Many of us single mothers don’t start out planning to be that. But sometimes, life dishes out circumstances we don’t expect — divorces, deaths, one-night stands, you name it. Then again, there are plenty of proud solo moms who got where they are on purpose, with a ton of planning (and blood and sweat and tears like the rest of us). But if there’s one thing that unites every single mom, not matter how we got here, it’s that single motherhood has made us wiser, stronger and more resilient that we were before. Plus, we’re lucky in that many of our kids are, of course, our child first and foremost — but they can become our best friends, too.
Of course, all that sunshiney stuff doesn’t mean single motherhood isn’t hard as hell. In fact, for many of us, being a single mom is the most isolating, tiring and difficult thing I’ve ever done. But at least we’re not alone in it: According to the U.S. census data, as of 2019, there were 11 million single-parent families with kids under 18 living in the U.S. Of those 11 million, 80% are helmed by moms.
But this is not the reality reflected back to us via film and TV. Instead, the majority of shows and movies we see depict nuclear family stereotypes, which only serves to further marginalize single mothers and our families by ensuring that the majority of TV viewers have…pretty much no idea what single motherhood is like. It also makes us single moms feel like we can never measure up to “normal.”
That’s why we need more of our stories on screens. When we single moms watch shows that are realistic depictions of what single motherhood is truly like, it’s inspiring and a relief to see ourselves represented. And when others watch these shows, they realize: We’re here, too.
Here are 13 shows we need more of — the ones that get single motherhood right.
‘Big Little Lies’
This show is so good for so many reasons — girl power, fighting back against oppressors, amazing Audrey Hepburn costumes, Laura Dern’s angryface — but one of the best is Shailene Woodley’s honest portrayal of young single mom Jane. She’s a character with a complicated past and an even more complicated present, but that doesn’t put a damper on her devotion to her son Ziggy.
‘Little Fires Everywhere’
And speaking of women-driven TV produced by Reese Witherspoon, BLL fans will also likely love Little Fires Everywhere. Kerry Washington’s single-mom artist character, Mia Warren, is epic — and not just for her facial expressions, which give Claire Danes’ Homeland ugly-cries a run for their money. Washington has said that her character in Little Firesreminds her of her own strong mom.
‘Better Things’
Pamela Adlon stars in this FX series as as Sam Fox, an actor and a single mom trying to raise three kids on her own in L.A. Hilarity and sheer relatability ensue.
“I have a saying that every mom is a single mom whether she’s married or not,” Adlon said at SXSW last year. “Sorry.”
Hey, we feel that.
‘Single Parents’
Yes, this one is the most obvious candidate in that its entire plotline revolves around a gaggle of single parents trying to raise their 7-year-olds while also, you know, surviving. Leighton Meester’s Angie is a core character who begins dating a fellow single parent — a feat that those of us who’ve been there know is huge in and of itself.
“Angie is a paralegal and a mom and has very little time to do anything,” Meester told The Hollywood Reporter. “We use comedy on the show to explore co-parenting and being single parents. I can only imagine it is the hardest job in the world, because being a parent is the hardest job in the world.”
‘Dead to Me’
Oh goodness this show is so fun. Yes, there’s drama and murder and cops and all that, but honestly what’s most refreshing about Christina Applegate’s recently single mom character (she’s widowed at the start of the series when her husband is killed in a car accident) is that she’s so much more than just single, or just a mom. In fact, fans of the show will likely agree that the real love story here is between fantastic weirdo friends Jen and Judy (played by Linda Cardellini). Female friendships FTW! Just, you know, without the murdery part maybe.
‘Younger’
In Younger, the human gem that is Sutton Foster plays a 40-year-old single mom of a teenager who passes herself off as 26 years old to get a job in the good ol’ ageist publishing industry. She’s got a teen daughter, but she’s also got way more problems on her hands than her kid. Just like the rest of us single moms.
‘Mom’
Ana Faris plays Christy, a newly sober single mom of two kids, one of whom has recently become a teen mom herself. She’s restarting her life in Napa Valley (lucky her), working on her sobriety and working as a waitress, when her mom and fellow recovering addict, played amazingly by Allison Janney, storms into her life. It’s very sitcommy, but also very spot-on when it comes to the cycles of chaos we create in our families.
‘Gilmore Girls’
After getting pregnant at 16, Lorelai Gilmore becomes estranged from her family and raises her daughter on her own. This is a great one for after-school time on the couch or lazy weekends of binge-watching on Netflix — and its relatively wholesome content means you can even include your kids in the binge.
The recent Gilmore Girls reboot, A Year in the Life, released in 2016 follows the pair 10 years later. Although actor Lauren Graham told Page Six she feels “very satisfied” with the series and that she believes “that’s where it ends,” we can’t help but hope for more.
‘Parenthood’
Okay, so maybe Lauren Graham is our TV single mom icon, what of it? Parenthood is another classic; it follows a family of adult siblings, including Graham’s single mom Sarah Braverman, and their various kids/cousins. The family grandpa/patriarch is Craig T. Nelson and hooboy do those parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles get overly enmeshed in every aspect of each other’s lives. We’ve been there.
‘One Day at a Time’
If single-mom shows are what you seek, Netflix is where you’ll find them. One Day at a Time is great to watch with your teen, as it tackles controversial themes head-on — with laughs and tears.
The show is based on the 1975 to 1984 sitcom of the same name and is about a Cuban-American family. Single mother and war veteran Penelope is raising her preteen son and queer teen daughter with the help of her mother (who lives behind a red curtain in the living room, of course). The show is a great kick-starter for conversations about racism, sexism and gender inequality.
‘Raising Dion’
Raising Dion, based on the comic book by Dennis Liu, is another show that’s great for preteens. On the show, mom Nicole must raise her son alone after the death of her husband. But things get complicated when Dion starts showing some magical powers. It’s also great to see a Black family among the (still paltry) shows featuring single parents.
‘Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce’
Newly divorced self-help author Abby is thrown back into the dating world as she struggles with the complexity of divorce and the shared parenting of her two children. It highlights the emotional and financial complexities of divorce as well as the need to rediscover yourself as a now-suddenly single person. The show is based on the Girlfriends’ Guides books by Vicki Iovine.
‘Ugly Betty’
This show follows Betty after she lands her dream job in a fashion magazine empire — as well as her struggles with not quite fitting the stereotypical mold for a fashion writer. Betty lives with her awesome, strong-minded, couldn’t-care-less-what-people-think sister, Hilda, who is also a single mother and is possibly the show’s stealth best character.
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