co-parenting is a spreadsheet problem with feelings
91 posts · 5 tabsThe solo-mom playbookSchedules · Money · Logistics
Going to the office holiday party with no second adult at home? Check the custody calendar, book and budget the sitter, hand over bedtime, and plan for 6am.
By Marisol Vega · November 7, 20267 overnights each · 6 exchanges per cycle · never more than 3 days apart
Real budgets on one income — EITC, filing head of household, daycare costs, and honest help with US assistance programs.
All 20 posts →| Account | Job | Rough share |
|---|---|---|
| Bills | Four Walls + fixed bills, on autopay | around 60–70% |
| Spending | groceries beyond baseline, gas, the week’s life | around 15–20% |
| Emergency | boring savings, automated | even $10–25/paycheck counts |
| Kids irregular | school fees, cleats, birthday gifts, field trips | around 5% |
| Fun | guilt-free, small, real | whatever’s honestly left |
Where to get a free crib or pack 'n play: Cribs for Kids partners, Medicaid plan baby benefits, hospitals and 211, plus how to check a hand-me-down crib.
October 23, 2026Custody schedules, shared calendars, app reviews, and scripts that keep two-household logistics civil and organized.
Parent AParent B
All 33 posts →How to file for child support: open a case with your state or tribal agency, gather the documents, establish paternity, then get an order. The steps and costs.
October 15, 2026A parenting plan template as a checklist: the 11 sections a plan needs, the questions each must answer, and the vague wording that makes plans fail later on.
October 15, 2026Co-parenting with someone you'd call a narcissist? The patterns to spot, then a low-contact system: one channel, short replies, a log and a fixed handoff.
October 7, 2026Grocery budgets with real numbers, free things to do with kids, and routines that make one-parent weeks run on time.
Dating as a single mom without guilt or chaos — timing, logistics, app picks, and introducing someone to your kids.
Starting your family solo, on purpose — the decision, the process, the real costs, and how to build a village from day one.
Marisol Vega
I'm Marisol — solo mom of two (7 and 4) in Columbus, Ohio, running a 2-2-3 custody schedule, a full-time job, and one very load-bearing wall calendar. I treat solo parenting as a systems problem: schedules, budgets, scripts, and checklists that survive contact with real kids. No pity, no hustle-culture, no pretending a blog is a lawyer or a tax professional.
The full file — more about me →
