Being a single parent: The opportunities and challenges

There are many reasons why a parent can be single and raising their family on their own. A single parent may be the mother, it may be the father or sometimes, it may be a grandparent raising their grandchildren.

There are many opportunities when a person is a single parent. These include the following:

• A single parent is the only person in control of their own house and family, there will be no arguments or misunderstandings about the decisions being made.

• A single parent will have no one to challenge their parenting skills or undermine their authority or approach to a family issue.

• A single parent may grow to have a strong bond with the child/children.

However there are challenges to being a single parent. These include the following:

• A single parent may get stressed as there is only one income and it may not be enough to pay all that needs to be paid in the home.

• A single parent may find it difficult going out and spending time with friends as there may be no one close by to look after the child/children.

• A single parent can feel isolated and alone if they live far away from family who could help out with the child/children.

• A single parent can feel overwhelmed at times dealing with all of the decisions and this may cause worry or stress that not all the decisions made are the correct ones.