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Study: Kids Raised by Single Moms do as Well as Kids Raised by Two Parents

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A study that was published by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology found that children of single mothers are no more likely to suffer later in life than kids raised by a mother and a father “in terms of parent-child relationship or child development.” Researchers from the University of Amsterdam looked at 69 “single-mothers-by-choice.” By that, they meant women who knowingly chose to raise their child alone. The researchers also looked at 59 mothers from heterosexual two-parent families. All of the parents in the study had children between the ages of 1.5 years of age and 6 years … Continue reading →

Single Parenting is Not Glamorous

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I’ve read many studies that say the rise in single parenting is also influencing the rise in teenage pregnancy. To many young girls single parenting looks glamorous, from the outside. Teenage girls who can’t wait to get away from their parents see pregnancy as an out and when they see lots of women raising their kids alone, they think it’s not a big deal. Not only is single parenting a big deal, single, teenage parenting is a huge deal. Many times the single mothers they see are established in their careers, they have a strong financial base, they also have … Continue reading →

Reach Out To Other Single Parents

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Recently there was a story in the news about three small children being abandoned in a vacant shed where other homeless people were living. The children were all under three years old. This got me thinking about the really dark side of single parenting. For most of us single parenting is a challenge but it is not impossible. We have the support of friends and family, our ex’s are involved with our children and we are able to financially keep our heads above water, at least most of the time.. This is not the case for all single mothers. Some … Continue reading →

Mothers Helping Mothers

As a single mother there are often times when we find ourselves in a bind, after all there is only one of us. It isn’t uncommon for our schedules to require us to be in three places at once. While this may seem physically impossible, somehow we manage. At times we have no other choice than to enlist the help of those around us. As much as we’d like to, there are times when we simply can’t do it all by ourselves. Many years ago, when my mother was at the beginning of her journey as a single parent, she … Continue reading →

Single Parenthood for the Rich and Famous

Isn’t it nice to know that Madonna struggles as a single parent too? Excuse me while I go in the other room and scream! I may be a little bitter about it but if I hear one more extremely wealthy woman complain about how hard it is to juggle single motherhood and her career I think my head is going to explode. I wonder how many nights Madonna has walked the floor with a teething infant or been woken up multiple times by a toddler with night terrors and then had to take that same tired, cranky child to daycare … Continue reading →

Finishing College as a Single Parent

Getting an education is crucial to attaining independence as a single parent. Without it you can never make enough money to be completely financially stable. After a divorce the thought of going back to school can be daunting. Chances are you are working full time just trying to make enough to keep food on the table as it is. You may be afraid of the added expense of going to school. However, going to college doesn’t have to be expensive. There are lots of government grants and scholarships specifically designed to help single mothers go back to school. Going back … Continue reading →

Differences Between Mothers And Fathers

As a mother, I often catch myself telling my husband what to do with our baby. Of course, the decisions I make concerning parenting are the best possible choices, and he could only benefit from hearing my advice, right? Most women are born with a strong motherly instinct. To many of us, caring for children comes naturally. As youngsters, many girls gravitate toward playing with dolls, caring for stuffed animals, and preparing meals for toys. As young teenagers, many become interested in babysitting. As mothers, especially breastfeeding mothers, we are often the primary caregivers for our infants. There’s no doubt … Continue reading →

A Single Mother’s Struggle

For most of my life, I didn’t think I would be a parent. I lived the single life to the best of my ability during my twenties. I was 28 years old when I found out that I was pregnant. I wasn’t married to my son’s father and knew that we would not build a life together. I made the decision to become a single mother. I decided that from the moment my son was born, I would base all of my decisions on what was best for my child. I have done that for the past few years. Everything … Continue reading →

Beyond Gender—The Realities of Single Parenting

One of the inevitable realities of a single parent household is that life gets lived beyond gender stereotypes. A single parent does it all—regardless of what is considered a “traditional” job assigned to a “traditional” gender role. We cook and clean and whip out our tool boxes to fix bicycles and make home repairs. Our children do get to grow up in a world that goes beyond gender stereotypes. I really do think this is a good thing. My kids have done the bulk of their growing up in circumstances that have taught them that, at least at mom’s house, … Continue reading →

Recommended Books for Single Parents

Being a single parent comes with unique challenges. I know when I went through my divorce I had far more questions than I did answers. Sure, I would talk to friends and family but I discovered some great books. What I liked about these books was that in addition to helping me through a difficult divorce, they also helped me learn who I was as a single parent. The result was growing stronger and wiser, while being a better parent. For me, I look for books that are what I call “reader friendly”. There is nothing worse than picking up … Continue reading →