There's a new trend sweeping the globe, and it's strictly for single moms only. A growing number of women are choosing to ditch men altogether and move into "mommunes" with their kids, relying solely on each other for support.
Bernie Sinclair and Anabelle Gonzalez are two of them. The moms share an apartment in New York, along with their three young children. They split the bills, help each other with chores, and say it’s a fairy-tale life with "No Prince Charming required."
Touted as the "mother of all set-ups," this living arrangement has left many women inspired. But some men are growling, "Who is going to open the pickle jar?"
They decided to ditch men altogether and set up a "mommune," strictly for single mothers only
Image credits: Claudio Alba / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Best friends Bernie Sinclair and Anabelle Gonzalez say it’s a fairy-tale life with “No Prince Charming required”
Image credits: berniesinclaire
Image credits: berniesinclaire
Image credits: berniesinclaire
Image credits: berniesinclaire
Image credits: berniesinclaire
Image credits: berniesinclaire
Image credits: berniesinclaire
They broke down the benefits of their "mommune" in this Instagram video:
"We'll keep the single motherhood and the dual income": They also explained why they chose 'matriarchy'
Image credits: berniesinclaire
Image credits: berniesinclaire
Watch how they compare laundry day to raising their kids alone together:
Image credits: berniesinclaire
The women made it clear that their "mommune" isn't merely a temporary arrangement
With over 100 million single moms around the world, why wouldn't "mommunes" make sense?
More than 100 million women around the world are raising their children single-handedly. That's not a thumb-suck; it's an official figure from U.N. Women.
In the United States, an estimated 23% of children under 18 live with a single parent. About eight million of those (roughly 80%) stay with their mother, compared to three million who are being raised by a single father. In South Africa, the percentage is even higher. According to the country's Department of Statistics, a staggering 42% of kids live only with their mother.
Geographic locations aside, millions of single mothers are struggling to cope.
"Many are in their prime working years, aged 25-54, and must somehow manage a full day of work to provide for their children," says Antra Bhatt, a statistics specialist with UN Women’s Research and Data Team.
A report published in the Boston Congress of Public Health Review (BCPHR) paints a scary picture of how single moms are facing an uphill battle when it comes to their mental health. It notes that the elevated levels of mental illness and mental health struggles within this demographic cohort are "unsurprising," and here's why...
Image credits: Jonathan Borba / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
"Single mothers are conventionally burdened by three leading factors: general stress levels, anxiety, and general depression. These challenges are exacerbated by environmental components such as increased financial burdens, insufficient social support, and the responsibility of isolated child-rearing expectations featuring an acute lack of critical resources," reads the report.
One study found that 28.7% of single mothers, in comparison to 15.7% of partnered mothers, had been diagnosed with mental disabilities.
"One of the biggest challenges faced by single mothers is the constant juggling of responsibilities," reveals the BCPHR report. "With almost 15 million single moms in the US and 78% of those mothers employed in the workforce, balancing work with personal life can become stressful."
Additionally, it adds, time management challenges often leave single mothers with little to no time for personal enrichment, resulting in elevated emotional strain with no one and nowhere for them to turn.
So, given all of that, why would it not make sense for single moms to live together and lean on each other for support?
"Who's gonna be the plumber?": Some men struggled to understand how life could go on without them
Women were a lot more supportive, with one noting that she's never had a problem opening a pickle jar
