co-parenting is a spreadsheet problem with feelings
92 posts · 5 tabsThe solo-mom playbookSchedules · Money · Logistics
One child is sick at 10pm, the other is asleep, and you're the only adult. Who to call first, how to get both kids there, and how to run the day after.
By Marisol Vega · November 11, 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 →Download a free feelings page from My Two Homes Journal, with simple ways to invite drawing and conversation without turning it into homework.
October 24, 2026How 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, 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 →
