By Kristen Houghton
Just being parents can be a difficult job. Being a single parent, and going it on your own, makes the job that much harder. Whatever the reasons are for going it alone the single parent household is a reality in our culture.
According to the 2000 US census bureau, most single parent families list a woman as head of the household. There are three times as many single mothers raising children as single fathers. Very little option is available for these women to be stay-at-home moms. They have two full time jobs; parenting and working outside the home.
Coping with all the stresses of child-rearing, maintaining jobs and dealing with financial problems, while trying to create a stable home life for them and their children, can take a heavy toll on single moms. The pressure seems unremitting.
Single parents need a support system. Relying on your immediate family and your extended family of friends doesn’t mean you can’t make it alone; far from it. It means you are smart enough to realize that there will be times when you need a helping hand, another adult to be with and talk to, and others nearby who will impact your life in a positive manner.
It is all too easy for a parent taking on the job of two parents to neglect his or her own life. You put your children’s academics, sports, and social activities ahead of your own. Good family and friends can help you be there for your children while making sure you’re not stinting on yourself. They offer much needed emotional support.
If you’re a single mother, you are not alone. According to the support organization, Parents Without Partners, you are one of more than ten million women in 2007, with minor children in your care.
Support systems are necessary and vital to your life. They provide emotional support, deal with concerns about child-rearing, and let you know you are not completely alone. Besides family and friends there are support organizations you can join. Check online, under “single parent help,” for one in your area or call your local community service center.
As for their children, single parents needn’t worry that they may suffer as a result of coming from a one parent home. The good news is that the children of these households are thriving in all ways. They are more mature and dependable than some of their two parent peers and they succeed both academically and socially.
The criteria for a happy, well-adjusted child is not how traditional a home they have, but how much love, support, and encouragement they receive from the main parent in their lives. Single moms, you are doing a great job!
Post a comment
I like the article and I agree with Cate. The author is sating a fact of life for too many of us. She talks about having a support system and not stinting on your own life. Rereading the comments, I think you posted in the wrong one dianeirene and julieb.
jenj
I think the article was excellent. It was about the reality of being single in a marriage. It was not an advice column.The author is telling the truth.I took her ending to mean that both parents have to step up to the plate, both have to talk together.
Cate
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