Many of the single parenting challenges take years to fully master and to diminish their possible negative consequences while others are just a matter of better time management or of adopting a positive attitude towards life.
One of the most common problems that families with a single parent are facing is a low income. Taking into account that in a traditional family usually there are two parents working and balancing financial difficulties, the money a single parent makes barely covers the basic necessities. So that, in many cases single parents will try to get a second job and as a consequence will have less time to spend with his/her children, not to mention that the stress and pressure experienced are doubled. A real aid in such a situation can be child support, but this is not always the case.
There is also the challenge of deciding who has custody of the children, either full or joint, when divorce is involved. And there is always the problematic nature of two divorced parents' relationship after the papers are finalized. The two parents need to work on building a friendship based on honesty and support while avoiding power struggles for the sake of their children.
All these aspects, taking the parents out of the equation, impact the child's lifestyle in a way that may be brutal and emotionally painful. To begin with, the child may be too small to understand why his/her parents live separately all of a sudden or why he/she has to comply with absurd rules such as visiting hours. A messy divorce will always have casualties and, unfortunately, the children are always marked long-term. They can develop feelings of anger, sadness and a low self-esteem, problems with socializing or emotional attachment as a result.
Generally, family responsibilities are shared in a traditional family scenario, but with only one parent in charge of everything, things can get really hectic. So that, without the help of close relatives babysitting or of a full time nanny, practically a single parent will encourage his/her children to take on responsibilities sooner than others normally would. Chances are that they will mature faster and will try to reach independence at an earlier age.
Abigail Simmons is Author of Positive Parenting Secrets Book. She has helped many parents solve their parenting problem using her practical positive parenting techniques. To learn more about her parenting tips and techniques, please visit http://www.101ParentingResources.com
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