What is life like as a single mom?Are you happier, Is it incredibly hard?What do u need from friends

Please share your experiences as a single mom. Thank you.

What types of struggles did you have, and would you do it again if you could turn back time? Were there hardships or difficulties that you didn't expect?

Is it insanely hard, and are you happier since you've done it?

Were you still able to spend a lot of time with your children, or did you feel like it made it harder to be there for them?

In the end, do you think it was better for you and your children?

What sorts of things do you wish someone could help you with?

What can a friend best do to support you, say or not say? What sort of help did you wish for and didn't get?

How was it hard at different stages?

What advice could you give to a single mom to help?

Thanks!

Update: February 09, 2012.
My friend is divorcing, been separated for a while and is now probably going through with the divorce, she has a 9 and 2 year old and although she says it is for the best, she seems really tired and sad about things, understandably. I'm trying to help, but I don't want to make it worse. Today I gave her a big bag of hand me down clothes for her daughter, some which we'd gotten as hand me downs too. I know she doesn't have much support, so said if she needs help I can babysit. I know it must be hard for her, she's going back to work full time next week at a very low paying job (they're taking advantage of her situation) and is pretty sad not to be able to spend more time with her daughter, as she was a stay at home mom with the first. We also are worried about finances with the bad economy and I've stopped working recently, but comparatively we're much better off financially and I don't want to have that be hurtful for her. I know they can't afford certain things, like the other night her daughter kept asking for salmon and I know she can't afford it now, so I don't know if it would be good to have those things while she's here with her daughter, or if that would make it worse, or if my offering to watch her daughter is going to just make it harder now that she has to face going back to work full time and thus not being able to play with her so much. What can a friend best do in this situation?