Life as a single mother is like a Minnesota March, observes author Cynthia Orange. ''There might be glorious days of sunshine and warmth, turbulent and troublesome stretches of unpredictable weather, and cold and lonely times when it is tempting to crawl back into bed and pull a heavy comforter over your head.''

Almost one-third of all children under age 18 live with a single parent, and 85% of those parents are women. Yet society neither recognizes this fact nor gives women the cultural support they need. With creativity and spirit, SING YOUR OWN SONG is out to change that. More of a self care book than a how-to-parent book, it debunks the myth of the traditional family and helps erase the stigma of single motherhood. Orange offers straightforward suggestions for how women can balance their personal needs with the responsibilities of parenting-that better self-care means better child care.