Middle School- Private or Parochial?

I live in the Los Angeles Unified School District (one of the worst districts in the US) and my daughter goes to an LAUSD magnet school, which is one of the best schools in the LAUSD district with a total API last year of 863! My daughter will be entering middle school next year and I do not want her going to the LAUSD public middle school, whose total API was 737, so I'm looking into a private or parochial school. Private schools tend to be way too expensive with most being 20k a year (higher than a Cal State Education for 2 years of college). Some private schools give scholarships or grants to help with the tuition for financial hardship. I make good money but I think I would still qualify for some assistance. The problem is most private schools require you to put down the income of both parents, even if the parents are no longer together, and that is not fair considering my daughters fathers provides zero support. A parochial school is much less with tution at about 9k a year, but do i really want nuns teaching my child? I dont really know... but what I do know is that finding a school for her is an extremely stressing process.
The search continues...

Is ME time an option for single parents?

I am a single mom. I work full-time and my place of employment is a 45-minute drive each way. I wonder some days where I find the extra time to do everything I need to do. It is so hard some days. I wake up get my daughter ready, then me ready, drop her off at my sisters (who thankfully does me the favor of driving her to school), then I'm off to work. I work my 8 hours and rush back to pick up my daughter (who hates staying after-school, but sometimes lucky if my mom picks her up) by the time I get home it's 6pm. I like to cook her a fresh dinner and most of the time I do. Cooking dinner can be a long process I'm usually done at 7pm, she eats then I'm off to do laundry or clean-up while managing to help her with her homework. If she has something to do I run off and take her where she needs to go. I'm defintely not complaining, I do what I can, but I do find myself sheltering myself from friends. It's so hard to find the time to get together with them, since I feel there is such little time in my life. So little ME time. Is ME time even an option as a single parent?

Welcome to Single Mom Rants

Hi all,

I've decided to create this blog for single moms to rant and rave. To ask questions, give comments, suggestions and new ideas.

I've created this blog for other mothers out there who feel they are doing the best they can in raising there child and for those mothers who need an outlet to escape the frustrations of being a single parent.

Lets begin....