--- title: Mum on her own, Dad on his own — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «Mum on her own, Dad on his own», a lesson of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: In Leicester, Kezia's mum drives a bus and does everything else too: tea, homework, washing, school runs, the lot. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/) / Mum on her own, Dad on his own # Mum on her own, Dad on his own Lesson 515 of the everyday course of Mova's primary school: 35 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/0/) — In Leicester, Kezia's mum drives a bus and does everything else too: tea, homework, washing, school runs, the lot. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/1/) — Kezia's dad left when she was two. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/2/) — One night Kezia comes down for water and finds Mum asleep at the kitchen table on a pile of bills. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/3/) — Kezia puts a blanket over her and feels a lump in her throat. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/4/) — A single parent does the job of two people and gets very tired, and that is never because the child is «too much». - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/6/) — Dads on their own learn fast. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/7/) — In Baltimore, Tremaine's dad does his cornrows (tight braids along the head) before school, badly. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/10/) — Now they cook together on Saturdays. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/11/) — In Belfast, Kian's dad tries to do Kian's sister's hair for a party: a disaster, until Kian finds a video and they do it together, all three laughing. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/12/) — One parent is a whole family. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/15/) — Small families can be very close. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/16/) — In Ohio, Zach has never met his dad. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/17/) — When kids ask, he says, «Never met him,» and shrugs. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/18/) — He's fine most days and curious some days, and he can ask Mom when he's ready. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/19/) — Single parents often need a team. - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/20/) — In London, Elodie's mum is a nurse who works nights, so on those nights Elodie stays with Aunty Roisin, who makes the best stew in Peckham. - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/21/) — In Swansea, Saffie's mam works two jobs, so Saffie gets home at quarter to four to an empty house till six; Mrs Hughes from next door pops round to check on her: «Alright, bach? - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/22/) — Got everything, have you?» Saffie is lonely sometimes, but safe, and she knows exactly who to call. - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/23/) — In Calgary, Brayden lives with his dad; his mom lives in BC (British Columbia, the province next door), and he sees her in the summer. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/24/) — On Mother's Day the class makes cards. - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/25/) — Brayden makes his for Grandma, who picks him up every day. - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/26/) — That's fine: you can make a card for whoever looks after you. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/27/) — Many children live with one parent, and one parent is a whole family. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/28/) — A single parent does the work of two people and often gets very tired; it is not because the child is too much. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/29/) — Children can help a single parent with small jobs and by saying they love them. - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/30/) — If a child is worried that a parent is really struggling, telling another trusted grown-up is right. - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/31/) — Single parents often learn new skills, like cooking or doing hair, and effort counts more than skill at first. - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/32/) — Learning together, from each other or from videos, can make hard jobs fun. - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/33/) — Many teachers say «your grown-up at home» because families come in many shapes. - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/34/) — Single parents often rely on family, friends and neighbours to help with childcare. - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/35/) — A child home alone for a while should know a trusted neighbour or grown-up to call. - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/36/) — Some children never know one of their parents; feeling fine or curious are both normal. - [37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/37/) — On Mother's Day or Father's Day, it's fine to make a card for whoever looks after you. - [38](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/38/) — Small families, like one parent and one child, can be very close. - [39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/515-mum-on-her-own-dad-on-his-own/39/) — «Cornrows» are tight braids along the head; «so» at the end of an Irish sentence means then; «bach» is Welsh for little one; BC is British Columbia, a Canadian province; «tragic» is slang for really bad; «pure muck» is Irish for really rubbish. - ← previous: [Dementia and the first death in the family](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/514-dementia-and-the-first-death-in-the-family/) - next →: [Divorce and two homes](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/516-divorce-and-two-homes/) - ↑ back to [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/)