Being a single mom is hard and there are a lot of problems single mothers face in society, as they have to shoulder responsibilities solely and perform the duties single-handedly. There are times your mental distress takes a toll on you, but you have little choice so you have to delegate your duties for the sake of your child. Let’s discuss these challenging problems and then provide some important tips for single mothers that can help them in raising a successful child.
To start with, let’s find out the single Parent statistics around the world.
How many single mothers are there in the USA?
In the USA alone, the number of children living in single parent households is alarming. Apparently, the USA has the highest number of solo-parent homes in comparison with any other country.
(Source- Paw Research Center)
Another study reveals that 15.76 million children in the USA lived with a single mother in the year 2019. And by January 2021, 14.84 million families were supported solely by the mother (without a spouse).
(Source- Statista)
How many single mothers are there in the world?
Across the world, women are choosing to be solo parents because of complex issues in marriage and relationships.
The UN Women’s flagship report shows 101.3 million single mothers staying alone with their children across 89 countries by the years 2019-20.
Can a single parent raise a successful child?
While sole parenting is a choice for some women, it is also a compulsion for others. Irrespective of the reasons, sole parenting definitely has its effects on the child.
Hence, raising a child alone is quite different from dual parenting.
Considering the number of solo parents across the world, it is now quite common to opt for sole parenting. So, bringing up a child without a spouse is different from dual parenting, but raising them successfully is not an impossible task anymore!
Problems that single mother faces in the society:
Unshared family responsibilities –
Single motherhood is generally stressful as women manage all the responsibilities solely. Be it the decision-making or juggling between daily chores, they cannot bank upon anyone else most of the time.
Financial constraints for a single breadwinner –
Another issue for solo moms is to make the ends meet on their own. What makes it even worse is that one cannot estimate the exact cost of living with a child in the modern time. In the absence of credible financial support, very often the moms struggle to plan and find it difficult to save considerably for the future.
Work-life balance –
Work-life balance is one of the major challenges that single mothers face. While they need to be devoted to their income sources, they tend to lose out on the quality time that their family needs.
All this can be highly demotivating but most of the time, moms have no option but to prioritize their life this way. Eventually, the quest for meaningful relationships often takes a backseat with economic difficulties and mental distress.
The security aspects –
Managing everything alone also creates a sense of isolation and insecurity. Moms often remain insecure within society and live with the fear of stigma.
Hurdles in professional life –
Single parenting can limit your opportunities at the workplace. While there is always a need to be at home, work, and manage everything alone, there are times when you also have to sacrifice career opportunities. Hence, fostering a child can call for compromises at the professional front as well.
Some more challenges single mothers face:
Multitasking –
Multitasking as a single mom can be a big challenge in itself. Managing multiple things at the same time personally and professionally is not just stressful and even error-prone at times. Thankfully most solo mothers master this art over some time. However, the hardships of multitasking cannot be denied.
Mental health challenges –
Studies have shown that a solo mother is more at risk of depression, stress, and anxiety disorders because she has a lower satisfaction level in life.
(Source- ResearchGate)
Future relationships –
Even entering a new relationship is not simple for a solo mother. Emotional turmoil, instances of breakdown, acceptance of the child, and the uncertainty factors often haunt the beginning of a new relationship for them.
Negative child behavior –
Staying with a single parent is believed to be a cause of negative child behavior. In an interview with a group of school teachers, it was identified that children of sole parents are likely to develop negative behavioral tendencies.
For eg- 93% of teachers agreed to the fact that children of solo parents depict traits like aggressiveness and submissiveness. The interviewed teachers agreed upon the point that the boys living with sole parents are more aggressive, while the girls were likely to be more submissive.
Being a single mom could be very hard!
But ‘Every dark cloud has a silver lining’
Single Mothers are not just Moms, They are Super Moms!
Yes, you read it right!
If you are raising a teenager all alone, “YOU ARE A SUPER MOM”.
BEING RAISED BY A SINGLE MOM CAN STILL BE GREAT!
All thanks to the circle of life, it has something to offer to each one of us. Within the challenges and living conditions of sole-parent families, there are opportunities that we can always acknowledge.
Children who are raised by a single mother often tend to value the mother’s input in their life. From the nitty-gritty of school and professional life to the decisions of finances and career, the moms are a role-model for their children.
Also, the journey of a child raised by a solo mom instills a fearless attitude to combat the challenges of life. So, with or without the support of anyone else, such mothers and children often emerge strongly in all living conditions.
So there are some benefits for a single mom
Let’s explore these further.
The strength gained from single motherhood brings in a set of fantastic perks. A solo mom can solely take decisions and enjoy an uninterrupted parenting journey. She is full of vigor and motivation and drives herself and her child through her sheer mental strength. With sole parenting, even the child is likely to become more attached to the mother, and eventually, the bond between the two becomes stronger.
Also, benefits for solo moms are noticeable in their personal space. When you have no one to share your life with, you become the master of your own free will.
The freedom of being a single parent can open new opportunities for self-introspection. Because, when you are all by yourself, you can discover your innate capabilities better.
PARENTING ALONE CAN BE REWARDING
Here Are Some Tips That Can Help Single Mothers To Succeed In Raising A Teenage Child:
Tip #1: Teach your child to acknowledge the blessings in life
A child raised by a single parent can count a lot of shortcomings in life. From comparison with peers to opportunities of recreation, such a child can feel demotivated easily. As a sole parent, it is best to instill a habit of being thankful for what one has. Trust me, some simple activities can gradually transform the negativity hovering around you into a bright ray of hope.
Also, remember to appreciate and enjoy even the smallest things that can connect back to the idea of having enough.
Tip #2: Stay positive
No matter what, it is important to stay positive to create happy family vibes within the home. If you stay positive, spend quality time with your child, and set realistic limits it will reduce the distress and struggle of your life considerably. Remember to avoid that ‘sense of guilt’ as it is a wasteful gesture that can attach unnecessary importance to your past.
Tip #3: Be cautious about your selection of words
It is proved that the children living in single-parent families can feel dissatisfied easily.
Hence, you should be careful with the choice of your words in your child’s presence. This practice will avoid chances of planting negative ideas in your child’s mind such as the biases related to the complexity of relationships etc. Draw this line to vent out emotions and let your child stay away from your outbursts as much as possible.
Tip #4: Go by schedules to stay destressed
Especially on the weekdays, try to manage things as per schedules. Set a time for food, chores, sleep hours, and recreation. It will avoid chaos within the family related to household work and will ease your next-day preparations.
Tip #5: Socialize
Stay active with your neighborhood friends and spend quality time with them. You can plan things together with them and arrange for good company for your child. This will help in strengthening your bond with your child with the added advantage of sharpening his/her social skills.
Tip #6: Choose credible alternatives
Sole parenting can be made easier by making wise choices that can help you in the long run. So, you can choose an online school for your child and plan his/her education conveniently. This will create a safe digital learning environment for your child, and you can save expenses of day-care centers as well. With this choice, you will also be able to spend more quality time with your child and reduce your duties of transportation, etc.
Tip #7: It is not always important to stand the test
Your single mom journey can be great if you train your brain to stay away from the so-called labels of negligence and stigmas. Because being a single mom by choice or otherwise is no “BIG DEAL” nowadays.
Don’t forget, your capability to multitask is your biggest hidden strength!
It’s true, that being a single mother is hard. But we are capable to fight it!
BBC’s Science reporter has proved this fact that women can multitask better in certain situations. Because they can stay organized even under pressure.
But the sad part is that women do not recognize their power and choose a state of denial instead.
So all you single moms out there, have trust in your capabilities
Because
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