Facts About Single Parenting
Single parent families have been steadily on the increase since the seventies, when the divorce rate skyrocketed.
More couples are choosing not to marry, and the child is left with one parent if they split up.
Some parents are left to raise the children by themselves because the other parent has died.
The facts about single parenting differ somewhat from public opinion-such as the number of single teen mothers, which is declining.
Dual Parenting Vs. Single Parenting
Single parents feel just as much guilt about the way their children are being raised as dual parent households. I know this because all parents seem to feel like they are not doing as much as they possibly are able.
Dual parenting vs. single parenting has always been a hot debate as to whether or not the children grow up too fast by being given too much responsibility by a single parent. In some cases this is true, but my children grew up with a maturity that dual parent kids didn’t have-as long as I allowed them time to be children as well.
That is the bottom line, are you putting too much responsibility on your children and not allowing them time to just be kids?
I don’t care how many parents a kid has; too much responsibility and they get stress that children do not deserve, too little and they are running all over you.
I do believe that single parents are under more stress than two parent households. This is one fact that really is true, and not just an opinion.
In two, parent households you can take turns, in a single parent household you are the mom, dad, babysitter, coach, etc. It can be overwhelming.
Asking for Parenting Help
It’s okay to ask for help, and here are some tips about that:
Take advantage of daycare that is available during church, your visit to the gym, and low income centers around your state which you can be referred to through the health department.
Take some time way from your children and be good to your self (and don’t feel guilty about it) – a relaxed parent equals relaxed children.
Don’t listen to advice from people who don’t know anything. If they’ve never been a single parent, they have no opinion.
Set boundaries and rules with your kids and don’t be afraid that they won’t love you anymore of you enforce them-this is a common mistake made by single parents and we end up doing the permissive parent thing like changing the rules because we are too tired to enforce them.
Pick your battles; if it’s safety or health related, spend some time on it. These are the two most important battles to be fought. You’re not going to do everything perfect-that’s not just the facts about single parenting; it’s the truth about all parenting.
