To Our Mums Who Did It All On Their Own: You Smashed It

The summer after my parents split up, my mum decided we needed a holiday. Off we went to the seaside, the four of us – my little brother and sister, Mum and me – bundled into our rickety Austin Metro, navigating the M3 and the unfamiliar landscape of our family without Dad.

It was a week of firsts: the first time we stayed in a caravan; the first time I got sunburned; the first time my mum drove us on the motorway. For a woman who passed her driving test on the fifth attempt, this was A Big Deal and as the eldest child I was appointed navigator and duly promoted to the front passenger seat. We must have made quite the picture: Mum clutching the steering wheel for dear life as I, barely visible above the dashboard, strained to make sense of junctions and dual carriageways, determined to prove that we could do this, the four of us: little brother and sister, Mum and me.

My memories of that holiday have faded now but I remember arriving at the coast; it felt like conquering Everest. Whatever happened in the months and years to come, we'd taken on this challenge – and smashed it. We were a team.

This week on Refinery29 we've been celebrating single mums. Today is Mother's Day and so to round things off we're handing the mic to their daughters. Ahead you'll hear from a handful of the many young women who grew up (are still growing up) in their mother's more than capable hands – and are doing splendidly for it, thank you very much. No one's pretending that single parenthood is all sunshine and roses but as these women will attest, the relationship between a single mum and her daughter can be pretty damn special. Tissues at the ready...