Single parenting is defined as a situation where one parent is doing the upbringing of the child or children alone. Hence u hear things like “He was raised by a single mom or a single dad” This may be due to certain factors such as one parent being late. Another factor could emerge when there is a divorce. It could also be as a result of the absence of one parent travelling….or even both parents being around yet busy for the kids.
We must at this point understand that taking care of children is a huge responsibility and it is no “child’s play”. Children are gifts from God regardless of the time or form or situation in which they came to their respective parents and as such deserve all the goodies that come with life. Let us acknowledge that the kids through no fault of theirs came through the parents they came to.
Single parenting can be very tough. The thing is even when the two parties come together to raise the kids it’s not easy to talk of one playing the role of both mum and dad. We must at this point commend and appreciate all the single parents out there. They are doing a really good job. They get stressed emotionally at certain points and get weak. They clearly need support from partners or supporting parties as family and some cool friends.
Single parents go through a lot of things. They go through emotional challenges. Sometimes they have issues they will want to be addressed and at that time if it’s a woman she wishes the dad of the child or children will take over but unfortunately they don’t get that and it affects them greatly.
Sometimes that single parent can be busy and the kid will want to play and one will wish the other was there to play with the kids but that isn’t happening and so the parent will either have to brush off the child to go ahead doing what he or she is doing, but it’s nice when your child wants bonding by playing. Sometimes the stress they go through make some single parents send their anger and frustration to their kids who haven’t done anything.
At other times you will get these single parents going through a lot of psychological traumas. It takes few single parents to stand up for themselves. They break down mentally. Sometimes they suffer rejection and finger-pointing from society and that takes a toll on them because sometimes it’s no fault of theirs that their children have to end up that way.
Where children are two or more, it takes a toll on their finances. This even gets bad or worse when the other party is around but not supporting financially. It makes the party taking care of the children suffer. Always having to plan and putting the kids above their own needs. They mostly look drained. Some even end up looking unkept because they have had to spend all the kids without taking care of themselves.
It even gets toughest or worst when the child or children get sick and they have to be in the hospital. The stress involved in taking them, the finances and sometimes if you aren’t lucky and they are hospitalized and you don’t have family and friends around to support you with that. It can be that frustrating for the parent.
Sometimes in their quest to find partners that will support them, they end up with partners that are worse and add sore to injury. We hear of stepfathers raping their stepkids or molesting them sexually and we also hear of stepmothers who harm a lot of their partner’s children. Making a decision concerning the partner to support them raise their kids most often than not is a great challenge to such people because they may have to consider their children’s well-being and happiness first before theirs.
Single parents sometimes face the problem of discrimination from society. We must note that it is not every time that the parent doing this single parenting did wrong to end up being a single parent, sometimes they are just victims of circumstance.
The best we can as family, friends, and colleagues do to help our persons that are single parents is to stop judging and gossiping about them. Give them a helping hand as and when we can. It means we should also pray and talk to them when presented with an opportunity. Life is hard. Life happens and life is real. Let us not stress such ones with our attitudes. Single parenting is a big deal. They are the real heroes. They assume a double role for their kids. God bless them
We pray that the Lord will give all single parents FRESH HOPE always to keep up the charge or responsibility they are faced with. This is all they need and may their children make them smile always and make them proud. Most of us have been victims of this circumstance. Let’s help others and the Lord will bless us!
Written by © Benjamin Freshhope Mensah
