Today we have a Q&A with Ashlie Ruggiero. Ashlie is a single mom to 3 year old boy/girl twins. Ashie continued to get her education while raising them as a single mother with the aid of her loving family. She was recently crowned Ms. Connecticut in the U.S. of America Pageant as well as New England’s Outstanding Mom. Let’s get to know her.
  • How did you feel when you first realized you would be raising your twins as a single parent?

It was very difficult for me to make the decision to raise them as a single mother. I had always had this perception of the perfect family being a mother, father, and children, and I did not want to raise my children out of that vision. But throughout my pregnancy my relationship with my fiancé, their father, deteriorated. I first had to realize that my children would never be happy if  I was not happy. By the time my twins were 4 months old I made the decision to stand up for my family. Although I was brave enough to do so, I was scared of how I could cope and if I could ever give my children all that they deserved. Once the initial shock of what I had done wore off, I realized I had one less “child” to take care of.  I had always done everything on my own even when their father was around (baths, feedings, changing, etc) so it wasn’t anything out of my norm other than a lack of arguments over why I was doing everything alone.

  • What sacrifices have you had to make being a single parent? More