Single mom fathers day
1 Adjusting to Life as a single mother: Accepting how you got here- There are nearly as many ways to wind up a single parent as there are single parents out there. Some of you are single parents by choice; you’ve given birth to or adopted a child on your own. You are probably more prepared for this than some of the other single moms out there, because you entered into this state willingly. Others are single parents because your husband or partner has died. You will need to take special care of yourself and your children for awhile, because you may not have been prepared to be alone, and you certainly did not choose to be parenting alone. Your children are dealing with grief and missing their father, and you are missing your partner. Healing takes time and you must give your whole family the time they need to adjust to your new circumstances. Most of you are here through divorce or the break up of a long term relationship. Your children’s father may or may not be involved in their lives, and he may or may not help support them financially. But, certainly, you have realized that the bulk of the child rearing falls to you. You may need to negotiate with your children’s father about the role he will - and will not- play in their lives. You may have to decide whether it’s even appropriate for him to be involved, depending upon your circumstances. So, regardless of how you became a single mother, you have a lot on your plate. You’ll have many decisions ahead about your child’s welfare, and you’ll have to make them alone, for the most part. And, you may be resentful that you’re suddenly in this parenting thing alone; if that’s not how you intended it to be. But, you can’t change the past. It’s time to live in the present and make a great life for you and your child(ren). You can do it - you can thrive at it, in fact! Let go of the past and any negative feelings you have about becoming a single parent and get on with it. One thing you should always remember when you feel down - you’ll get a lot of respect from a lot of people for raising children alone. Anyone who’s been a parent knows that it’s not easy, whether you’re part of a couple or doing it on your own. And, most people will respect you for the hard work you’re doing. And, a few years from now, the people who will respect you the most are those children you’re raising.
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