Single parent activities question

So, after being told yesterday that, as a single mom without a large circle of friends, I'm not as capable of being as good of a parent as a single father with a girlfriend and a lot of friends, I got thinking.

Is it more important to have quality time one-on-one with your kids, when they're still young enough to want to do things with their parents, or have large gatherings where you might not even see your kids during the course of the event.

My opinion, while they're both important, is that the first one is slightly more important. You can never get that time back once it's uncool for kids to be seen with their parents. You have maybe 16 years, if you're lucky, to enjoy that bond before they start to pull away from the nest.

Yes, no friendships on my part is hard and lonely, but because of it I get to enjoy some really fun and special times with my kids, and I wouldn't give that up for the world.

Ideally, the third item would be the goal, but I'm talking power struggle right now where one person is saying get togethers with large groups of people is a better environment than family time. I'm really not seeing how you can say one is better than the other. They're both important, but at the current time, based on our kids' ages (12 and 14) I tihnk it's more important to grasp the family time before you lose that chance.

at the ages of your children, i think they're both important. however, if i had to choose, quality time and attention would be the most important. in a perfect world, there would be a balance. unfortunately, a perfect balance is a rarity in this day and age.

wi, i think you're doing an excellent job, and have more than proven that your children's best interests are first and foremost in your life.

be safe,

kd

Thanks KD. I think I am too, but egos are getting in everyone's way and finding a middle ground is next to impossible.

Ideally, the third. My family took advantage of the fact I just returned to the state, shut me and the kids out, and then took them from me the first opportunity that they had, and I can't fight them to get them back, as much as the kids and I want to be together, unless I luck out and win Power Ball! I scare them (the fam) now, because I have such a circle of friends, I could pull it all off now. Hmmm... any wonder I have issues with the elder family members?

bump