Addressing 6 Pressing Issues of Single Parenting

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Raising children is no easy job for parents. Now imagine this job being done only by one parent. Single parenthood may be the result of a divorce, spouse’s death or separation. Where single parenting has its negative aspects, it also comes with positive effects such as a stronger bond with the children. Moreover, it leads to the children becoming more mature and understanding responsibilities before time. This article sheds light on the single parenting issues. We will discover the social, emotional and economic issues which are attached with single parenthood.

1. Financial difficulties

With only one employed wage earner of the house, it becomes difficult to meet the financial demands of the family. The bigger the family size, the harder it becomes for the single parent to bring in enough income to satisfy every member’s needs. Be it a single mother or father, the burden to earn for an entire family single-handedly is a tough job, provided that they have to take care of the household duties simultaneously.

2. Parenting  quality

Being an only parent takes a lot of mental and physical energy. Putting in extra hours to work for some more money may lead to you missing your daughter’s parent-teacher meeting or her/his sports day. The parent’s absence can greatly affect the child’s relationship with him/her. If the cause of being a single parent is a divorce, then it is likely for the children to develop some kind of resentment toward the other parent.

Due to divorce, the other parent moves out, and the child finds it hard to adjust to these unusual circumstances. With minimal attention and care from the other parent, the child is bound to develop a sense of resentment towards them.

3. Emotional problems

Kids learn from what they see and are taught by their parents. Not experiencing a normal family with two parents who love each other affects the way children perceive the concept of love. Single parents’ children do not get to learn about the love between a husband and a wife and are hence faced with troubled and confused emotions in the future. The child can also suffer from self-esteem problems. All their lives, being denied the love of one parent can make them needy for affection and love. With the single parent being swamped working at more than one job to make ends meet, all the while, the child feels devoid of their parent’s love.

4. Loneliness

One of the major single parenting issues is of loneliness. A single parent may be successful to fight alone and provide for the family all by him/herself, but cannot fight away the feeling of loneliness that creeps up every night as they go to bed alone. Putting a heroic face on for the sake of their children, and to appear strong in the outside world is what every single parent does.

However, it is hard to shake off the constant feeling of loneliness which resides deep down in their hearts. Not having your life partner with you, to support and strengthen you can be damaging, but it is important for every single parent to have faith and continue living with strong willpower and determination.

5. Negligence

A single parent may try as hard as possible but cannot give a 100% to everything. It is true that if they focus more on the financial stability of the house, it would affect other factors, such as lack of attention to the children. Children feel neglected and may end up getting into drugs or even more harmful activities.

6. Lack of control

As the single parent is unable to be around the house all the time due to the load of work, they also tend to lose their touch of authority. It becomes difficult for the parent to run a strong ship at home with all the other burdens. As an outcome of this nagging issue of single parenting, children may start to make decisions on their own without consulting the parent.

Final take away

Raising a child as a single parent is rife with challenges. As a single parent, you struggle to manage several tasks and even take some hard decisions. But subsequently, with experience, you equip yourself with effective ways to overcome the obstacles in your role as a single parent. You learn to provide the most conducive environment and nurturing to your child, meeting the challenging issues of single parenting.