Being a single parent can feel daunting, but it is important to know that you are not alone. In fact, being a single parent is now more common than ever. Raising a child together with someone is beneficial in that neither person is left with all of the responsibility involved in raising that child. But when that is taken away, it can feel stressful to be solely responsible.
Not only that, most single-parent families have lower income, increasing the challenges that can come with juggling work and childcare. Also, not having that parental figure (mother or father) in the child’s life can have a drastic effect on the child’s development if the right amount of love and care is not shown to the child.
Here are a few things that you can do as a single parent to help improve your ability to raise your child in a single-parent home.
Lean on Others in Your Life
Just because you are a single parent does not mean that you are alone in raising your child. When at all possible, lean on family members or friends. Have them babysit or schedule a carpool with other parents. Have those loved ones in your life to help take some of the pressure off of you.
This is especially good for the child because they will then get some of that guiding love and attention from someone other than you. They learn examples from those friends and family members that help out and will get positive experiences that will help shape them into their adult years.
Enforce the Rules
It is important that your child know what the limitations within the household are and how to follow them. Make sure that if a rule is broken, you enforce the consequences. If they continue to be bad, try to take a toy away or restrict access to something. This will show your child that you are serious about following the rules.
When there are no consequences to their actions, kids will find it easier to break the rules and to push the boundaries. Showing them clearly where the boundaries are will help them stay within those limits and avoid pushing the line in negative ways. Consequences don’t have to be major but they do have to establish to your child that the line is here and that they need to stay behind it.
