in my life at all. I was raised in a house with my single father and my paternal grandmother. I missed out on the true motherly things and connection of my own mother but gained insight into my grandmothers world. The fact that my mother was not in my life-- had a strange effect on me-- to one point I did not want children as I was afraid of what I would do to them-- then on the other point I have been determined to be there for my daughter-- to have a connection that my mother and I did not have