Each year in July The Stork and I runs a social media campaign to raise the profile of Solo Mother Stories. This year the campaign is called Solo Mother Summer and its aim is to help change the narrative about solo parenting.

It is also a great opportunity to meet other solo parents from around the world and get to know each other more.

If you’d like to take part this year, you can see the overview of the campaign that will be launching 1st July. We’d love you to take part and to help change the narrative of solo parenting.

How can you take part:

To take part in Solo Mother Summer, use whichever social media platform you prefer to use, post the relevant content each day from the list below and use the hashtag #SoloMotherSummer and tag @The Stork and I so that I can share them.

Choose any of the content that feel relevant for you and tailor the subject to whatever works best for your situation.

I’d love for you to take part in all the relevant posts regardless of whether you are a parent yet or not.

Topics to cover each day for July:

1st: Introduction (Introduction to you and where you are in your solo parenting journey)

2nd: Societal Views (your opinion on societal views of solo parenthood)

3rd: Influences (what were the key influences on your views of parenting and relationships growing up)

4th: Dating When Wanting Children (your experience of dating whilst wanting children)

5th: Your Original Story (how you originally saw your life playing out with regard to having children)

6th: Option B (Is solo parenthood your option B and what does that mean for you)

7th: Definition of Family (how you define family)

8th: Solo Parenthood Conversations (confidently talking to our children and other people about solo parenthood through donor conception)

9th: Supportive Words (what you’d like your friends and family to say to you on the topic of becoming a solo parent)

10th: Fertility Inclusion (do you feel that solo motherhood is well included in the fertility industry and society in general are there any areas of improvement)

11th: Solo Parenthood Fears (what were / are the main fears you had / have about solo parenthood)

12th: Research conducted (what research have you done on solo parenthood with donor conception if any and what did you learn from it)

13th: Deciding on Solo Parenthood (what process did you go through to decide solo parenthood was the path for you, how long did it take to decide)

14th: Donor Conceived People’s Voices (the main things you have learnt from listening to donor conceived people)

15th: Finances Required (what finances do you need to both become and survive as a solo parent, what part did finances play in your solo parenting story)

16th: Solo Motherhood Tribe (how is your support network, who is in it, is it where you want it to be, how do they help you)

17th: Asking for Help (how easy you find it asking for help, how successful asking for help has been, how do you feel about asking for help)

18th: Realities of Solo Parenthood (how do you find solo parenting in reality vs how you expected it to be)

19th: Thoughts on the donor (how both our children and ourselves may think or talk about the donor)

20th: Donor Siblings (how do you feel about donor siblings, do you know any, are you looking, will you look)

21st: When Asked Why I’m a Solo Parent (how do you respond when questioned why you’re a solo parent)

22nd: Solo Parenting Advantages (what are the advantages of being a solo parent)

23rd: Toughest challenges (what are the toughest challenges of either becoming or being a solo parent)

24th: Solo Parenting Weekends (how you find weekends and how you spend them or would plan to spend them as a solo parent)

25th: Solo Parenting Holidays (how you holiday or plan to holiday as a solo parent)

26th: Career and solo parenthood (how you juggle having a career and working alongside parenting solo)

27th: Where to Live (considerations of where to live as a solo parent)

28th: Finding Time for Myself (how if any, do you find time for yourself)

29th: Dating as a Solo Parent (have you done any, how have you found it, differences when dating before being a solo parent)

30th: What Needs Changing (what would you like to see changed about the narrative on solo parenthood and donor conception)

31st: Advice to Others (The advice you’d give others Considering Solo Parenthood)