Today's post is submitted by a Frolo community member

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I joined Frolo at a point where I felt like I was just going through the motions. My divorce had gone through about six months earlier, and by that point the initial chaos had settled, which in some ways made things harder. People seemed to think that because things were calmer, I must be OK.

I wasn’t.

I’m in my late thirties and I have two kids, primary school age. I have them most of the time, and when they’re with their other parent, the house feels weirdly empty and too quiet. I remember one of the first weekends I was on my own, I cleaned the kitchen three times and then just sat on the sofa scrolling on my phone, not really knowing what to do with myself.

Most of my friends are couples, and even though they were kind, I started to feel like I didn’t quite fit anymore. Conversations felt awkward. Everyone else’s lives were carrying on as normal, and mine felt like it had been shaken up and put back together differently. I hated having to explain things, or answer questions about how co-parenting was going, or whether I was “feeling ready to date again”.

I definitely wasn’t.

I think I downloaded Frolo late one night when I couldn’t sleep. I’d been up worrying about money, because everything suddenly costs more when you’re on your own, and I was trying to work out how I was going to afford Christmas without making it stressful for the kids. I didn’t tell anyone I’d joined. It felt like admitting I was struggling.

At first, I mostly just read posts. People talking about things I was dealing with but hadn’t really said out loud, like how exhausting it is being the default parent all the time, or how guilty you feel enjoying a quiet evening when your kids aren’t there. There were posts about dealing with exes, school emails, bedtime battles, and feeling like you’re constantly one step behind.

One post really stuck with me. Someone wrote about crying in their car after the school run, even when the morning had gone fine. I remember thinking, that’s me, that’s exactly me. I cried reading it, but it felt like a release rather than feeling worse.

I didn’t post anything myself for a while. I was worried I’d sound silly or that no one would reply. When I eventually commented on something, people were really welcoming. No judgement, no “have you tried…” advice, just understanding. It was such a relief not to have to explain the basics.

I joined a local group chat after a bit, which I nearly left straight away because there were loads of messages and I panicked. But I stayed, and I’m really glad I did. People shared practical stuff, like childcare recommendations and school holiday ideas, but also just moaned about being tired or having a rubbish day.

I met a few people for coffee not long after that. I was nervous beforehand, but it ended up being easy. Everyone had kids, everyone had baggage, and no one cared if you were late or had to leave early. One of the first times we met, someone had to cancel at the last minute because their child was ill, and it was such a small thing, but it made me realise how different it was being around people who genuinely got it.

Using Frolo helped me feel more like myself again, not just “the divorced one” or “the single mum”. It didn’t fix everything, and it didn’t make the hard parts disappear, but it made them feel less heavy. I started laughing more, and not feeling so embarrassed about finding things hard.

I still have days where I feel overwhelmed, especially when everything seems to land on me at once. But now, instead of feeling like I’m failing, I remind myself that I’m doing something difficult, and I’m not the only one.

Frolo didn’t change my life in a big dramatic way. It just helped me feel less alone at a time when I really needed that. And honestly, that made a bigger difference than I expected.

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