Being a parent is the
hardest job in the world, so doing it on your own as a single parent can be
extremely difficult.
You are the sole
responsibility for your child and you are the only one to lead them in life and
who they look up to for help and support. This can be a very stressful situation
when you don’t have someone sharing that huge responsibility with you.
Surviving as a single
parent is going to be hard. You will have so many difficult situations to face
and you will feel alone and like you have the world on your shoulders. Not only
do you have to do the job of one parent but you must also fill in the gap of the
missing parent.
You need to be strong.
You need to be confident.
You need to have
commitment.
You CANNOT give up.
You won’t have time to feel
sorry for yourself; you have a job to do. Once you have accepted that you have
this responsibility then you can get on with it and do a good job.
You get what life deals you
and if you have been dealt the responsibility of bringing up a child on your
own, then that’s what is meant to be and you must be strong enough to do so.
A child with just
one
parent is not less likely to develop into a healthy, good valued child than
a child with two parents.
As a
single
parent of teenagers it is important that your teenagers don’t think that
they can get away with more just because they only have one parent. You need to
instil this in them from a very young age that although you are a single parent
you still demand respect. You still have house rules and expect them to abide
by them.
You can still, as a single
parent, teach your child important skills such as self confidence and respect
for others so that they will grow to be well adjusted happy young adults.
It is also important as a
single parent of teenagers that your teenagers don’t feel an obligation to care
for you because you are single. Show them that you are independent which will
also teach them to be independent. They need to know that you are ok and don’t
need looking after. They have their own lives to grow into and don’t need the
guilt of worrying about you.
Every parent at some stage
needs to take time out for themselves and you shouldn’t miss out on that because
you are single. Reach out for help and take that time out for yourself. You
will be a better parent in the long term if you do.
Show your teenager love and
appreciation. Spend time with them and praise their positive behaviours. By
doing this from a young age and continue this behaviour into their teenage years
you will keep a strong bond with your teenager which will keep the door open for
them to come to you if they need help or advice.
You can join parenting
groups for single parents and meet other people in the same situation as
yourself. This can be extremely useful if you do have any problems with your
teenagers, to be able to discuss your problems with others who may have children
around the same age.
Just because you are a
single
parent does not mean that you are alone. Turn to your family, friends or
support groups. Don’t try to take on the world alone, there are people out
there who can help you.
A wise single parent will
know when to accept help when it is offered and know when to ask for help.
