Mom, There's a Man in the Kitchen and He's Wearing Your Robe: The Single Mother's Guide to Dating and Parenting by Ellie Slott Fisher

From the Publisher

Embarking on the dating scene can be a fun though sometimes daunting prospect for any single woman. But for the more than 10 million single women in the U.S. with children at home, dating is a much more complicated matter. Whether uncoupled through divorce or death, single moms face a wide range of questions: When will I be ready to date and how do I start? When-and what-should I tell the kids? What happens if I love the guy and the kids hate him?In Mom, There's a Man in the Kitchen and He's Wearing Your Robe, Ellie Slott Fisher, a once-widowed, once-divorced single mother of two, speaks with refreshing candor about balancing dating and parenting. Drawing upon her own experience, the stories of many other women, and the advice of family psychologists, Fisher offers encouragement, strategies, and a healthy dose of humor for the single-but-looking mom-from how to meet men in the first place to when to introduce your date to the kids, from when and where to work sex into the equation to how to talk to your dating teenagers without looking like a hypocrite. Practical, funny, and hopeful, this is the one guide single moms need before jumping into the murky waters of the dating pool.

Trenton Times

Mom, There's a Man in the Kitchen and He's Wearing Your Robe REVIEW: "A warm-hearted, wonderful book...offers comfort and practical advice from someone who's been there."

Publishers Weekly

Dating is hard at any age, but dating as a suddenly "uncoupled" mother comes with an entirely new set of challenges, which Fisher explores in a realistic, nonjudgmental fashion. "As... I prepared to reenter the dating world," she says, "my parents were no longer waiting up for me. Instead, my children were." In the voice of a trusted girlfriend, Fisher delivers honest advice, a fresh perspective and comic relief as she guides newly single moms toward the goal of dating well without parenting badly: "When you begin dating, your judgment becomes impaired. You worry about your children's behavior and don't even consider your own. You often don't think about how you've slipped from being Carol Brady to Peggy Bundy." Having been through the dating-while-parenting experience twice-once as a widow, once as a divorcEe-Fisher seamlessly combines her own hard-won wisdom (date only when you feel ready) with the anecdotal experiences of other mothers (never assume that your child is sound asleep when your date turns passionate). Practical tips for how to meet men (including an excellent chapter on how to use the Internet safely) and quips from the children of dating moms ("I just don't want to see or hear about it") round out this useful book. (Feb.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Fisher, a widowed and then divorced mother of two, has written a very readable dating guide for the more than ten million single mothers in the United States who have children under 18 living at home. This book offers practical advice on balancing dating and parenting and on preparing oneself and one's children for the prospect of dating again and all the possible consequences. The key to navigating these rough waters is focusing on the parent's needs while taking into consideration how everything affects the children. According to Fisher, communication and candor are essential. Fisher's clear and humorous approach and down-to-earth advice should help maintain healthy relationships among everyone involved. The most important kernel of advice to take away from this guide: "A woman must feel good in her own skin before entering a new relationship." Highly recommended for all public libraries.-Wendy Lee, Marshall-Lyon Cty. Lib., MN Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

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