SingleMum.com.au Feature News, Articles & Blogs

Single Parents Guide To The 2012 Federal Budget Jason Bryce | 9 May 2012 More cash for kids - but single mums could lose $60pw. Wayne Swan’s 2012 federal budget, delivered yesterday, pumps money into millions of middle income families but takes money from the poorest single parent families more...

Mindy Sotiri plays at Mamapalooza Festival Sydney Catherine Walsh | 8 May 2012 Mindy Sotiri is a single mum who is also a singer and songwriter. Her songs often reference mothering. We asked her some questions in the lead up to the Mamapalooza Sydney festival, which is a week long celebration of mothers in the creative and performing arts more...

Relocating with a child? No such thing! Pamela Cominos | 28 April 2012 It is not uncommon for parents who have separated to want to move away, sometime a few hours away from the other parent, sometimes interstate and sometimes even overseas and nothing causes parents more grief than this scenario.Often and unfortunately with separation and divorce comes a lower standard of living more...

All About Divorce Poppy Matters | 20 April 2012 Divorce - what it costs, how long it takes...and some common misconceptions. Divorce is the legal dissolution of a marriage that has been recognised in Australia. It has a finite legal meaning and relates only to the dissolution of a marriage and not the potential surrounding issues of property settlements and custody arrangements more...

Top Tips On How To Lose Weight Dan Davis | 12 April 2012 I hope you all had a fantastic holiday season and that my last article didn’t put you off a tasty christmas dinner. So what does the new year hold in store for you? What plans have you made? I’m almost certainly willing to bet my mortgage on the fact that a good fair few of you made a promise to shed a few pounds in the new year more...

Dealing with temper tantrums Dr Freda Briggs AO | 6 April 2012 Parent patience is seriously tested when toddlers develop temper tantrums. These involve spectacular explosions of anger, violence, high pitched screaming, stiffening or flailing limbs, falling down or holding their breath until they turn purple more...

6 Best Family Friendly Activities in Australia Single Parent Travel Kristy Alexander | 1 April 2012 Nowhere else in the world will you find such an incredible mix of unique outdoor adventures, fascinating cultural activities, child-friendly museums and opportunities to experience nature first-hand. So, why spend thousands on overseas airfares when you have endless options right here at home in Australia? more...

Encouraging healthy sexual development in 5-8 year olds Dr Freda Briggs AO | 26 March 2012 Normal sexual play in the 5-8 age group involves "You show me yours and I’ll show you mine", the aim of which is to check out whether we are all constructed in the same way. It usually involves friends of the same age. It involves equal sharing and no threat or coercion is involved more...

4 Ways to Save Money on Nappies Heather Smith | 24 March 2012 Raising your children alone often means you don’t have money to burn...but what do you do about nappies? more...

Cook in Bulk to Save on Groceries Biljana Dimovska | 09 March 2012 Keep your freezer stocked up with homemade meals and there’ll always be something delicious to eat, even when you don’t feel like cooking! more...

Government Puts Child Support Last Jason Bryce | 24 February 2012 Must read for single parents – how child support debt is prioritised last. Three big government inquiries in recent years have highlighted massive inequalities in the government's treatment of single mothers but the only actions that are being taken are improvements to inefficient service delivery more...

Cyber Bullying Freda Briggs | 23 February 2012 It is when a bully uses emails, chat rooms, texting, Facebook, Bebo, MySpace or other social networks to denigrate or cause fear in others. It is now the most common and insidious form of bullying and is usually anonymous. It is also a crime more...

Shared Care and Parental Responsibility Erin Smyth | 17 February 2012 In 2006 changes were made to the Family Law Act that refocused the law towards what is in 'the best interests of the child' and also introduced the notion of 'equal shared parental responsibility' more...

How to give your kids Healthy Meals on a Limited Budget Kate Bloomsbury - Single Mum Blog | 16 February 2012 ...Instilling good dietary habits from a young age also means that your kids are more likely to have a healthy attitude towards food in adult life more...

Child support, income tests and Centrelink cause stress for single mums Jason Bryce | 15 February 2012 Among the most stressful tasks facing a single mum is asking for and collecting child support from their ex-husband more...

Promoting healthy sexual development in pre-school children Freda Briggs | 12 February 2012 Children are naturally curious about their bodies. Boys are fascinated by their genitals because they protrude, are elastic and make pleasurable playthings. Watching our reactions, children gradually learn what is expected of them as males or females more...

Dealing With Bullying Freda Briggs | 10 February 2012 Bullying is a very common problem; one in four children are bullied frequently. Victims are often those who are not socially well integrated and it follows that children stand a better chance of avoiding it if you can help them to develop the social skills needed to form lasting friendships more...

21 Ways to Save Money - that really work! Michelle Lee | Mummy Blog | 09 February 2012 Saving money is not rocket science; it only requires the discipline to follow a bunch of small, relatively simple-to-implement steps. These steps may seem daunting to a single mum but can profoundly affect your budget and your sense of well-being more...

Child Abuse in Family Court Freda Briggs | 06 February 2012 When a young child discloses that she has been sexually abused by a parent or parent-figure, the protective parent (usually the mother) is in a dilemma. Police and child protection services will advise her to leave the family home to protect the child more...

Back to school savings ideas for a single mum budget SingleMum.com.au | January 23 2012 It's almost back-to-school time, and we're only just getting over the financial blow of Christmas and school holidays! So how DO you outfit and stock up your kids for the new school year on a single mum shoe-string budget? more...

Hundreds of thousands of single mums reap windfall in payments Single Mum Australia Exclusive! Jason Bryce, Business & Finance Specialist A historic change has been made to family payments and it is now delivering thousands of dollars to millions of teenagers. Plus other big increases and changes to eligibility for scholarships and ancillary benefits have now come into effect. more...

Identifying domestic violence Single Mum Australia Exclusive! Dr Cate Banks, Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner ...as the year is coming to a close and Christmas Holidays often brings out the best and worst in family situations, I’d like to give you some information that might be useful to consider about some of the indicators of domestic violence more...

Christmas Is Coming! Single Mum Australia Exclusive! Dan Davis, Nutritional Therapist I remember as a child growing up, that Christmas turned into an eating holiday. From Christmas morning through to bed time boxing day I think we were fed constantly more...

Kaching! Apple, Google and the banks fight over our wallets Single Mum Australia Exclusive! Jason Bryce, Business & Finance Specialist The way we pay for our shopping is changing forever very quickly. You are now parenting the first generation of people who will never need cash more...

NCSMC Single Mother Conference, Melbourne 2011 Single Mum Australia Exclusive! SingleMum.com.au Report The National Council for Single Mothers and their Children (NCSMC) held their annual NCSMC Conference on 18 November 2011 at the St Michaels on Collins Conference Centre in Melbourne more...

Making A New Will When Splitting Up Single Mum Australia Exclusive! Stephen Page, Lawyer In the process of pain and shock of separation and divorce, often a will and related documents that concern death are the last thing on your mind more...

Adding Back Assets in Family Law Property Matters Single Mum Australia Exclusive! Pamela Cominos, Lawyer A common issue that arises in property matters and one that causes the greatest of angst to most people are circumstances which involve one party using joint funds or property for their personal use and or benefit more...

Smart Single Mum Parenting For Happy Kids Single Mum Australia Exclusive! Olivia Nicholas, Mummy Blogger If you are a single mum, you will agree with me in saying that it is one of the biggest challenges you have ever faced in all your years. However, while not without its difficulties and struggles, it is likely that you also consider it the most beautiful and most rewarding task you have ever been handed in your life more...

Food Intolerance Or Food Allergy? Single Mum Australia Exclusive! Dan Davis, Nutritional Therapist It is not uncommon to be sensitive to certain foods, and it is not uncommon for a food intolerance to be confused with an allergy. It is true that both can have similar symptoms and both have a link to the digestive system, but the two are different conditions more...

Child Support - taking matters into your own hands Single Mum Australia Exclusive! Erin Smyth, Lawyer When it comes to child support most mothers initially think of utilising the Child Support Agency to determine the amount of money the father should pay and also to monitor this process and review the amount if need be. There are however, two other options that can be utilised by single mothers more...

Lawyer Stephen Page's Nepal Trek for Domestic Violence Australia's CEO Challenge Single Mum Australia Exclusive! Stephen Page, Lawyer Our Singlemum.com.au Expert Opinion Panel legal contributor Stephen Page left Australia on 17 September leading a group of would be trekkers bound for Nepal. The travellers are trekking to aid the tiny but award winning domestic and workplace violence charity Australia’s CEO Challenge more...

Child Poverty - Why? Single Mum Australia Exclusive! NCSMC Media Release Today some Australians will wake up to a much anticipated and required increase in their pension. But for others it is a stark reminder that we are not all treated equally and our kids are some of the biggest losers more...

Parenting Orders –What can you do if one party breaches the Order? Single Mum Australia Exclusive! Pamela Cominos, Lawyer It is the case that parenting Orders made by consent or by the Court are sometimes breached by one of the parties and the reasons for this can be varied and many more...

Children's passport issues Single Mum Australia Exclusive! Stephen Page, Lawyer It would be a serious mistake to think that you could have a passport issued for your child without the father's consent when the father has not been named on the birth certificate. It may be an even bigger mistake to remove the child from Australia more...

Changing the name of your child after separation
Single Mum Australia Exclusive!

You can change your child’s surname following separation but only if you follow the correct procedure and you comply with legal requirements. A Court will stop any attempt to change your child’s name if the Court is satisfied that the change was done without the written consent of both parents and if it does not promote the welfare of your child. What then are the legal requirements and steps to be taken? more...

Family Violence Matters
Family Violence within the current Family Law Act
Single Mum Australia Exclusive!

Currently, Australia is in a state of change with respect to family violence and children’s matters under the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth). This change is coming in the form of the Family Violence and Other Measures Bill 2011, which is now before Federal Parliament more...

Why I’m going to Nepal to help end domestic violence
Australia's CEO Challenge
Single Mum Australia Exclusive!

In September, I am travelling to Nepal with Australia's CEO Challenge. I will be trekking and also working with local women, who are single, illiterate and dreadfully poor. I will be paying my own way there more...

Relocation - Whose Rights Prevail?
Consent Order and Court Order info
Single Mum Australia Exclusive!

The need for one party to relocate with the child of a marriage or relationship can be one of the most difficult issues to deal with after separation. Relocation occurs when one parent wants to move residence after separation more...

Marriage - it makes no difference to children
Married versus de facto parenting study
Single Mum Australia Exclusive!

Whether parents are married or living in a de facto relationship, makes no difference to the emotional, social, and cognitive development of their children. This rather obvious conclusion has now been clearly shown in a recent research study by the UK Institute of Fiscal Studies more...

Mediation and Domestic Violence
Section 60I certificate information
Single Mum Australia Exclusive!

It’s pretty much common knowledge now that before separated parents can seek a court order about the arrangements involving children, they must attend mediation more...

Healthy Foods That Make Teeth Rot
Parent must-read!
Oral Care and Health Daily

Lollies are bad for your teeth. Well, that’s a no-brainer! Even 3-year-olds know that. But people are always caught off guard when they hear that certain healthy foods are just as unkind to your chompers and can cause your teeth to rot more...

Cheap for a reason - The reasons I choose butcher over supermarket
Mass produced meat comes with a price
Single Mum Australia Exclusive!

Sounds great doesn’t it, one for the fridge, two for the freezer. In barbeque season, the offers roll in thicker and faster. But how can it be so cheap? How can the meat and poultry be reared, slaughtered and packaged and even cooked for the final price labelled in store more...

Binding Financial Agreements – To Sign or Not to Sign?
Property Settlements
Single Mum Australia Exclusive!

Have you and your ex agreed on a property settlement? Thinking about whether to sign a Financial Agreement? There are some very important matters that you should know about financial agreements before you agree to sign more...

The SingleMum.com.au 2011 Separation and Divorce Tax Info Links Guide
CSA tax information for 2011
Single Mum Australia Exclusive!

Tax Time 2011 - The ATO has a collection of tax info links designed especially for family breakdown - SingleMum.com.au has gathered most of them together on one page for easy reference and searching more...

Money Matters - Maintenance and Child Support
De facto entitlements
Single Mum Australia Exclusive!

The end of a relationship marks the beginning of the necessity to make new lifestyle decisions. Where will I live, who will care for the children, who will pay the children’s school fees, how will I manage financially and how will assets be divided? more...

Children and Separation - Protecting You and Your Children
Erin Smyth, Lawyer | June 04 2011

Wanting your child or children to maintain a relationship with your ex partner or spouse once you have separated can be difficult for mothers. If the separation is not amicable then the problems can multiply and many mothers may have fears for the children’s welfare when with the other parent more...

When the Father is out of contact how do I get my child a passport?
Stephen Page for SingleMum.com.au | May 2011

I am a single mother of a five-year old. I was in an on-off relationship with the child's father until i found myself pregnant. I have had no communication with the father and have no idea of his whereabouts more...

Parental Alienation Syndrome...does it exist? When children reject a parent
Charles Pragnell for SingleMum.com.au | May 22 2011

Eminent Child Advocate Charles Pragnell comments on the issue of whether or not there is a mental illness called Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) more...

Breakfast: Why is it the most important meal of the day?
Dan Davis for SingleMum.com.au | April 23 2011

You've heard the phrase, "breakfast, the most important meal of the day", a thousand times or more I bet. I tell you what I've heard a thousand times, "I don't eat breakfast". Reasons given range from not having time, never hungry to "I feel sick at the thought of eating early in the morning" more...

In a break up - do you say goodbye to Super?
Erin Smyth, Lawyer | April 21 2011

Prior to December 28, 2002 people’s superannuation entitlements were not considered ‘property’, rather considered to be a financial resource. Due to this, superannuation entitlements were not able to be divided. Following the passage of new legislation in December 2002 superannuation entitlements are now considered property and can be properly divided and transferred more...

Government Acts On Domestic Violence
Stephen Page, Lawyer | April 19 2011

New laws proposed by the Gillard government directly tackle domestic violence in the family law arena. They are contained in one of the shortest bills before Federal Parliament, but will most likely tilt the playing field in the Family Court towards the protection of children from violence and abuse, and away from the emphasis of the child’s right to have a relationship with the other parent more...

Language women should use in the Family Court
Clare Murphy, PhD - Updated for SingleMum.com.au | February 22 2011

Many women feel like failures because they have not stopped the man they love from psychologically abusing and controlling them Most women who attend counselling – to come to terms with their partner's psychologically abusive and controlling behaviours – often beat up on themselves saying: "I let it happen" and "I feel like I've failed" more...

How to get the kids eating healthy!
Dan Davis for SingleMum.com.au | February 17 2011

I’m a huge fan of anyone’s valiant efforts to get our kids eating healthier. Its no secret that the nations young are getting bigger, are less active and are more at risk of preventable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke than ever before more...

December 5 2010 - Latest Bureau of Statistics Australian Divorce Statistics
SingleMum.com.au

The Australian Bureau of Statistics have just released their latest study on Divorce. Here is a complete summary of the divorce statistics of 2009 more...

November 9 2010 - Playgroup Vital For Mums Happiness
SingleMum.com.au

For single parents, attending Playgroup can be of even greater importance to mums themselves. Single mums from the www.SingleMotherForum.com echoed the mother-first research results. They cited that their reasons for going to Playgroup were more...

September 08 2010 - Juggling Dating and Children
Illawarra Mercury

Single parents often experience stigma about their dating choices, but there's no reason why they shouldn't take a second chance on love and companionship, writes EMMA SPILLETT more...

August 20, 2010 - Federal Election 2010 - A Single Mother's Guide
SingleMum.com.au

It's Federal Election time, and there are just so many issues that need to be addressed for single mums. The big questions is which party is going to improve the lot of single mothers? It's hard to know who to vote for. The Council of Single Mothers and their Children's (CSMC), those tireless fighters for single mothers interests, have solved the problem by sending a questionnaire to each of the major political parties - Labor, Coalition (Liberal,Nationals) and the Greens. The last response has arrived just in time for the Federal Election and SingleMum has put together a brief summary of the answers more...

July 29, 2010 - Greens support single-mother issues
SingleMum.com.au Federal Election 2010 Feature

In a strong show of support, the Greens have promised to back single mum policies all the way in the upcoming federal election. In a reply to the National Council for Single Mothers and their Children, who sent policy questions relating to single mother issues to all major political parties, the Greens reply was strongly in favour of supporting current single mother issues more...

July 26 2010 - Stay-At-Home Dads On The Rise? Not So Fast...
Elizabeth Black

...I'd like to speak for the rights and welfare of hard-working primary caregiving mothers for a change, since they don't seem to get much attention in the media these days more...

July 1 2010 - Sociopath Fathers : The 'Charming' Killers
Charles Pragnell

...The sociopath is referred to in psychiatric terms as having Antisocial Personality Disorder, which is characterised by an individual's common disregard for social rules, norms, and cultural codes, as well as impulsive behaviour and a complete indifference to the rights and feelings of others more...

4 September 2009 - Uluru to Kakadu - we're going on an outback adventure, and I'm blogging it as we go!
SingleMum.com.au Blog

Tired of being told that as a single mother with two young daughters (aged 1 & 3) I "can't do this" and "can't do that", I've decided to take the bit between the teeth, grab the ankle-biters (and maybe even my mum!) and head off to the outback for a holiday! It's a three-generation-jaunt - yikes! Planes, trains and automobiles will all be covered during our trip, including taking in such sights as Uluru, Katherine, Alice Springs, Darwin and Kakadu (maybe more, who knows where our fancy will take us?!) more...

How Can I help my Child Through a Trauma

The following questions have come from concerned parents. We thank Liz Mullinar for taking the time to respond and assist us with providing this information.
Q I have been forced by the court to hand my child over for access visits with my ex who is sexually / physically abusing her. How can I minimize or counter her distress more

Why do we cry when our kids start school?

Ever since she entered her last year of preschool, I've been an emotional mess every time I think of her starting 'big school'. For a while, I had to take detours to avoid driving past her future primary school to stop me getting dangerously bleary-eyed behind the wheel.

As we progressed through 2009 and came closer to the end of her preschool years, things got worse more

Loving Beautiful You - An article for Single Mothers

In today's world of the perfect size and the perfect hair and high fashion, it can be difficult to accept yourself and take pride in the beautifully unique creation you are. However, as single mothers, or even single women more

Single Mother On A Budget

...As a single mother you might groan at the thought of putting together a household budget with all your expenses, but its easy to do and will also help you become very financially organized more

Keeping the Stress out of Single Parenting

Budget Your Money. Even if you are living payday to payday like most of us, knowing how much money goes to where can be a big help. This gives you the relief that the bills are being paid more

What Parents Should Do For Children To Do Their Best After Divorce?

Why do some children still do best after divorce and separation? Is there divorce parenting approaches that really work? Read and learn the divorce parenting approaches that really work more

The Three-Ring Circus: 5 Tips for Single Mums Who Work

If you're a single mum who works, you probably don't have a lot of time to read, so let's get right to the point. In addition to your salaried work, you're a chauffer, a nurse, a psychotherapist, and an educator. It's as though you're not only the ringleader of your family, but you're also the master juggler (of schedules), the tightrope walker (of finances), the lion tamer (of behavior), and the trapeze artist (as you swing from home to work and back again). Here are five tips to help you keep your sanity when the circus takes up permanent residence in your household. more

Has Your Child Been Misdiagnosed For ADD/ADHD?

Teachers and parents often jump to the wrong conclusion when a child is inattentive. They often think the child has ADD/ADHD. Parents may hear from the school that their child is continually inattentive in the classroom. Schools may actually say that they suspect your child has ADD/ADHD. more

You And Me Against The World

As I researched and wrote Naked Motherhood and its subsequent thesis, I oscillated between believing I was articulating the experiences of a silent and silenced major minority in our society to wondering whether I was making a mountain out of a molehill. Two groups changed the way I viewed what I was doing forever - these were women who had not bonded with their babies, and single mothers. Read the full story here

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