Instead of hiring someone to fix it, I took matters into my own hands. Sitting on the grass with my phone in hand and a rusty wrench by my side, I was ready for a showdown with a stubborn outdoor faucet. My secret weapon? YouTube.
After my divorce, I was determined to maintain a sense of stability for my kids. That meant staying in the only home they had ever known. However, in my focus on the buying process—the negotiations, the endless paperwork, the loans—I hadn’t fully grasped what it would entail to maintain an almost century-old house on my own.
While I consider myself fairly independent, I had lived with my parents until college and then in various apartments. If anything went wrong, we simply called the landlord. When I became a homeowner, my husband took care of repairs, whether that meant doing it himself or hiring someone. I was no Bob Vila.
With the paperwork finally done and spring in the air, I realized my kids were eager for their wading pool and water balloon fights. There was just one hitch: our only outdoor faucet had been leaking so badly that the water was turned off last fall. It needed fixing.
“Just hire a plumber,” my well-meaning brother advised. But that felt excessive for a dripping faucet. I wasn’t keen on repeating the experience of paying an electrician $150 just to flip a fuse switch.
So, I did what my kids do when they want to learn something—or more often, when they want to watch other kids play with toys. I turned to YouTube. Surely, if there were videos showing how to open a blind bag, there had to be tutorials on fixing a leaky faucet.
That’s how I found myself one sunny afternoon, propped up on flagstone with my phone, ready to conquer the faucet. I didn’t need a partner; I had an entire army of helpful tutorials at my fingertips. If one video wasn’t making sense, I could simply switch to another. Why hadn’t I thought of this sooner?
After some searching, I found a video that matched my faucet. My tool collection was limited to a very old wrench I’d unearthed from the depths of a cabinet, likely used to stir paint at some point. But the host on the video was patient, pausing and repeating instructions as needed. It was the perfect relationship.
I managed to disassemble the faucet and, just as the video suggested, took the rusty piece to a plumbing supply store to find the right replacements. Not a big box store, but a real plumbing supply store like the professionals used. (And yes, I had to Google its location.)
Once inside, I was reminded of a lesson I learned during my divorce: there are people willing to help you if you just ask. Within minutes, three guys were assisting me, asking questions about the type of pipes I had and testing different washers on my old faucet. One plumber even gave me his number, offering to help if I got stuck. It was a kind gesture, but I felt confident with my YouTube knowledge.
That afternoon, after some final adjustments, I ventured down to the basement, turned on the main water line, and rushed back outside. Holding my breath, I turned the faucet handle. Water flowed! It stopped completely when I turned it back. I let out a scream so loud that the elderly man across the street paused his gardening to look.
I had done it. This victory was about more than just fixing a faucet; it was proof that I could tackle my home and life as a single mom. That moment marked the beginning of my YouTube journey. Since then, I’ve used the platform to assemble a gas grill, install storm doors, thaw frozen pipes, and much more—tasks I never thought I could handle alone. Now, in addition to my friends and family, I have a new form of “Single Mom Support”: YouTube.
Don’t get me wrong—it would be wonderful to have someone help with these tasks. And I’m not denying that some situations truly require a professional’s touch. However, my divorce opened my eyes to my own capabilities. I would have missed out on the exhilarating feeling of stepping outside my comfort zone and succeeding.
Until the day comes when I’m no longer solely responsible for my home, YouTube will be there for more than just kids’ toy reviews. If you’re interested in more information about home insemination, you can check out this blog post here. For those seeking expert advice on related topics, visit here. And for an excellent resource about pregnancy and home insemination, head to this link.
In summary, YouTube has not only empowered me to tackle home repairs but also provided a supportive community that inspires me to embrace challenges. It’s a reminder that I can take charge of my life as a single mom and thrive, one DIY project at a time.