Raising a child, even in this modern day and era, is quite a task! Let alone, raising them single handedly.
But before we move on to tell you, the truth about why being a single mom is hard:
Let me reassure you that all the struggles, all the ups and downs are worth it by the end of the day. You may think you aren’t doing enough for your children, but for them you are their number one hero. So stay strong and carry on!
1. You are their everything
Yeah, that’s amazing until you have to dress them up, feed them, drive them around, teach them, earn for them, shop for them, cheer for them, worry for them and whole lotta bunch of tasks, all on your own!
2. You need backup
Not the sort of backup, who would take care of your little ones while you work or enjoy some ME time. But the sort who would back YOU up, when you argue with the tiny 4-year old, who wants to lick dust off the window sills. That is when you actually realize that being a single mom is hard!
3. You are the sole in-charge
Well, it’s bearable till all we are talking about are tasks that you are in charge of, such as feeding, cooking, earning, laundering, driving… (and the list goes on and on). Until he uses a swear word. Boy, not only is your little one in trouble, but so are you. This is by far one of the hardest moments of being a single parent. Because there is no one around to be blamed for the glitches, but you!
4. You have all the decision making power
Sounds promising, but not when you have to make every major to minor decision of their life, all by yourself. From choosing schools, friends, responsibilities, luxuries to what food to order at the restaurant or what clothes to shop for them. This rapid decision making brings, with itself, a whole lot of stress and makes you want to wish for a decision making hat, which would suggest appropriate decisions on its own and for once in a while, rid you off this tedious task.
5. You are their finance manager too
Well, even if your partner pays child allowance, you are to make sure that you have enough balance to pay for their college fee, installments for life insurance and everyday needs and luxuries, apart from the usual bills that include rent, electricity, traveling etc. Yes, being a single mom is hard, especially when you have to make ends meet, financially!
6. You need to strike a balance between work and home
When you have a job and notorious kids to look after, all on your own, it is hard to strike a balance. Especially when you have a meeting due in five, and you get a call from day care that your kid has either forgotten something really important or has fallen sick. This is what you call, double duty calling.
7. You have to work double the hours
Not in the office, but at home as well! Especially when you have 2 or more kids. Sometimes it gets even trickier when both kids need you at the same time. Like when your younger one needs to use the toilet while the considerably older one needs to be fed. In a usual case you would have called out your partner and made sure he took care of one of the tasks, while you handled the other. But, not here!
8. You have to look after all the dirty business, as well
No one tells you, being a mom is going to be THIS hard. Like handling all the toilet sessions aren’t dirty enough that you have to now handle all the emergencies as well. That too all on your own. From nasty vomits, bleeding gums, knee scrapes, wiggly tooth to all the playtime injuries. You have no choice but to handle everything that your stomach can handle and beyond!
9. The group errands
With motherhood comes the duty of running errands, but with being a single parent comes the duty of running group errands. Every time you have to go grocery shopping or visit a doctor, you will have sweet little company, with you. In fact, consider yourself lucky if you can go to the toilet in peace!
10. That GUILT
Well, harder than all, the guilt that you have to go through each time, is unbearable. Every time, something bad happens, you know its either due to YOUR lack of attention, seriousness or care. The guilt deepens by each passing hour and you can do nothing about it. Who knew being a single parent could bring in so much trouble, for the heart.
Indeed, being a single mom is hard. It has both its ups and downs, but in the end, it is worth every second. From all the grunt work, double duty-ing, financing to taking blame for everything that goes wrong, everything is worth it, when your little one hugs you to sleep, every night.
You may not have that one partner you wanted to spend the rest of your life with, but you have everything beyond that. You have kids that are always going to love you and respect you for all that you do.
And the guilt, well that’s human nature. It comes and it goes. Pay too much head to it and you’re in trouble.
So sit back, relax and raise those kids right, because you can!
Lots of love and respect to all the single parents out there!
