[Podcast] Cars for Single Parents with Cindy Witteman

[Podcast] Cars for Single Parents with Cindy Witteman

by | Dec 21, 2022

Cars for Single Parents Sponsored by Driving Single Parents

Today’s podcast features Cindy Witteman, founder of Driving Single Parents nonprofit that gives vehicles to single moms and dads in need.

She also recently released a co-authored book, Shattering the Stigma of a Single Motherhood.

In this interview, you will hear how she became a single mom, why she started her nonprofit, and the latest project she is working on.

  • [00:00:00] Introduction of guest Cindy Wittman, founder of Driving Single Parents
  • [00:00:27] Cindy introduces herself and her organization
  • [00:00:36] Cindy mentions co-authoring the book Shattering the Stigma of Single Motherhood
  • [00:02:04] Samantha asks Cindy to discuss her journey as a single parent and transition into marriage
  • [00:02:12] Cindy discusses her history of domestic violence and becoming a single mother
  • [00:03:14] Cindy discusses the challenges of being a single mother and how she coped with them
  • [00:04:03] Cindy talks about the moment when she decided to start Driving Single Parents
  • [00:06:27] Cindy discusses the requirements and process for receiving a car through Driving Single Parents
  • [00:08:45] Cindy discusses the emotional impact of the car donations and the impact on recipients’ ability to work and provide for their families
  • [00:11:20] Cindy discusses the importance of partnerships and community involvement in Driving Single Parents
  • [00:14:14] Cindy discusses the challenges and rewards of running Driving Single Parents
  • [00:16:29] Cindy discusses her future goals for Driving Single Parents, including expanding the organization’s reach and services

Cindy Wittman Interview

[00:00:00] Samantha: Hello everyone. Welcome to Hello Prosperity, powered by Rich Single mama.com. I’m Samantha Berger, your host, and today I have an amazing guest, Cindy Whitman, and she is the founder of Driving Single Parents. It’s an amazing organization, but I’m not gonna spill all the beans yet. I want you to hear from her what it’s all about.

[00:00:19] But first, Thank you for being here, Cindy, and I’d love for you to tell us a little bit about yourself and briefly about your single mom journey.

[00:00:27] Cindy: Absolutely. Thanks for having me. My name is Cindy Whittman. I live in San Antonio, Texas. I founded a nonprofit almost six years ago. It’s driving single parents.

[00:00:36] It’s where we help others. We help give vehicles to single moms in need, our single dads in need. And I also recently released a co-authored a book called Shattering the Stigma of a Single Motherhood. 

[00:00:50] Samantha: Just to chat about that book real quick I’m also a cool author with the book, shattering the Stigma of Single Motherhood, and that’s how Cindy and I met and I’ve just been in, in interviewing all the authors of this book because it’s such an amazing project, number one, and to be able to share our stories with single moms and to, especially whether they’re new single moms or they’ve been in the game for a minute.

[00:01:14] Those who may be veterans, single moms, there’s always this nagging stigma that society places on us about being a single mom and we cause all the problems and issues in society because of our kids, et cetera, et cetera. But we are shattering those myths and we are. Shattering that stigma so that single moms feel more empowered and so they feel like they don’t have to ha hang their head in shame, but can hold their heads up high because they’re doing one of the hardest jobs in the world and they’re doing it by themselves.

[00:01:45] When you rescinding.

[00:01:47] Cindy: That’s a hundred percent true. Now, I really wish people could have a full understanding of the fact that we don’t choose to be single parents. Most of us don’t choose that. It’s something that we just had to work through and work hard to get

[00:01:58] Samantha: through. Absolutely. Absolutely. So tell me a little bit more about your journey as a single parent.

[00:02:04] I know that you We’re a single parent. But you’re married now. Yes. But tell us about the single parent journey and then how you transition into marriage. Yes.

[00:02:12] Cindy: I got married really young and unfortunately, it ended up being a domestic violence situation. . And I always promised myself that I would never end up a single mother.

[00:02:19] I came from a single-mother home and I really just didn’t want that for my children. And so I tried to stick it out and I remember specifically one day I was on the couch watching Dr. Feel and. He said it’s better to come from a broken home than it is to grow up in one. that just spoke to me as, it’s as if they were speaking to me.

[00:02:37] And I thought, you know what? That’s right. Unknowingly by being terrified to be a single mom I am putting my kids through this and I’ve really gotta make a change. So I got up, I got a basket of clothes, a bag of diapers, and I moved out and made a life for myself and my girls. Fast forward I ended up meeting my husband and I got to a position.

[00:02:54] Where I could actually give back. And I really at first wanted to do childcare because as a single mom yourself, you know how difficult it is to get that childcare. And a lot of people really believe that it’s the government assistance is there to help them. Or help you, but that’s not true. It’s very hard to qualify.

[00:03:12] You have to have a job before you can qualify, but you can’t get a job who’s gonna have childcare anyways, I went and ran a poll to see if people would get on board with a nonprofit that helped single parents with childcare. Nobody would get interested. I couldn’t get anyone interested in that.

[00:03:27] And so I was, I gave up on that and I was down on myself. And I remember I was at dinner with my husband one. And just for some reason just hit me. I had been thinking, what can I do? What was my second need as a single mom? And I just like right there at dinner, I was like, oh, that’s what it’s, I stood up and I said, I’m gonna give away cars,

[00:03:46] And my husband looked at me and he said, he’s an attorney. , he sit down. You are not giving away a car. Never, just thinking about all the liability issues that could show themselves. Of course, I called over the waitress and said, what do you think about this? and she said, oh, I came from a single parent home.

[00:04:01] And that was a big struggle for us. We had to ride bus in the rain and, we couldn’t get to school sometimes and , I. I had the same experience growing up without vehicles. And so that night we went home and my husband went to bed. I woke up at probably 3 30, 4 o’clock in the morning and built the website and started the nonprofit

[00:04:17] And when my husband woke up, I told him what I’d done, and he just was shocked, wow, you’re really doing this? He was like, yeah, when I say I’m gonna do something, I do it. And so that’s where it all began, and seven days later, we gave away the first. To a single dad who actually was hit by a drunk driver and he lost his wife, his car, his unborn child, and his leg in the accident.

[00:04:39] Oh. And he was gifted the s u v, he still drives today, almost six years later. Wow. And it really, it was life changing for him.

[00:04:46] Samantha: I can imagine. That is amazing. I know that, even myself from my, on my website, I have had people, women, single moms, that’s one of the things that they’re, they ask about transportation.

[00:04:59] Can you help me get my car fixed? Can you help me find a car, something that’s cheap and you are absolutely right. The transportation piece is so big because without it, especially if you don’t live in an area where there is reliable. Public transportation subway or bus or what have you.

[00:05:17] And then of course taxes are expensive. Uber these days are expensive. And having your own to be able to get in whenever you need to go. Or come, that’s so important. So to be able to do that I’m just, I’m baffled really. . But

[00:05:31] Cindy: yes, it’s just a main, a real big tool that you need and especially with my situation with leaving a domestic violence situation.

[00:05:38] You, you can’t do that if you don’t have a car or transportation. You can’t do what I did. I worked two jobs, put myself through college to get to where I am today, where I’m able to give back. I would never have been able to do that without that little car that I had. . And it, it is so important to, to get to the doctor’s appointments, to even to h e b, the simplest things we take for granted every day.

[00:05:57] are big struggles for these single parent homes. , and, how are they supposed to get their kids to school, get themselves to work, and then better their lives so that they can stop that, dead end job and get higher paying jobs. Exactly.

[00:06:09] Samantha: Yeah. And not just that, even if there’s opportunities available, like I know there’s a lot of educational opportunities and I’m really big in promoting.

[00:06:18] Single moms getting into technology and there’s like boot camps, there’s classes, but if they can’t get to those classes or get to the boot camp, . And yes, a lot of things are virtual, but as the world opens back up again, then they’re gonna need to have a way to get to where they need to go in order to.

[00:06:36] Be able to receive that free education so they can increase their prospects for their career and be able to make more money. And so they can. So the, it is just the amazing cycle that you go through and the things you’re able to do when you have reliable transportation.

[00:06:53] Cindy: It really is a key to, it’s a key to independence, it really is.

[00:06:56] It’s a huge tool that can not only be empowering , but also be that piece that you need, that little tiny thing you needed to be able to drive you to succeed in life and get to better places. A lot of my recipients, I stay followed up with them all the time, and I love hearing those stories of, wow, miss Cindy, I graduated from college, or I got a higher paying job.

[00:07:15] I just bought my first home. , things like that they wouldn’t have been able to do. The tool of the vehicle that they were gifted from driving single parents.

[00:07:22] Samantha: Absolutely. So how many do vehicles do you give away every year? It really

[00:07:27] Cindy: just depends with the most would get away in one year is four.

[00:07:30] But it depends on funding. It depends. Cause a big thing for us is to make sure we don’t give somebody a burden. So obviously I try to go out and handpick each of those cards to make sure that they’re. Sound and able to function for a long period of time and not be a problem. We also pay all the tax title and license to make sure that they don’t have to have a two, $3,000 bill.

[00:07:50] The car goes straight into their name so they don’t have to worry about any other issues with that. So all they need is car insurance. So it’s definitely not a burden.

[00:07:59] Samantha: Sure. Yeah. Nice. Okay. And do you do you ever get people who want to donate cars? Yes.

[00:08:07] Cindy: People donate cards, people donate money.

[00:08:09] We partner a lot. Most recently, our last giveaway was a partnership with Carvana. And Connection, where they actually they’re the ones that provided the vehicle Yeah, so they, so we provided the recipients Sure. They provided the vehicle and they ended up giving her the taxes, of course, the car, the taxes, and they, I believe they gave her six months car insurance as well, and a gas card.

[00:08:30] And so it’s those partnerships. Service King is another one that we partnered with that has done gone leaps and bounds for us. . We have a mechanic shop that helps us out. We have a tire shop that helps us just to make sure that these people get sound vehicles that are not burden. Sure.

[00:08:46] Samantha: And is this mainly in your state?

[00:08:48] Cindy: Yes. Right now we’re just specific to Bear County. I definitely wanna branch out, but we’re so small at this point that we’re just trying to make sure that we can take care of here first. But partnering with these big cor bigger corporations makes it. A lot easier for us to, branch out.

[00:09:02] Samantha: Absolutely. And that’s, hopefully it will branch out to every state, because single moms are everywhere. I. That’s right. And

[00:09:09] Cindy: single moms and single dads. Yes. Single parents in general. They’re everywhere.

[00:09:14] Samantha: Absolutely. I know you talked about why you started this business or nonprofit. So how do you balance, your motherhood as, and then this business

[00:09:22] Cindy: It’s, it can be a challenge at times, but I love it so much that the nonprofit doesn’t feel like work to me. Just because it is hard work, it’s just so wonderful to catch up with these people who have done so well and change the lives that we have. So it doesn’t feel like a job to me, but I really think that it’s important to do things like that in your life that really help you feel fulfilled and help you feel like you’re making a difference.

[00:09:43] , and then it doesn’t feel overwhelming or exhaust.

[00:09:46] Samantha: Okay. Very good. This is a big, having a nonprofit like this is really a big thing. Just overall because of the capacity, the impact that you’re making into the lives of these single parents. What kind of legacy do you wanna leave your children?

[00:10:03] Just even in that regard.

[00:10:05] Cindy: I really just want whatever they feel passionate about, I want them to do that. I wanna leave that legacy of being a person who doesn’t just look at their circumstances and think, what can I do for me? But to think about how you can do for you, but then also give back and make sure that you do for others.

[00:10:21] And make sure that you’re bringing everybody else up with you instead of looking down on others. I think that’s really important to teach my.

[00:10:29] Samantha: How can people donate money? How can they donate vehicles? I’m sure you probably have a criteria, especially for vehicles donation.

[00:10:39] But tell me a little bit more about that.

[00:10:41] Cindy: Yeah, they can just visit our website. It’s driving single parents.org and we have all the information on there on how you can get involved, how you can donate, how you can apply for a vehicle if you’re in need. The qualifications to apply are very simple.

[00:10:52] You just need to have a valid Texas driver’s license via Bear County resident, and have the ability to obtain and maintain car insurance. , . What we do is we ask for a video after the, after we make sure you meet the memo criteria, and then we go through those videos. And those videos are a determining factor as to who we end up choosing.

[00:11:08] Nice. And so really the best way is to email us. You can email us at info driving single parents.org or just visit the website for all those details.

[00:11:17] Samantha: Okay. So outside of. A single parent having transportation. There are other challenges of being a single parent. So from your experience, like before you got married, what are some things that you experienced in that, in, in the single parent, I hate to say the word struggle, but it is a struggle at times.

[00:11:39] But what are some of the things that you did to get through that phase of

[00:11:43] Cindy: your. ? Well, I feel like planning was a big thing for me. I knew that I was gonna need to get out of the situation and to make a stable home for my, I was a stay-at-home mom at the time, so I knew to get outta that domestic violence situation, I was gonna have to create stability for my daughters.

[00:11:56] Not just financially, but emotionally. So I, really worked hard to come up with a plan to short term work, really hard, couple of jobs, and then go to. So that I could get something that my daughters could be proud of me. Working, towards that graduation and when I did graduate, the hugs I got that day meant everything to me.

[00:12:15] So those were really big. I think, like I said, planning was the big thing is just having the coming up with, okay, this is what I need to accomplish. This is how I’m gonna do it, and this is how I’m not gonna work myself to death for the rest. This is how I’m gonna be able to know my daughters. Because if I’m going to work two jobs and put myself through college for a super long-term time, that’s not going to give me the ability to get to know them, to raise them, to make an impact in their lives and be there for them on a daily basis.

[00:12:45] So I just decided okay, this is what I need to do. I need to get a set place. I need to work two jobs for now. Go to college, graduate, and then focus on one career. That is, I work Monday through Friday, eight to five. I have off holidays and week weekends and so that I’m able to be there for them.

[00:13:01] So I’m planning and then also being very good with money. You don’t have to have a lot of money. You just have to. You just have to be good with the money that you do have.

[00:13:10] Samantha: . Now that’s a really profound statement. I think a lot of people miss that part because we’re so busy wanting to get more and more money.

[00:13:16] But if you don’t know how to manage the money, then you’re back at square one. You’re always gonna need more. Yes. You’re always gonna need more. And that’s nothing wrong with needing more, but again, that management piece is so important. And then the example that you’re setting for your children about how to manage money how to.

[00:13:34] Of course earn money on your own, especially as a woman. And being, having that financial independence is so huge. Yeah. For parents.. So you worked the two jobs and then you are in college, and I know a lot of single parents are doing that, especially because they have made that plan, they’ve made that decision.

[00:13:53] So how did you do the self-care for yourself, even with all of that going on? .

[00:13:57] Cindy: I honestly, I look back at it now, I don’t even know how I did it. , , I have no idea, but I just knew that it was a short-term situation and I just kept hope with myself that like I am working towards a greater good and a goal, and I will get there and then I will be able to enjoy my life and enjoy my family and enjoy things in the near future if I just stick to this.

[00:14:17] Samantha: That’s good because I think one thing that people get discouraged about is if I’m working two jobs and I’m going to school, it feels like a never ending situation. But to have that focus and say, this is only temporary, like your situation is, Just temporary for this moment in time and that it’s not going to last.

[00:14:38] And I think that’s what gives us the most hope. And then having that graduation to look forward to and having this new career where you’re working one job, nine to five, or eight to five and being able to have those vacation time. That’s one of the things I said I wanted to do for myself because.

[00:14:52] I knew that the way the rate I was working, I could not really enjoy life if I was not working a specific type of job. And I wouldn’t have the time for my children. I wouldn’t be able to make the kind of money I wanted to make in order to afford transportation and never were to afford a great place to live in a great neighborhood and be able to afford just some of the nice things in life.

[00:15:13] So that’s, I’m so glad you brought that out. So what would you say to a, or what advice would you give to a single parent who was thinking about either starting a nonprofit or maybe starting their own business? What would you tell them?

[00:15:27] Cindy: I would certainly say do follow whatever makes you happy.

[00:15:30] Whatever business you can see in your future that’s going to make you happy or give back to others. Just follow your heart and really just have faith that you can do it. And keep in mind that you can do anything you put your mind to as long and if you love it, it makes it that much easier. Also do the research.

[00:15:45] Talk to people like yourself who know about finances, who talk to friends and family who haven’t dealt with business situations in the past or present. Get a mentor do those things because if you can see it in your mind, you can hold it in your hand. So you’ve really just gotta focus on getting yourself the courage to be able to do it.

[00:16:03] , and then surrounding yourself with people who can actually embrace you and then help you with your.

[00:16:08] Samantha: . Yeah, definitely have a supporters. It’s important. Definitely gotta have that . Yes. Being around people who can see the vision for you even when you can’t. That I think is a huge thing as well.

[00:16:19] Yes, ma’am. So I know that you, we’re both a part of this PR book Project Shattering the stigma of single motherhood. What made you want to be a part of the project and to write your story?

[00:16:30] Cindy: I just love it. I think it’s a fantastic idea. I do believe that there is a stigma out there, and I’ve experienced it myself where I’ve had people just, look down on me because I was a single mom, and really not take into account that we don’t choose this, , I have interviewed many people for my nonprofit that they might have lost their loved one and become a single parent because of cancer, because of a car accident. because of suicide even. There’s been so many circumstances where it’s domestic violence. It’s all these scenarios that when you get married on and you having the best day of your life, you’re not foreseeing that none of us sit here and plan to be a single parent, cuz it’s a very difficult job.

[00:17:06] . And so I really feel like. There’s that big stigma out there, and I want people to understand, and I want them to read our book and see that, we work hard, we’re single parents and we should, we’re proud of it because we didn’t choose this. It shows us , but we put our boots on and we got to work and we made the best of it.

[00:17:23] Any person can overcome what they’ve been through their past if they can just get the courage. Get the strength get the thought in their head of what they can do and put their mind to it. They can accomplish anything they want, whether they’re a single parent or not.

[00:17:36] Samantha: That’s right.

[00:17:37] That’s true. So where can people find a copy of this book?

[00:17:42] Cindy: Amazon has it for just 99 cents. And get your ebook today. And then later on in January 10th, we’re going to be releasing the paper copy, and that’ll also be available on Amazon, or they can order on either one of our websites or any of the other co-authors.

[00:17:57] On their list. Absolutely.

[00:17:58] Samantha: Yes. So again, I am just so thrilled to know more about the driving single parents program that you have. It’s amazing. And just to let everyone know, it’s currently only in Texas, but it may be expanding soon. So just go to the website., often so that you can find out if it’s going to be expanding maybe in your area.

[00:18:18] I am so excited that you are part of this book project as well, Cindy. It’s been an honor to be able to collaborate with so many amazing single moms who have turned their lives around who have. Put this, I think I, people will call it a badge of shame or this stigma, but it’s really a badge of courage cuz single motherhood, that’s the most courageous thing you could ever do.

[00:18:39] So true . And because motherhood is a hard job, but single motherhood I think is even harder. And so we have done the work, we have gone through all the ups and downs and we have. Made it to this place. And we are just really out here spreading the message that a single motherhood is not something to be ashamed of, but something to be proud of.

[00:19:02] Especially if you have stuck it out and you have done the work and you have pulled yourself up from the pit of life until the pinnacle of life. And so if you’re not there yet, you’re gonna get there. Just read this. Shattering the stigma of single motherhood, and I believe that from these stories, you’ll be inspired and you will find the courage to just keep going and keep doing the things that you’ve always dreamed about doing.

[00:19:31] That’s right. So any last words for

[00:19:34] Cindy: us, Cindy? Just to let you know, I really appreciate you having me today and it’s been so nice talking with you. And thank you for helping spread the word about my nonprofit and then also it’s wonderful to partner with you on the book and I’m super excited to, to get to know you a little better in the future. .

[00:19:49] Samantha: It’s been my pleasure as well and wonderful having you here on this show. And so that wraps up this episode and we’re so thankful that you decided to listen to us today and we hope that you will go to driving single parents website. We’re gonna have all the information in the show notes so that you can go and check it out, and you can also pick up your 99 cent e-book copy of Shattering the Stigma of Single Motherhood, and also be on the lookout for the paperback when it comes out on January 10th.

[00:20:17] I’m Samantha Gregory, it’s been a pleasure talking with you today and I hope you have an amazing rest of the week. Take care.

The Importance of Self-Care for Single Moms during the Holidays

The Importance of Self-Care for Single Moms during the Holidays

by | Dec 19, 2022

The holiday season can be a wonderful time of year, filled with festive traditions, special moments with loved ones, and the opportunity to take a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life.

But for single moms, the holidays can also be a source of stress and overwhelm.

With the added responsibilities of parenting, working, and managing the household on their own, single moms may struggle to find the time and energy to take care of themselves during the holidays.

That’s why self-care is so important for single moms during the holiday season.

Self-care is the practice of taking intentional and deliberate steps to care for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

This can include getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and taking time to relax and recharge.

Self-care is important for single moms during the holidays for a few key reasons.

Mental and Physical Self-Care for Single Moms

First and foremost, self-care is essential for maintaining your physical and mental health.

The holiday season can be a particularly busy and hectic time of year, with a packed schedule of social events, family gatherings, and last-minute shopping trips.

If you’re not taking care of yourself, it’s easy to get burnt out and run down, which can lead to physical and mental health problems. By prioritizing self-care, you can help ensure that you have the energy and resilience to handle the demands of the holiday season.

Self Care helps you manage stress

Another reason self-care is important for single moms during the holidays is that it can help you manage stress and maintain a positive outlook.

The holidays can be stressful for anyone, but as a single mom, you may face additional challenges and pressures. You may feel overwhelmed by the added responsibilities of parenting and managing the household on your own, or you may struggle with feelings of loneliness or isolation.

Practicing self-care can help reduce stress and prevent negative emotions from taking over.

For example, you might take a few minutes each day to meditate or do some deep breathing exercises, or you might carve out some time for yourself to do something you enjoy, like reading a book or listening to music.

Self-Care for Balance and Control

Finally, self-care is important for single moms during the holidays because it can help you maintain a sense of balance and control in your life.

The holiday season can sometimes feel out of control, with a never-ending to-do list and a packed schedule of events and obligations.

By prioritizing self-care, you can help ensure that you’re taking care of yourself and your own needs rather than getting caught up in the season’s chaos.

This can help you feel more in control of your life and more able to handle whatever challenges come your way.

In conclusion, self-care is essential for single moms during the holiday season.

By taking intentional and deliberate steps to care for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being, you can help ensure that you have the energy and resilience to handle the season’s challenges.

Whether it’s getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, or taking time to relax and recharge, self-care is essential to maintaining your physical and mental health and staying positive during the holidays.

 

[Podcast] Surviving Single Motherhood – Krystal Casey

[Podcast] Surviving Single Motherhood – Krystal Casey

by | Dec 16, 2022

In this episode, I sit down with co-author Krystal Casey to discuss her experience of surviving single motherhood after becoming a widow. We talk about her healing journey and the challenges of juggling the care and feeding of her children. Krystal and I are both co-authors of the book Shattering the Stigma of Single Motherhood, which offers support and encouragement to single mothers facing their own challenges. Tune in to hear Krystal’s inspiring story and get some practical tips for navigating the ups and downs of single motherhood.

Show Notes:

  • Crystal’s journey to becoming a single mom
  • Crystal was married for 11 years and has 5 children
  • Crystal is now a single mom with 5 children, including a Covid baby
  • Crystal’s experiences with postpartum PTSD and misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder
  • The importance of seeking help and support for mental health struggles as a single mom
  • Discussing a new project Crystal and Samantha are working on

Connect with Krystal everywhere

 

Show Notes:
  • Crystal’s journey to becoming a single mom
  • Crystal was married for 11 years and has 5 children
  • Crystal is now a single mom with 5 children, including a Covid baby
  • Crystal’s experiences with postpartum PTSD and misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder
  • The importance of seeking help and support for mental health struggles as a single mom
  • Discussing a new project Crystal and Samantha are working on
Transcript:
[00:00:00] Samantha: Hi everyone. Welcome to another episode of Hello Prosperity. I’m Samantha Gregory, your host. And hello Prosperity is powered by Rich single mama.com. And as usual, today I’m bringing a wonderful single mom guest. Her name is Crystal Casey, and she’s here to tell us about her single mom journey, about her business, and about our new project that we’re working.

[00:00:20] So trigger warning, there may be some content that you may find a little heavy for you. So if you find that you don’t want to hear certain things regarding a personal story, then I’m just letting you know up front you could be triggered. But along those lines, on a lot note, welcome Crystal. Thank you so much for being a part of the Hello Prosperity podcast.

[00:00:42] Thanks for being here. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. I’m really. , I always start out, how did you become a single mom? Tell us a little bit about your journey and hopefully what your journey can inspire someone who either is in the valley of decision or has been through or going through what you’ve been through.

[00:01:00] So I’m really excited to hear about your story. Yeah. Like you said my story is heavy. I officially became a mom in spring of 2021, so it wasn’t too long ago. But truthfully, I feel like I’ve been doing this mom thing on my own pretty much since my first kid was born. in 2010.

[00:01:21] Krystal: I was married for 11 years to my middle school sweetheart, Junior high. Middle school. Is it sixth grade? Yeah. . And we had five kids over those 11 years. And I got lost in motherhood pretty quickly. I got lost in postpartum. I had suffered ptsd, D C P T S D, that’s a mouthful before I even had children, and it was actually misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder.

[00:01:50] And so I was given medication that wasn’t helpful and I was just I was on. Healing journey, but I was hitting a lot of walls. So I would and throw on that newborn with an infant, with a preschooler. And yeah, it was just, it was a lot. And I got lost. My husband battled addiction, but I was not aware of the depths of his addiction until after he, he passed away.

[00:02:20] He did pass away because of his addiction. He had been unfaithful to me. He had been neglectful to all of us. He was narcissistic, even though I didn’t understand even what that was at the time when I was going through it. And on top of it all, what broke me in the end was learning that he had been molesting our daughter for a number of.

[00:02:41] And it unraveled once I made that discovery and, in the end his addiction took him, his actions caught up with him, and I was left a single mom. Okay. So how many children you said you have, you had five children with you? I have five. You have five children. Okay. Awesome. And your youngest was just born in 2020?

[00:03:05] She was just, she was born in 2020. 2020. Okay. A Covid baby. . wow. Yeah. Yeah. . Yes. I’m sure that’s, that was something different. Boy. Cause Woo. The pandemic definitely tried a lot of us. It was my poor baby. She did not even meet people outside of the family for the first like 18 months of her life.

[00:03:25] Samantha: Yeah. Wow. Okay. So in your healing journey, cause I love talking about, single mom and the healing journey because that. Part of ourselves. And then you being essentially a widow is traumatic in and of itself. Yeah. And so I just really wanna just talk a little bit about the healing journey for you.

[00:03:46] And not to dive really too deep into it, but what was the thing, What type of healing modalities have you used? Like therapy or anything? Or anything else? Yeah, for sure. So I have been in therapy. Yeah. Forever , it feels like on and off forever. I definitely, I’m a strong believer in therapy.

[00:04:08] Krystal: , I believe in finding a good therapist who works for you , and I believe that we also outgrow our therapists at different times. Sure. So as we progress in our journey, I’ve had to change around, I also, I do utilize medication at this point. I didn’t for a number of years, but after losing my husband, I.

[00:04:29] Have to reach out and get some extra help Sure. In that way. But I do a lot of more natural things. , so I practice meditation, mindfulness not nearly as much as I would like to or I should. I’m not at all trying to sit here and be like, Oh, I do this all, No, it’s not.

[00:04:47] I do it because I need it because I’m a hot mess and I’m crazy. Chaos all the time. Everything is chaos. But yoga is super, super helpful. Because trauma is stored in the body. And yoga is mind, body and soul. . So when I practice yoga and I combine it with music, it’s just like this magic that happens.

[00:05:09] Yeah. So that kind of led me to becoming a yoga instructor. I opened up a yoga studio. I had a studio for a while. And that has been my greatest tool is yoga and everything that, that un unleashes. Yes. . Perfect. Perfect. love that. Finding the thing that works for you to get your healing.

[00:05:32] Samantha: I’m all for it because. If being a mother is enough, , Yeah. I A single mother is another layer on top of that. And then dealing with, mental health issues on top of that is yes ma’am, a whole different world. And so I really commend you for taking these steps over the years to get the help that you need so that you can be on this healing journey.

[00:05:53] Because I find so many single moms who are stuck in this, in the trauma. Of right. Their, the loss of their children’s father their friend, their spouse, their lover, whomever he was in her life. And they’re stuck there. And like you said, it gets in your body and you just relive it over and over again.

[00:06:13] And you have no way to release it until you make the decision that, I wanna be free, I wanna be healed, and I want, I’m ready to release this and let this.

[00:06:23] Krystal: And it’s more, and it’s more than just the physical and it’s more than just the decision and it’s really integrating all of it, which is how I discovered it in the first place.

[00:06:33] Cause when I went to help, when I went to the professionals, they were like, Oh, here’s a prescription, and go talk to someone once a week. And I’m like, Okay, that’s great, but it’s not nearly enough. Nobody was asking me about my eating patterns. Nobody was asking me if I was hydrated. Nobody was asking me if I was sleeping at night nobody asked me if I meditated, like what about the rest of nobody asked me how my sex life was going.

[00:06:55] You know what I mean? There’s so much more to humanity. Than the physical body. And so true. I even found that when I get, Cause I, I was diagnosed with depression and I had chronic depression for almost 20, maybe 30 years. I’m not sure. I don’t remember. But, and I found that once I started going through that, the emotions of healing, one of the things that would trigger like depression depressive episodes was I wasn’t taking any of my vitamins.

[00:07:22] , vitamin B. This really will change how you feel. Oh, yes. . I was like, wow. I remember there was a point back at the beginning of my journey when I went to a it was like a natural. Ballistic specialist. . And I was like, Maybe there’s something wrong with, whatever. And she broke down like, what are your eating patterns and what kind, what foods do you eat and how often do you eat them?

[00:07:48] And she turned around and she was like, Okay, Even for somebody who didn’t have the trauma background that you have, who didn’t have the kids, who didn’t have. Spouse issues that you’re dealing with. , just your nutrition deficiency alone Yeah. Would cause a number of these issues. Yeah. So let’s start with that, because that’s very easy to control.

[00:08:07] , that’s very basic. And so that’s really where I started and where I always go back to when I start to get to that point, it’s what can I control? What is simple? , what is it that I can do to take the steps to get out of this space?

[00:08:21] Samantha: Absolutely. Absolutely. I And I mean I definitely encourage all the listeners to take a look at . The basic things. Your nutrition, if you’re not eating right, if you’re not getting enough water, if you’re not taking your vitamins. Those are some basic things. If you’re not moving your body a little bit, getting sunshine and fresh air, Yes. , Yes. Putting your feet in the grass. As long as it’s not pumpy grass, but, putting your feet in the grass and feeling and grounding yourself in nature is so important.

[00:08:48] For sure. You mentioned that you started your yoga studio. Are you still in business with yoga?

[00:08:54] Krystal: I am a yoga instructor still. Oh, . But at this point it’s probably considered more of a hobby . Okay. Because those babies come first, right? Sure. So I am, I’m an author. I’m a yoga instructor and I’m a women’s empowerment coach.

[00:09:07] My passion really is to encourage other women to honor and heal their past trauma. Cuz I feel like everybody has their something, their story, their that just it, that they’ve gotta get out that negativity, that, that trauma. . I like to help with the yoga and stuff to encourage women to practice self love in the present moment.

[00:09:31] And then to find excitement and confidence in moving forward into the future so that they’re not, like you said, stuck in that in that trauma, in that negative space. So I right now do a few different things, . First of all, I just co-authored my first book. Yes. . And like I know somebody else who who wrote that book yeah.

[00:09:49] I’m, I happen to be one of those people too. So and that’s kinda how we met. So this is amazing. Yeah, so that is called shattering the stigma of single motherhood, and I’m really excited and proud to be part of this project. It’s been awesome. So I’m wor also working on my next book and starting to dip my toes into public speaking.

[00:10:12] . And that’s like where my passion is, right? To connect with and empower other women. I’m also a sexual health educator. With Pure Romance. I think that’s super important. And I have a little group where, we can talk about all things that we. Weren’t able to or didn’t learn how to talk about when we were growing up, or maybe that we faced issues with in our relationships now.

[00:10:36] And I absolutely love all of that work. But as I’m growing that, I’m in the meantime using the experience that I gained through the yoga studio, being a one woman business. , to help other small business owners with things like digital marketing and web design, social media, and stuff like that.

[00:10:56] Samantha: Fantastic. You’re like me, you have all these, businesses and everything,

[00:11:00] Krystal: and you shared that post the other day. That’s what I said. I was like, I resonate so much. Cuz I feel like I like this and I like this and I like this. And it’s it really does all realign, it does. And it fits together.

[00:11:11] And I keep, even when I try to focus on one thing, I’m like, But it’s like we were talking about with the, human spirit. . Not just one thing. We’re multifaceted.

[00:11:20] Samantha: Multifaceted. Absolutely. And I love that your name is Crystal, cuz that just, brings that concept to life. That we are multifaceted and Yes.

[00:11:27] And we have so many parts of ourselves. And so the business that businesses that you’re in the thing that’s running through at the core is just empowering women to heal and become the best version of themselves. And I totally resonate with.

[00:11:41] Krystal: Yes. Reason being, it’s going to trickle down. Right? So this is an effect. And for me, like I saw it when I was a kid. I was like, Ooh, life at home is not good. And I do not want that when I grow up. So I was like, This is what I’m doing. I was always the one. I worked two, three, however many jobs I had to do on top of going to school. It took me five years to get my associates, I don’t care, one class at a time.

[00:12:08] Working full-time with part-time on top of it. Like you do what you gotta do to get through to make your life a better life. , then you become a mama .

[00:12:17] Samantha: Yes. And how do you balance the business and the babies? That’s yeah,

[00:12:22] Krystal: that’s something else I’m kinda. Seats you right. It puts you in your seat.

[00:12:26] But I have learned to I find my balance yoga, right? . , we talked about that. You need that self care. Yes. But setting up systems and. Automating things as much as possible. So that I don’t have to think about it. And I can focus on the other things because time is finite.

[00:12:44] You’ve only got so much of it. . And so I like to be really. Diligent with it. Okay. Yeah. So I also have learned to ask for and accept help, which is really hard, right? Oh, yes. But since losing my husband, it has, I don’t have a choice. It’s that, or me, 24 7. , and I’m a human, not a robot.

[00:13:08] Yes. We’ve gotta accept help, ask help. I like to find and use small pockets of time. So I’ve got five kids and a lot of things going on all the time, which is probably that’s just how my brain works, right? . So it’s finding the small pockets because if I sit to have eight hours to sit down and work, if I wait for that, it’s.

[00:13:27] Probably never going to come and I’m never gonna get anything done. Gotcha. And it took me a long time to get into the mindset of Don is better than perfect. . , perfection, progress over perfection. And that’s where I’m at. And the very. Kind of tip that I have for balancing both work and motherhood is enjoying the moments with the kids and understanding that it’s not about the quantity of time that you’re spending together, it’s about the quality.

[00:13:57] Samantha: And do you like how old is your oldest child right now?

[00:13:59] Krystal: 11. He’ll be 12 next. Do.

[00:14:02] Samantha: So what role do they play in helping to balance out like the household responsibilities and chores and stuff like that?

[00:14:10] Krystal: They’ve learned they don’t have a choice.

[00:14:13] Samantha: love it. I love it.

[00:14:14] Krystal: Everybody helps. Everybody pitches in, Everybody has their, they know what to do. There’s a handful of things that all of them can do and they do it and they don’t do it. Perfect. , but it’s. And that’s better than perfect and I didn’t have to do it. I was able to give the baby a bath or, focus on something else.

[00:14:34] And it helps. Yes. You gotta let that, you gotta let those res go a little bit and be like, Okay, come on. Kids can help too. They can. Even my two year old, my two year old, my four year old, they love helping with the laundry. They love picking up their toys. Yeah. We make it, we have to make it again.

[00:14:49] They love decorating and organizing and making things look pretty and , it’s, But that’s that.

[00:14:53] Samantha: But that’s, Yes, but that’s so good because you empowering them to, start to accept responsibilities for certain things around the house. To see the consequences.

[00:15:04] See the before and after results. So many lessons when we allow our children to take part in the household responsibilities and learning how to. A lesson in self-control. I need to spend this time doing this, and once it’s done, I can go do something else. That’s so important.

[00:15:21] And I’ve noticed also, they’re more mindful of the dishes because, Oh wait, if we just throw that in the sink, it’s gonna get gross. It’s gonna take it for, take us forever to wash it, or, Yes. The clothes are gonna get grow. It’s just, they’re learning things.

[00:15:45] Let’s talk a little bit more about how, like what you wanna leave your children as far as a legacy is concerned. I think this is part of it, but what else would you like to leave legacy that you would like to leave your kids?

[00:15:57] Krystal: So for me, the most important thing is like we talked before, my story has a lot of.

[00:16:02] A lot of just issues. So for me, it’s breaking those generational cycles. Abuse, addiction, trauma yes, but also the mindsets that you develop when you’re a product of those cycles. . So the mindsets of, and not being good enough, not being worthy of of lack. . So having a mindset of abundance is something that I have had to learn because that was not what I learned growing up.

[00:16:29] So breaking all of those is what I would like to pass along so that. It’s just better for everyone, right? Absolutely. It’s better for my kids, for their kids, for the world. .

[00:16:43] Samantha: They’re, what has someone said once that our children should be doing better than we have done.

[00:16:48] And I think this is totally a part of it, especially the mindset and having a healthy mindset and abundance mindset. I love that. It’s, maybe that’s like at the core of the message that I try to share with single moms is, this world is full of 20. More, we don’t have to, be constricted to this little bit of scarcity.

[00:17:12] The thing that we feel like we don’t have,

[00:17:14] Krystal: and I actually remember in college, I took an economics class . And the very first thing that she taught us, the very first class, the very first lesson that she spoke about was that we all understood that the world. Functioned out of scarcity.

[00:17:33] And as long as nobody fought that, we were able to move on with the class and I just, something, it stuck with me, obviously to this day. It stuck with me. I was like, Okay, for the purpose of this class, we’ll go with that. But it just didn’t. Fit, sit right with me. And it wasn’t until, later on in my journey and I started learning more about abundance and I was like, Wait a minute.

[00:17:57] No, there’s not, We don’t all have to scramble for a few. There is more than enough. There’s plenty for all. .

[00:18:05] Samantha: It took me a long time to learn that lesson as well. , was told money doesn’t grow on trees, but now to look at the trees, I was like, there’s so many leaves on the trees, so many trees out here.

[00:18:18] It’s No, but its paper. And not just that, it’s it’s just a testament to how much there literally is in the world. Blades of grass, flowers, everything. Every spring, there’s just an overflow and abundance of everything in nature, and that’s just literally how life is when we choose to look at it that way.

[00:18:37] , instead of looking at it as, Oh, there’s not enough. If every tree thought that. There’ll be pretty some poor looking trees out there, yeah, absolutely. And. The resources are abundant despite what people just tell us, and that I don’t think the planet is gonna run out of anything anytime soon.

[00:18:57] And there’s always just gonna be enough and more, and plenty. Good on you for sharing that message with your children. And for kind of debunking that myth that the economics teacher was trying to, project onto you. That’s pretty bad.

[00:19:09] Krystal: But , but for the economics, it made sense, but I don’t, that’s how the world works.

[00:19:15] Samantha: Supply and demand. I think that’s maybe the biggest thing. But so how can people find out more about your services and what would make them. Say, Hey, I want to connect with Crystal and I want to learn more about yoga or digital marketing, or what have.

[00:19:31] Krystal: Yeah, so I’m online, I’m on social media.

[00:19:33] But probably the best way to stay in touch and keep up with me is through my link tree. So on my link tree, it’s Link Tree slash crystal Casey. There is information about my books, my blogs, classes, workshops, trainings, all of that. There’s a link where women over 18 can join the ladies lounge.

[00:19:50] That’s where we talk about sexual empower. It’s got all of my contact info if you’d like to connect for a project so that the link tree would be the best way to find me.

[00:19:59] Samantha: Perfect. Perfect. And then we’ll have the link and everything in the show notes as well so that you can connect with Crystal through her and access all of her programs and services as well.

[00:20:10] So before we go, I, I wanna reiterate that Crystal and I are part of this book project called Chattering the Stigma of Single Motherhood. And there’s a question that I should have asked earlier, but I’m gonna ask it now. So Crystal, like what stigma have you personally experienced as a single mom in society?

[00:20:29] Krystal: So I’ve experienced a few of them. The first one is obviously when you see me coming through with my crew, and trust me, you will see us and hear us and feel us when we come through. But when you see us, you don’t know my story, right? And all are. Five rambunctious wild. Not always. The nicest kids with uncut tear and usually missing shoes, Definitely always missing socks.

[00:20:59] I’m usually losing my mind on them and people just think I’m. A mean mom . , or that maybe I don’t know how to parent. I’m a pushover. I can’t take care of the kids on my own. And they’re making judgements, comments, given the looks. But they’re not recognizing the trauma and the grief that we’re all holding and we’re all learning to handle while we’re navigating everyday life.

[00:21:25] And they don’t see what happens behind closed doors. Aren’t judging me on the fact that my kids know that they can come to me, that they know they can be a hundred percent honest with me and themselves with me, and that I will not judge them and I’ll always accept them no matter how much they tell me they hate me or, they act up at school.

[00:21:46] Like at the end of the day when they settle and the dust settles. Mom is. And I will be here. And that’s not what people see when we’re out and about. And so I get a lot of that, just judgment on parenting is definitely one of them. The other big one that I deal with is, again, I have five kids.

[00:22:02] . And the big question too, they all have the same dad. Oh, those all yours. Other disturbing things about how children are made. , just because I have a lot of kids doesn’t mean I sleep around. , married for 11 years to the same man. , and okay, it doesn’t matter.

[00:22:17] It doesn’t matter. What matters is all of that stuff that I was talking about. But and then the last one, a child needs a father, and I feel that is, that’s not any. Person or group in particular, that’s just an overall society thing. Sure. And I think that the truth here is that children need family with a healthy relationship.

[00:22:38] , they don’t need a father who’s ne neglecting responsibilities and indulging in addictive behavior, is being unfaithful or fighting and degrading their mother. No, they don’t need that. None of us do.

[00:22:50] Samantha: They’re finding that children of single parent homes, healthy single parent homes are faring better than a lot of children from two family, two parent homes, which is very interesting.

[00:23:02] And I think that more women are making the choice to become single parents whether they’ve been in a relationship or they were adopting or whatever the. Circumstances are and they know they can give them a healthy, happy home, which is what children need to thrive. So what would you tell a single mom who’s dealing with or struggling with these different stigmas as well?

[00:23:24] What would you, what advice would you give her

[00:23:27] Krystal: other people’s opinions of you are none of your business, their opinions don’t pay your bills. They don’t raise your children, so they don’t. You just have to keep doing what’s best for yourself and for your family. Take care of yourself. Take care of your kids to keep going and to remember to cherish those moments along the way.

[00:23:48] And to remember that things are gonna look a lot different in a few months and a lot different in a few years. Absolutely. Just keep going.

[00:23:55] Samantha: Thank you so much for your advice. Thank you so much for being on our podcast and for being a part of this project. To write this book for single moms because there’s so many out there who are really struggling and they need to hear the voices of single moms who are, who have been through it, going through it, and who are on that path appealing so that the stigma won’t matter as much.

[00:24:17] So thank you again, Crystal.

[00:24:19] Krystal: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me,

[00:24:22] Samantha: and thank you all for listening to this episode of Hello Prosperity Power by Rich single mama.com. The book will be available November 22nd on Amazon. You can pre-order now and you can go to Crystal’s link on her link tree. The link will be in the show notes, so be sure to check that out.

[00:24:40] And I’m looking forward to. Learning more about how you have been impacted by this book. We also have a workshop coming up, more workshops, both live and virtual, so you definitely wanna tune in for that, and we’ll have links for that as well. But in the meantime, keep your head up, keep your heart open, and be sure to hug your kids we’ll talk to you again soon.

[00:25:03] Take care.

4 Ways to Shift Your Money Mindset and Raise Your Financial Frequency now!

4 Ways to Shift Your Money Mindset and Raise Your Financial Frequency now!

by | Oct 28, 2022

Anger, depression, and anxiety keeps you financially stagnant.

That’s a pretty bold statement right? Hear me out. 

To get your money moving in a positive direction you’ve got to get your emotions moving in a positive direction.  How many depressed rich people do you know? 

How many of your angry, depressed, low vibration friends are making $100k or more? Notice the trend? 

Happiness = Health and Wealth

Too many people are holding on to their depression diagnosis like a bone. It’s become their identity.  News flash! You weren’t born depressed. Most of us were born healthy and satisfied.  Our default setting is joy and we look for fun and interesting things to discover as a baby and child until the system manipulates it out of us. 

Depression and other mental illnesses are learned or result from physical and hormonal imbalance. It is treatable and recovery is possible.  When you decide you’d rather be happy, healthy, and wealthy you will do whatever it takes to treat and cure your depression. 

The only reason the medical community or your therapist says depression is something you have to live with is because they want you dependent on drugs that treat the symptoms and not cure the problem. 

But I digress. This is not a post about how to cure your depression but about how depression keeps you broke or financially stuck/ stagnant. 

Financial Feelings, Vibration, and Frequency

When I was depressed I could never get above a certain financial level.  My income was limited because my vision was limited to only seeing my problems, financial or otherwise.  I was only motivated to pay the bills but not much else. Because homelessness was not an option.

On the financial feeling scale I was a 3/4 out of 10.  To be a 1 is complete financial despair while a 10 is financial exhilaration! That’s the place where everything is possible 🙌. 

We can also call it a financial vibration or financial frequency scale. The level you are vibrating at determines your financial success level.  The happier you are determines how financially secure, capable, or free you are. 

But Rich People Get Depressed Too!

Of course rich people get depressed but not at the same rate as poor people.  However, statistically, only 15% of rich people have been diagnosed with depression compared to 31% of poor people saying they have been diagnosed. 

Middle class people are diagnosed at a higher rate than those at the top and bottom according to Columbia School of Public Health.  There are many factors that lead to depression from nature to nurture.  It’s exacerbated by messages from toxic religious, family, media, government, and social media influences.  All are focused on problems instead of solutions. 

Happiness, the Unicorn of Emotions

Happiness is often ridiculed and viewed as an unattainable or a unicorn state of being. How can anyone be happy with the state of the world?  This school of thought is what holds society down so they are drowning in depression.  From the state of the economy, the state of your bank account, to the rising cost of… well everything.  It looks impossible and feels improbable that anything will change.  Ironically this cycle of thinking is what keeps the majority of people low in the financial vibration scale. 

Is this is why the 1% retains the majority of wealth? 

While the 99% is angry, worried, or depressed the rich are on vacation, giving to charitable causes, and/or enjoying life in general. They are happy.  They are not listening to religious leaders, politicians, or the latest podcaster rant.  They are making news, living life to the fullest, and making a difference. 

Get Busy Being Happy

Despite what the media tells you, rich people are not thinking of ways to oppress you. In fact they are not thinking about you at all.  They are not losing sleep over their haters.  So why should you remain in that low vibration place for one more day? 

If you encounter snobbish or classist people it’s probably their kids or the help aka employees of the wealthy.  They don’t have the actual wealth but feel entitled because of proximity. 

It simply takes too much energy to be rude, obnoxious, and obtuse. True custodians of wealth have more important things to do. 

4 Ways to Raise Your Financial Frequency

If you decide you are tired of vibrating as a low financial frequency individual, you must learn how to think, behave, and feel differently.  You literally have to get over yourself, release toxic beliefs, and look to your future instead of the past and present circumstances. 

1. Read Financial Frequency Raising Books

A few books and audiobooks I recommend are:

Read them in the order I’ve listed to get maximum results. I also recommend the Financial Fresh Start Kit. 

2. Change Your Circle of Influence

You have to release people who are content to complain and be depressed. If you want to stop hanging around low vibration and low financial frequency people you have to change your thoughts.  

3. Adopt the Gratitude Habit

Gratitude is a great remedy that will raise your vibration at least two levels.  The more grateful you are, the more gleeful or happy you become.  Low vibration people resent grateful people so you may find they begin to disappear from your life.  When you are no longer commiserating with them they move on. After all, misery loves company. 

4. Commit to Raising Your Financial Frequency

Becoming a high financial frequency person takes time and commitment to your greater financial good.  The amazing thing is you have the power to choose this path. You have all the resources at your fingertips.  As you learn and grow happier, so does your bank account. 

 

 

September 2022 Newsletter

September 2022 Newsletter

by | Sep 17, 2022

Self Care September

I’m a big advocate of Single Mom Self Care. If we are not careful we can run ourselves into the ground from doing everything. To help you prioritize your self care, here are 30 self-care ideas you can start doing now. (more…)

5 Reasons Single Mom Suffer From Depression and 4 Practical Ways to Manage It

5 Reasons Single Mom Suffer From Depression and 4 Practical Ways to Manage It

by | May 14, 2022

It’s no secret that being a single mom is tough. Not only do you have to juggle all of the responsibilities that come with being a parent, but you also have to do it without the help of a partner. It’s no wonder that so many single moms struggle with depression and other mental health issues. I suffered from depression for over 20 years before I got help. I hope you won’t wait that long!

But how do does a single mom fall into depression in the first place? Here are a few reasons.

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