Episodes in The Real Single Moms

Nefertiti, A Real Single Mom

Central to Nefertiti’s story is the relationship with her mom who was also a single mom and raised three children at a time when there might not have been as much help available as there is today. At the time of the filming of this project, Nefertiti was unemployed and a victim of the real estate market collapse. But she maintains her optimism, counts her blessings and dreams of a better day for herself and her daughter. “Focus on the relationship you have with your child. More than material things, they need your quality time, your love and your wisdom.”

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Kay, A Real Single Mom

The poor, young, pregnant girl from Lake Charles, Louisiana, seems like a different person compared to the confident, sophisticated woman who now lives in Beverly Hills with a thriving eighteen year-old son. Early on, Kay’s son struggled with a learning disability. She found help for him at the Joy School in Houston, Texas. While her son was in the Joy School, Kay met other parents who introduced her to a lifestyle that she might never have thought possible for herself. She set her sights on a better life for both her child and herself and found that the two were not mutually exclusive.

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Janine, A Real Single Mom

You wouldn’t know it by looking at her, but Janine is now a grandmother, or as the family refers to her, she’s the Nana Goddess. Janine was a single mom over thirty years ago and times were tough. Staying with friends, sleeping on couches or sometimes in her car, dealing with diabetes, constantly looking for work that, even when she found it, was not enough to live on, Janine was the definition of the working poor. Life gradually got better and along the way, Janine raised a happy child who became a healthy woman who, with her husband, now has a daughter of her own.

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Cat, A Real Single Mom

Cat stresses the importance of a father figure in the lives of her two children. She even goes so far as to recommend that one should, "Find a best friend of the opposite sex and try to get together with them to raise your kids." Cat also has had to deal with the illness of her daughter and has learned how to find the help that her daughter needs to live as healthy a life as possible. But as hard as life might be for Cat and her family, when Cat talks about her two children you can tell by the expression on her face that she finds joy and reward in both of them.

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Nell, A Real Single Mom

Nell will always see the glass half full. Nell would say, however much is in the glass, that’s enough for Nell. With the support of her parents and her nine brothers and sisters, this mother of three has made a home for her family and maintains a positive attitude despite hardship and tragedy. Through her own experience, Nell has advice on how to utilize the programs offered to low-income families. On being a parent, Nell’s advice is to, “Make sure you’re ready and remember, you can’t give them back.”

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Deanna, A Real Single Mom

Divorced from her first husband, Deanna came to Hollywood with two small children that she had cared for by herself virtually since the day they were born. She became a Hollywood starlet, landing leading rolls in films and television and staring in the series Land of the Giants. It was a different time in the sixties, celebrities seldom admitted to being married, much less being single moms, but Deanna made sure that her children were never hidden away and that they were always by her side. She had a third child while married to her second husband.

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Diane, A Real Single Mom

Diane never planned on being a single mom but when tragedy struck she was left with little choice so, with a twenty-two month-old child, she carried on, alone. Along the way, she became more confident, embraced the challenges and even came to enjoy the freedom and rewards of raising a child on her own. "I like having control over my children and the idea of not being forced to compare notes is wonderful and exciting."

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Tracy, A Real Single Mom

"Like, you know?" Close your eyes and Tracy sounds like any typical valley girl. It was “All about Tracy” before she had her son but with her mom’s help she embraced motherhood, prioritized her life, met the challenge and never lost that youthful enthusiasm for the future. Tracy’s advice (and she’s a life coach so you better listen up), "Learn how to balance your time. Your child ultimately comes first and you will make mistakes but it’s okay."

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Erin, A Real Single Mom

Erin is relatively new to the whole single mom thing. Divorced for just over a year, at the time of her interview, the pain of breaking up her family was still very fresh in her memory. "I have two gorgeous girls and a very motivated attitude to keep them happy and healthy."

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Monica, A Real Single Mom

Monica grew up in an upper-middle class home in the South. When she found out she was pregnant, she married and started a life that was similar to the lives of her parents and many of her friends. But Monica wanted something different. Armed with a can do determination, Monica came to California in pursuit of a new life. The life that she provides her sons might not be the life she experienced growing up but she remains a role model for them as she works to make it all happen. Monica’s motto: "Love hard, work hard."

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