The cost of being a parent and raising a child in todays world is constantly increasing. The risk of your child becoming involved in problem behaviour is also greater. Parents must work together as a team to ensure the brightest future for their children. But what if there is no team. No other person to rely upon. This is what millions of single parents deal with everyday. But it is not only the parent who sees this as a gloomy situation. Children are quite often left thinking that they are the reason for a separation or divorce. It is the child who must attend father and son day at school without a dad. They have to grow up with all the stigma attached to coming from a "broken home". These are just a few of the many potential problems that a single parents household are faced with. This article is aimed at providing single parents with some strategies for raising a good child despite what other people may say.
Concentrate on the positives
Although it may be impossible to see at first, there are some positives for single parents. The main one being less fighting, bickering and tension around the house. This will benefit your child in the long run as it becomes a more child friendly environment. Try to see your situation as a new found freedom and feeling of independence.
Develop a new relationship with your child
A child must obviously be comforted at such a time, but also made to see that you are the boss. Do not let your child think that because there is now only one parent around, they can do whatever they please. Children need rules and routine, regardless of how many parents are around.
Ask for help if you need it
Suddenly single parents will probably find that their workload doubles or triples at first. If your children are old enough, be sure to set them some chores around the house each day to take the pressure off yourself a little. Speak to other parents as much as you can. You will be surprised how often they will be happy to help out. It may just be taking your child to the movies or to a sports game on a Saturday morning, but every little bit helps. Above all, don't feel as though you have to do absolutely everything on your own.
Do not use your children for emotional support
Children need to have fun, play with their friends and enjoy their youth. Do not become overly possessive of your child or look to them for emotional support. This quite often leads to the child feeling as overwhelmed as you are. Although you may not be ready for another romantic relationship, try to talk to other adults about your emotions.
Kids react best to routine
In order to create a stable household envirnonment with children, their must be rules and routine. Simple things like having dinner at the same time each night, bed time, homework time etc... If you can provide a schedule for them, they will feel a sense of security. Of course, the correct dosage of attention and affection will also provide and sustain a nuturing environment, but a combination of the two will always work best.
Don't forget about you
For single parents with a house full of kids and only one parent to do all the work and all the worrying, it may be easy to forget about ones self. It is crutial to the well-being of your children, that you stay healthy. If you feel run down, ask another parent or relative to mind the kids for a night or two. Try to remember the things you enjoy doing and dedicate a little bit of your time to do these things. The way a parent feels is quite often reflected in a child. If you are stressed out all the time, then this may directly or indirectly affect your child. So, try to stay calm around the kids when you can. Take a deep breath, or wait until the kids are out of the car before you start screaming!
Try to remember that it is all about quality not quantity. There are many two parnet households out their that are doing a much worse job than yourself. Just beacause a parent finds themsleves on their own, doesn't mean that things won't work out. Remember, not just anyone can run a house, raise kids and do a thousand other things all at once. Give yourself a pat on the back once in a while. You have a lot to be proud of. Best of luck to you!
About The Author
Article written by Sarah Mitchell of namestobe.com. Article free for reprint as long as this info box is present and all hyperlinks remain active.
Baby names and meanings at namestobe.com.
Single parenting at namestobe.com.
monthly home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..Paula's last child had just gone off to college and... Read More
Get into their world. The world that teens are growing... Read More
Some people can concentrate on an assignment, to the exclusion... Read More
The biggest complaint you hear from parents about their children... Read More
John Bishop's Goal Setting for Students.comLegacy to Your ChildrenIt's 6:30... Read More
My son is 6 yrs old. He came home the... Read More
I thought I was the only one in the world... Read More
We all scream for ice cream. Or, we don't, at... Read More
Ever feel like you're out of the loop when it... Read More
This is the third and final article in a series... Read More
Below is a copy of our eating program for Attention... Read More
10 Fun Things You Can Do With Your Children this... Read More
Do you know what these famous people have in common?Alexander... Read More
Depending on where you live school will be starting this... Read More
Q. Things have been relatively calm and OK with our... Read More
Successful parents have learned to be both firm and kind... Read More
I really like all natural remedy for Attention Deficit Disorder... Read More
We all want to comfort our children after they suffer... Read More
Frankly, as a single parent of young children, I struggled.... Read More
After giving up my profession to become a wife, a... Read More
Emotional OverloadMany single parents say they deal with a variety... Read More
When my daughter was born, I must admit there was... Read More
Not Letting Them Think.We all implicitly know that anything questioning... Read More
When my oldest daughter was born, I walked the floor... Read More
Even if your teenagers do not use drugs, you still... Read More
scheduled maid service Mundelein ..I remember when my daughter was born, later my son.... Read More
Chaim Ginott was a schoolteacher whose ideas and observations helped... Read More
So you're going to become a father. Now is not... Read More
It's been raining for a week and the kids and... Read More
In a single dose of children's television, I was bombarded... Read More
It was at that time when our marriage was falling... Read More
Working with adults (as well as children and teens) for... Read More
Life is comprised of pieces of time sprinkled with pivotal... Read More
Sitting by her Pinocchio lamp, she smiled at me as... Read More
Lead is one of the most dangerous toxins a person... Read More
Using 14 "at" Flashcards To Teach Reading:This exercise helps your... Read More
During one "generation gap" quarrel with his parents young Michael... Read More
In the last few years, parents started getting more and... Read More
There are several treatment options available to help improve the... Read More
Not many things are more upsetting than discovering that your... Read More
Volunteering together is a fantastic way to spend time as... Read More
One fantastic way to get your children involved in what... Read More
'How can I start getting my children to help out... Read More
'I felt great until I walked into the classroom -... Read More
Finding out that a child has been born with a... Read More
From the book Spider's Night on the BoomI've only begun... Read More
Learning obedience is an important part of child development. This... Read More
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is making... Read More
The key to a successful car wash fundraiser event is... Read More
Being a single mother is no easy task. I know.... Read More
Parenting |