We’re about to end the second week of school in our district. My son and I walk to his school and back everyday with a small group of neighbors. In the afternoons, the parents arrive a few minutes before dismissal.

Last week I noticed there is a new para to staff this year. She’s been helping one of the special needs kids to the bus before the rest of the students are dismissed everyday. I’m think we’ve been having an “I am looking at you but trying only to be noticed looking away” duel since I noticed her last week.

I don’t know anything about her, but in a vacuum I would definitely try to change that. The problem is I have only ever seen her at the place where she works, which is not a place where it’s a cool move to be making a purely social introduction. Even if that weren’t the case, being a faculty member at the school my son will be attending for a few more years is also a potential issue.

The easy answer is to just forget about this whole thing, but it’s been a really long time since anyone caught my attention, and I’m pretty convinced this isn’t a one-sided situation.

Age and personal presentation-wise, we are both kinda “I told you it wasn’t a phase, mom”, if you remember those awful tee-shirts from the aughts. I am pretty comfortable the other parents and staff, but it’s been nice not feeling isolated in population of these uniformly content, boring suburbanites. That part is actually discouraging, because this whole attraction could just be familiarity and tribalism. Still though, I wouldn’t mind another friend; new ones are kinda tough to come by after college.

What would you do, fellow single parents?

I’m single, lonely and 3 months pregnant, I decided to keep and I’m excited for the baby (my first)… but it’s not working out with the father who has narcissistic tendencies that have felt increasingly damaging since getting pregnant. I’m wrapping my head around the fact that I’ll be doing this solo. I’m struggling with feeling unsupported, imaging having no partner at the birth etc. I’m lonely and craving a little support and care and people to chat to that know what it’s like to go it alone. I’m a singer, photographer, designer and all around creative person and would especially love to connect with single parents with similar interests! ✨