Throughout the country, and the world, millions of single moms raise successful, happy kids. Read on to see what two children have to say about life with a single mom.
“My mom has been a very important person in my life. She has taught me many things and has helped me whenever I needed help. She also helps me when I don’t know what to do. She is very loving and can be funny, too. My mom has taught me how to swim and how to ski and many other things. My mom even takes us on vacations. My mom is very special to me because my parents are divorced. My mom has a lot of energy to live, and I love every moment of it. This is how special my mom is to me.”
“My mom is a role model to me. She barely even yells. My mom is very friendly. She lets me have a lot of pets. I had trouble learning how to ride a bike. My mom wouldn’t let me give up. With a lot of help from her, I learned how to ride a bike. My mom supports me in all the sports I play. She is always cheering me on. My mom is a very hard working woman, and she is my role model.” As I read what these two children wrote about their moms and thought about my own professional experiences counseling single moms, I developed a list of parental behaviors that are essential for single moms.
Successful single moms:
Have a lot of “child” in them and enjoy doing fun things with their children
Avoid yelling and screaming at their children even after a stressful day
Enjoy teaching their children new things, which in turn help their kids feel more competent
Are nurturing and caring
Have a sense of humor
Are friendly with their children but stay in charge of their family
Act as their children’s cheerleader when they compete and perform, in and out of school
Know when to ask for professional help from a counselor when they’re stuck, worried or uncertain about how they’re handling a problem
Are not depressed, bitter and angry over the past
Take care of themselves because they know the whole family is dependent on their leadership, management and coping skills
Are effective disciplinarians so that their children are not only good listeners, but chip in to help with all the work that needs to be done at home
Set aside one-on-one time with each child to help him or her feel more special
Find time to participate in their own adult activities and interests
Raising children is a tough job, filled with many challenges, but all this gets multiplied tenfold when moms do it alone. I hope that these observations will help you succeed as a single mom.
**************************************************************************** I found another article (from ehow.com) wasn't that great so I won't post it but I though the difficulty level was funny! "How to Be a Confident Single Mom"
Difficulty: Moderately Challenging Instructions (there were 6 steps!)
Last edited by newmama; 06/24/1010:50 PM.
me,34 exH,34 S,16 months S:3/31/09-left for OW started DBing 10/09 d final: sometime 10/10 current: http://www.divorcebusting.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2022856&page=1 met in 2004
