From small things, big things grow

By Hollie Harris

Many single parents put their lives to one side while they focus 100 percent on their children, often driven by guilt and worry. Yet, contentment comes from the source – you.
Parenting on your own can be super challenging for both mums and dads, but if you revamp your life, the results will filter through to your children and they will benefit.
Remember that you are their guide and their inspiration. They mimic and learn from you. In a nutshell, if you expect more from your life, they will grow up making more of theirs.
Meet Lucy. Perfectly OK single mum Lucy Good whose life involves looking after her beautiful daughters, whilst sourcing and creating resources to help single mothers.
Founder of Beanstalk, her life is a mish-mash of kitchen, laptop, school, Skype and sport fields, fueled by her passion to give all single mothers a supportive place to drop into.
“Have you ever tried to conduct a business Skype call while your daughter tries desperately to tell you she has a bruise on her bottom? It’s the real-deal of the single working mum and I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Lucy said.
Lucy works with hundreds of single mothers through her business and popular FB group, the Single Mum Vine. She sits at the centre of the think-tank of modern-day single motherhood, and is a sought after social commentator on single parent issues.
As well as having her own blog and podcast series, she has appeared several times on national television, speaks regularly on national and local radio and writes articles for online and print parenting, news, lifestyle and business communities.
Lucy’s mission is to help single mums navigate the maze of separation and divorce, and to confidently rebuild and embrace their new path in life. Alongside this, she intends to reinvent the status of single mum, taking it to a positive and empowering place.
She offers a must-read single mums blog, a single mum ecourse, Facebook competitions and Instagram community, with the latest offshoot being the Single Mum Vine private Facebook group where you can chat to single mums 24/7.
“Members can grab a free single mum goody bag, which is my way of kinda saying thank you for your support and there’s so much more to come.”
“I don’t do it all alone. I have the help of my daughters, especially my young teenager who is invaluable when it comes to executive decisions, such as what filter to use on Instagram and how best to restore my phone apps when they inexplicably disappear.”
“It was my turbulent journey from ‘omg I’m a single mum’ to where I am today, that inspired me to create Beanstalk. I believe that while few of us aspire to be a single mum, if our path gets redirected it doesn’t mean we should give up on our dreams.
“Beanstalk is a supportive, inspirational place for all single mothers from all walks of life and at any stage on their single mother journey. For women who are still grappling with their shiny new status of ‘single mum’, to those that are entirely happy with their single mum life .. and in some cases, absolutely lovin’ it.”
Check out Beanstalk and join the community of single mums supporting each other at www.beanstalkmums.com.au