Single Parenting 101

There are around a quarter of the homes in the United States that are single mother homes and there are other families that have single fathers. This number has been rising steadily over the years with divorce and with death. Single parenting is something that has become very common in life, but it doesn’t mean that being a single parent has gotten easy.

If you are a single parent or if you have been single parenting for quite some time, you know that it can be challenging and it can be hard to have a balance in your life, your job and spending the quality time with your children that you need.

The good thing is that there is hope that you will be a great single parent and that your children will grow up healthy and strong.

Single Parenting and the Children

Children that are raised in single parent homes are not broken children. This is something that has become normal and as long as you are giving your child ample love and attention, they will be fine.

Positives

Parents that are single parents often have a much stronger bond with their children than two parent homes. This happens because the child spends most of their time with the one parent and becomes closer with them.

The children are often seen as being more mature, responsible, and helpful because they help more around the home.

Negatives

Some of the negative things about being in a single household is that there is not always consistency.

Sometimes these children struggle with their emotions and feel rejected by the other parent.

None of this means that single parenting is a failure and that the children will not grow up healthy and loved. Being a single mom and dad means that your child is getting the love and support that they need from their family.

It is often thought that children from single homes are even more successful because they work hard and see their relationships in life as more important.

Children need to have care and need to be loved so that they can thrive in their mind, body, and emotions. They also need to be strong so that they can have healthy relationships.

Being a Single Parent

When you are a single parent, it means you are the sole keeper of your children. This can happen because of divorce or because of death.

This does not mean that the single parent will have an easy life because they become everything to the child, their teacher, their parent, their friend, the house cleaner and more.

When a person has many different roles in the family, it can be hard and stressful, and it takes courage to be able to be a single parent.

Some people do not want to raise children on their own and so they will seek out a partner or they will ask the other parent to be more involved.

Being a single parent sometimes means that you have to work two jobs in order to keep your family fed. When this happens and then your child has games or extra activities after school, it can be hard to go to those things.

Chances are that you will have to ask your family members or your friends to attend games and to fill in your absence at sometimes.

Do the Best You Can

We all have to do the best that we can, and things will never be perfect. You will not be the perfect single parent and you need to allow there to be mistakes.

You have to make decisions that are good for yourself and your children but always be flexible because things do not always work out how you expect them to.

Guilt

Parents often feel guilty when they are single parents because they are the only parent in the home, and they are not able to always give their children what they want to give them.

Chances are that you will miss a game here or there but if you do, that is okay. There will be times that you will have to do things differently than you want and this can leave you guilty, but do not let those feelings control you.

Be Positive

Children know what you are feeling, and you need to have a good attitude about life. Even when things are hard, you need to be careful how you react.

Learn to react positively, even when things go wrong, and it will help your children to be more positive in life.

When you react to things in a good way, you are being a good role model for your children.

Support

Find people in your life to help you. Get your family and friends on board and then find support groups like single parent clubs. Meet people that are single so that your children can hang out together.

Schedule

Try your best to keep a schedule and to let your children know what is always going to happen. Doing this gives them peace and can take out some stress.

When your children don’t know what is going to happen next, it can cause anxiety. Try to have a daily routine to keep them feeling secure. This can include what time to go to bed and eating dinner together each evening.

Take Care of You

You will never be able to be your best parent when you are not taking care of yourself. Learn to love who you are and to do things to make sure that you feel fresh and calm.

Care about your own self and take time for you and do things that you love to do. Exercise and make sure you eat right, and you are getting a good amount of rest.

Conclusion

Rather you have just become single or you have been a single parent for some time, this life can be challenging yet rewarding. Learn to see the best for you and your children in this life changing time.

Do not allow things to seep into your life that will cause you to feel negative or critical but be positive and show your children how good life can be.

The thing that matters most is that you are with your children. Show them love and move forward the best that you can.