Most parents have kids with the assumption that the other partner will be around forever. However circumstances may change, if you’re married, divorce may happen and if you weren’t, the father or sometimes the mother may just disappear. The reality is that about 1 in every 4 Americans live as a single parent, that’s just the world we live in. There is a challenge that only single parents feel, a stress, an overwhelming feeling that you may not be enough as you venture on this path alone. Let’s face it, being a single parent is much more difficult than parenting together under the same roof, but there are ways to cope and rise above, as you work through being a single parent for the first time.
Create a Support System
While you may not have that other parent partner in the same household, you do have a group of family and friends you can rely on. Create a new support system based upon your single parent status, open up to friends and family as well as neighbors to seek help and ways to have that system in place to lean on when times get rough.
Create a Household Budget
Living on one income is no easy feat, to boot you probably have to pay some form of childcare depending upon the ages of your children. Getting ahold of your finances is probably one of the best tips for single parents we can give you. Create a household budget that suits one adult income and stick to it at all times!
Take Time for Yourself
Don’t feel guilty about taking time for yourself, it’s okay to drop the kids off to a member in your support system and take a day to yourself. Even if this day consists of catching up on sleep or cleaning the house, take time for yourself. Do something that helps keep your soul alive as an individual, a happy single parent makes happy children.
Treat the Kids Like Kids
It’s a well-known statistic that single parents tend to lean on the eldest child more than they should. It’s not done intentionally, it just happens. Learn to treat your kids like kids, allow them the childhood they deserve. Rather lean on your adult support system when times are hectic, your kids will thank you for this when they are older.
Keep a Positive Attitude
A positive attitude really can go a long way, while it may be easy to sulk in the sadness that becomes you as a single parent, let it go! Learn to keep a positive attitude about your life, because you are a strong single parent. You are doing it all alone, with a supportive group of people who know you got this!
Let’s discuss: What other tips can you give single parents?
