Mom, There's a Man in the Kitchen and He's Wearing Your Robe: The Single Mom's Guide to Dating Well Without Parenting Poorly [Paperback]

Ellie Slott Fisher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 18, 2005

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.

Editorial Reviews

From 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 divorcée—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.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"A warm-hearted, wonderful book...offers comfort and practical advice from someone who's been there." -- Trenton Times5/21/05

"Fisher's clear and humorous approach and down-to-earth advice should help maintain healthy relationships among everyone involved." -- Library Journal 2/1/05

"[Fisher has] a fine-tuned blather detector as well as a great sense of humor...[with] great insights." -- Dallas Morning News 2/13/05

"[Fisher] combines humor with wisdom." -- New Orleans Times-Picayune 2/21/05

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (January 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738209805
• ISBN-13: 978-0738209807
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #569,601 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful, August 22, 2005

By 

Luke's Single Mom - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mom, There's a Man in the Kitchen and He's Wearing Your Robe: The Single Mom's Guide to Dating Well Without Parenting Poorly (Paperback)

I found this book to be very helpful. I like that it was written by someone who has been there (twice), rather than a doctor/professional who has theories but no personal experience. I bought this book because I couldn't find any detailed information online regarding single-mom dating past the point of meeting someone and the initial introduction to the kids. This book goes into topics like public displays of affection, sleep-overs, moving in together, getting remarried, etc. I also like that it discusses all different age groups. Now that I've read it, my boyfriend is reading it too. It is written from the woman's perspective, but a man would certainly benefit from the information. As long as he can ignore or get past some occasional ex-husband bashing within the stories.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars well done, but mostly for mom's and a bit lightweight, December 19, 2005

By 

bearded academic (East Lansing, MI USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mom, There's a Man in the Kitchen and He's Wearing Your Robe: The Single Mom's Guide to Dating Well Without Parenting Poorly (Paperback)

I read this book from the perspective of a single father who is dating because some

of the reviews suggested men would find it useful. And it was useful. It did gracefully discuss issues such as what to tell the kids, things to avoid, etc.

But it was clearly written for mothers; and, indeed, single mothers who have their

kids almost all the time. I also noted a lack of studies supporting the advice and,

indeed, most child-development advice seems to come from one expert (!?).

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Words of wisdom in a cute cover!, March 20, 2006

By 

Mazsika (MD, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mom, There's a Man in the Kitchen and He's Wearing Your Robe: The Single Mom's Guide to Dating Well Without Parenting Poorly (Paperback)

This book, though a fun quick read, contains gems of wisdom on topics ranging from what to expect from your kids, depending on their ages, and when and whether to introduce your new flame to them, to how to handle your boyfriend sleeping over. Whether you're just recently single again, or have been out of the dating scene for years, this book offers sound advice peppered with humor. It was very helpful and reassuring to me to be reminded that there are millions of single moms out there, and we all go through similar challenges in trying to find someone worth spending time with and exposing your children to! I've already lent this book to a friend!