When my daughter was 7 months old, her father and I split up. He left the country — without saying goodbye, I might add — to start a new life. I was a hormonal, heartbroken 28-year-old living in Washington Heights. In between work hours spent editing textbooks, I nursed my baby and mashed up bananas.

That first year was chaos. It didn’t help that there were no single-mom role models in my life — except, say, Madonna, who was also parenting solo at the time. If she can do it, I can, I used to think, but I hardly had a superstar’s life.

(And who knew eight years into my own single parenting path, Madonna would become a single mom again?)

Fortunately, I had a fantastic group of friends in NYC who helped. Maybe none of them knew exactly what I was going through, but they babysat and showered little Mae with love, which I appreciate to this day.

I feel incredibly blessed to be here today, offering advice to parents around the world.

This blog has grown into the Number One site for single parents on the web. If you’re interested in advertising — or want to hire me as a writer – here’s more information.

You can always contact me directly at: rachel[at]singlemomseeking[dot]com.

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It would be embarrassing if any of my textbook editors got a hold of my book, Single Mom Seeking: Play Dates, Blind Dates, and Other Dispatches from the Dating World (2007, Seal Press).

I write regularly for LifetimeTV.com and Divorce360.com.

I’m a featured blogger at BabyCenter.com.

My writing has also appeared in Family Circle, Pregnancy, Parenting, and American Baby — as well as at sites such as Mom Logic, MSN.com, and Huffington Post.

When I’m not writing about dating, I’m writing textbooks. Juicy!

I have shamelessly shared way too much on my website, Single Mom Seeking. It’s what I remember, but most names have been changed to keep me out of trouble.

Single parents, speak up please! Write to me.

Sending love to you all,

Rachel

Photo by the amazing Johannah Hetherington