So Why Create a Social Network and Online Community for Single Parents?

So why create a social network for single parents?

The short answer is because an online community for single parent is needed!

The longer answer includes the fact that  connecting to other single moms and single dads is fun (who can imagine life without iheart? what did we all do at night after our kiddo’s went to bed before we had eachother to engage with? =); life-affirming (the grass IS sometimes greener on the single parent side of life!); and powerful (who knew it would become such a meaningful way to change the negative stereotypes of single moms and single dads–we are showing the world what an awesome bunch of parents and hip human beings we are!)

Here is my story of how and why I came to co-create iHeartSingleParents with my best friend Clare…

When I found out I was pregnant I was definitely without proposals, plans, and/or prospects to be hitched any time soon. I knew right from the get-go I’d be doing the pregnancy thing and the parenting thing solo. IAnd let me tell you, in absolutely no capacity, except obviously biologically, was I prepared to be a single mother. Having just graduated with my Master’s degree, I was up to my knees in school loans; living in southern California to pursue a career in photography I was without family or good friends; being raised on the chant “do not get pregnant! do not get pregnant! do not get pregnant until you have your life figured out!” I was absolutely a mess trying to figure out how I ended up, well, knocked up.

Needless to say, I was without financial or emotional security and the closest person who cared about me lived a thousand miles away…but still, the bun in the oven wouldn’t stop cooking. And despite all that I was without, what I wasn’t without with was the internet. I had my laptop, and wi-fi at my favorite cafe was free.

So what’s a girl who would soon become a mom to do? Go online! Place her problems in the google search bar and hit return!

The first thing I searched for was “OBGYN, Ventura CA”

After the first appointment was made, my mind began turning about all that came next…

In terms of babies, parenting and disolving the ego and me-centered life, I knew there was a lot I needed to learn over the next 9 months and subsequent 18 years, and thank god there was books about most of that.(I think I spent my life-savings on Amazon that year). What was even scarier to me, though, was all that stuff that couldn’t be neatly chaptered in a book or refrenced in a wikipedia entry. I had the knowing that there was a lot I didn’t even know I would need to know and unless I found a community of people who shared in my single parentness, I would be learning everything the hard way, thru trial and error. But what is worse is that I would be doing it alone and slowly losing my sanity.

Not knowing where I could go to replace the comfort and support of having a spouse, a good friend, mentor, or kind stranger, I turned to google again and this time typed in “Single Parent Community.”

The results were sadly disappointing. What came up was a ton of dating service sites (as if! who can think of romance when everything in your life is being turned upside down….thanks, um, to well, sex!) and single mother grant hogwash ( sure you want to give me an easy $20, 000 because I’m going to be a single mother? Why am I finding it so hard to trust you….hmmm maybe because you are full of $#@&!- a word I can’t say around my unborn baby).

I could not for the life of me find one current, hip, give-me-hope-when-hope-is-gone, resourceful, single parent dedicated website out there. Not one. I found some amazing single parent blogs, but was still hungry for one united front!

When I had my moment of revelation that I was going to be a single mom and, yes, life as I knew it was going to change forever, I also made a commitment and promise to myself that I was going to be the coolest single mom out there–a truly modern single parent– striving for balance in my own life and my life as a mother. I would never drive a mini-van, or wear mom jeans; I would continue to dance on tables at karaoke bars and travel the world; I would learn how to put on make up while singing the ABC’s and bouncing a toddler on my hip; I would practice dating without having sex (practice…i said “practice”- we all need a little wiggle room, but now the wiggle room would definitely come with a child-proof latch, (big smile)).

After I had my son I continued my search for single parent communities online and cool websites that offered helpful advice and valuable information. I was also building my own photography businesses and staying true to my vision of being “the modern single parent.”  I started my Modern Single Momma blog and was so enjoying reading other single parent blogs (like SingleMomSeeking and MsSingleMama and DadsHouse) Still, I was unsatisfied by the lack of united, relevant, and uplifting websites for ‘our kind.’ I envisioned a place like MySpace, minus all the hoochi pics and spamers, and dedicated just to single parents ‘living the dream.’ I envisioned a place that could highlight awesome bloggers who share such entertaining and informative single parent related material, not only to help them get the word out about their writing but also to create a national voice for hip single moms and single dads that could change the old stereotypes.

The call to create a website that reflected the fun, sexy, joyful side of single parenthood came from within and would not leave me alone until I set out to do something about it. SingleParentSpecials was born to offer perks to the single parent and encourage single moms and single dads to get out and enjoy the good life in their cities and start living their happily ever nows. What quickly followed was the idea and desire to create a social network to bring hip single moms and single dads together in an authentic and modern way.

My good friend, Clare, also a single mother, shared an equal passion for reaching out and revamping the online scene for single parents. Sharing a common desire and vision, we decided to team up so we could give single parents across the world what we wish we had from the very beginning– a place to connect to other cool single parents and embrace the single parent lifestyle for everything it is–it’s ups and downs, twist and turns, follies and joys.

Thanks to you all, our vision for iHeart is swifty expanding and we have big plans to offer you even more in terms of ability to connect with eachother, share resources, tips/advice, simplify your life, and uplift your spirits! Our dream is to create THE go-to spot for single parents on the web and to give a voice to all the rockin’ single moms and dads out there.

I have a feeling this is going to be huge because not only is it needed, but because those old negative stereotypes of what it means to be a single mom or single dad are way outdated and a shift in consciousness is taking place. iHeart embraces this new vision of single parenthood and joining together we can spread the word to support, elevate and inspire single parents everywhere!

I would love to hear your feedback, comments and any ideas you have to help us reach more single parents who would enjoy being a part of this amazing community.