How I created a single-parent support network: ‘You never

From weekly dinners to clothing swaps, communal housing to carpooling, creating your own community is key to making child-rearing on your own cost-effective and fun

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When I became a single parent of a preschool-aged child, I quickly discovered the best way to look after my son and myself was to build community with other single parents. I had just returned to Brisbane after a decade abroad and suddenly found myself without a job, a car or indeed a partner, and few family and friends living nearby.

Eight years on, I’m now part of an informal economy that shares childcare, school supplies, clothing, meals, days out and even holidays. It may take a village, but the village has saved me money, time and, on more than one occasion, my sanity.