Personal circumstances, divorce, abandonment, even death, leaves the remaining custodial parent having to cope with the challenging role of being the care-giver, nurturer and role-model meant for a partnership of two. It can be overwhelming, wonderful and tough – all at once, however, it does come with the many rewards and joys our children bring us.
Few parents are really prepared for dealing with the aftermath of the loss or ‘departure’ of a partner, or having to take on the task of a single parent, regardless of the cause.
Often feelings of desperation, feeling overwhelmed and stressed out, are most common. Single parenting demands are nothing to snuff at, they can seem like insurmountable challenges on any given day!
THEY ARE NOT TO BE UNDERESTIMATED… The challenges are very real!
Luckily, so are the rewards. Yes, there are two sides to this coin…
YOU CAN BE A SUCCESSFUL SINGLE PARENT AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR CHILDREN’S LIVES!
Here are just some of the major, initial challenges most single parents face :
- Coping with loss (of a partner, lover, friend and fellow-parent)
- Assuming additional roles and responsibilities (being everything to everyone)
- Enabling and adjusting to the new role and circumstances
- Providing continuity and avoiding disruption for the children and family
- Helping children cope with the situation, loss and circumstance
- Dealing and coping with own emotions and changed conditions
- Battling societal prejudice and stigma of single-parent homes and care-giving
- Adequate care and fostering the needs of the children
- Maintaining self-confidence in the eyes and judging of others (stereotyping)
- Feelings of doubt, low self-esteem and inadequacy
- Balancing effective parenting with career (work/home) life
- Time and financial constraints
- Dealing with the rest of the family, step family, new romantic interests, dating and support networks
Here are some of the strategies that can help you right away as a single parent on this road/path/journey ahead:
- Learn to speak WITH your children not AT them
- Loving, consistent discipline with tough rules that matter and are the same day-to-day, providing security in uncertainty are essential – communicate and execute them well in all that you do and attempt
- Clear communication and firm decision-making will lead the way for your new family unit.
- Multi-tasking and managing many different tasks, roles and responsibilities all alone and sometimes all at once too!
- Making every second count and working SMARTER… not HARDER!
- Doing more with less really counts!
- Being a committed parent EVERY MOMENT and taking complete responsibility for the attention and care of the children
- YOU DO NOT HAVE TO GO/TRY IT ALONE! Use and call on support, reaching out to others will keep you sane.
This societal reality we refer to as SINGLE PARENTING can be highly intricate and quite complex. It deals with social, emotional and even economic pressures that need continuous support and attention.
Plan for the future for both you and your children by ensuring that your financially secure. Contact one of our financial advisors today so that you can review your finances and have peace of mind knowing that you and your children’s future is secure.
Original Article: http://childdevelopmentinfo.com
