06/09/2026
Happy Father’s Day to all the incredible solo mummas out there doing the work for their babies. 🩷
Days like today can feel incredibly hard. Having been a solo mum for most of my motherhood journey, I’ve felt firsthand the impact an absent father can have not only on a child, but on the mother left holding everything together. I also know this experience as a daughter.
Today, I acknowledge my own father and the impact his absence had on my life. That absence created wounds, questions and patterns I’ve had to understand and heal as an adult. I can acknowledge the pain it caused while also recognising how deeply it shaped the woman and mother I became and I acknowledge my stepfather the man who stepped in. The man who showed me that being a father isn’t simply about biology. It’s about presence, consistency, love and the willingness to show up. Thank you for choosing to be there and for helping fill spaces you didn’t create.
For many solo mums, there are so many different reasons we’ve found ourselves carrying the load alone. Some fathers are no longer earthside. Some are separated from their children by circumstances beyond their control and some have chosen absence because taking accountability, regulating their emotions and doing the work to become a safe, present parent felt harder than walking away.
Meanwhile, mothers are left picking up the pieces. We hold the tears. We answer the difficult questions. We attend the school events, make the appointments, create the memories and somehow keep life moving even while our own hearts are hurting.
So today, I want to acknowledge the mums doing both. The mums who stayed. The mums who became the safe place.
The mums who keep showing up, even when they’re exhausted. The mums raising their babies with the love, stability and emotional safety they deserve and I want to honour every stepfather, grandfather, uncle, brother, partner or father figure who willingly stepped into a space someone else left behind.
You are proof that fatherhood is not simply a title it’s how you love, lead and show up. I see you. Your children see you. And the work you’re doing matters more than you know. 🩷