Single parenting is a reality that some people have to go through. Most of the single parents out there are women although there are also a few single dads. Some of these single parents have borne their children when they were still young while others were the product of the divorced courts. A few became single parents because their partners are working abroad. Others have been widowed. Whatever the circumstances that caused the situation, the result is still the same: an extremely difficult situation. Single parents are basically doing the work that two people should be doing. This is especially true with those who are raising their children on their own without getting any support from their partners. This is hard to take both financially and emotionally. So what can they do to survive it? Here are some tips that will help all the single parents out there.
1. Accept the situation
This is the first step in making it alive and stronger from this situation. Accepting the situation is easier for those who have actually chosen to raise their kids on their own without any support from their partners or to those who still receive support but are not living with their partners but for those whose partners turned their back on them, this is much harder to take. Some will even come to resent the responsibility for a time because after all, why should they be stuck with a child when their partners are living the easy life? But eventually reality will catch up with them. Once they learn to accept the situation and make the best out of it, they will begin to feel the situation becoming easier to handle.
2. Get help
In raising your child, you do not just need the support of your partner and if they dont want to take responsibility for the child, do not force the issue. Instead work on your relationships with your parents, relatives and friends. You can also get some help from the community. There are a lot of organizations out there that help single parents. Some offer free babysitting services or a free play group class for parents who need to work and have no one to leave their child with. Some organizations also provide financial help to single parents.
3. Share your experience
One of the ways to really survive single parenting is to share your experience with other single parents and be part of a community. Knowing that there are other parents out there who are also sharing your ordeal makes it easier for you to deal with it. Also, meeting other single parents is a great way to network and to find support. Some single parents who are part of a support group constantly help each other out through babysitting duties or carpools or even tutorial sessions. Actually, just knowing that you have people that you can rely on is reward enough for any single parent.
Single parenting is tough but it does not have to be hard. You just need to know how to deal with the situation.