Very few people conceive a child planning to enter the world of single parenting, yet single parenting occurs in many more families than you might realize. It is never easy to raise a child alone, but if you follow a few simple guidelines, you will find it much easier to cope with the unique issues of single parenting.
You Are A Parent
Sometimes in the world of single parenting, the emphasis is on the single more than on the parenting. It is very easy to feel lonely when you don’t have a partner to share an adult conversation or a romantic relationship with. It is very easy for that loneliness to cause you to make poor dating decisions that affect your children’s lives.
Your children need to come first in your life. That doesn’t mean that you can’t date, but it does mean that you need to be very choosy when it comes to picking dates. Don’t date a person, even for fun, that you wouldn’t potentially want to be involved with your kids. That means that if someone is involved in a lifestyle that comes with baggage such as debt, drugs, alcohol, or even an opposing religious belief system, you can’t afford to introduce that person to your kids.
When you do find someone that you are interested in dating, make sure you are slow to introduce that person to your kids. If you introduce your children on the first date and then decide you don’t want to date that person again, you could be confusing your children. It is hard for kids to have a constant stream of adult figures in and then out of their lives, so make sure that you have a solid foundation with someone before you introduce them to your children.
Build A Support Network
Single parenting means that you don’t have a partner to lean on. You have to take care of your children, discipline them, support them financially, be their confidant, shoulder to cry on, and maid. You don’t get a break and you don’t get to tag team parent. To be successful at single parenting, it is vital that you build a support network. Find people to trade babysitting with. Have backups for babysitting in case one sitter’s plans fall through. Enlist family members to participate in activities with your kids. Grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles can all coach teams, help plan birthday parties, or even help with homework.
It is also important to build a support network of other adults that understand the challenges of single parenting. Having other adults to talk to can give you the help you need to get through the rough times.
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