"Single Parenting: How The Challenge Of Single Parenting Affects
Your Decision To Divorce."
Single parenting has seemingly become an acceptable norm which
is unfortunate. According to the US Census Bureau, there were
over 20 million single parents in the United States in the year
2000. That's a staggering statistic, certainly the worldwide
number of people who are challenged with single parenting is
exponentially higher.
When making a divorce decision and you have children, its
natural to wonder about the challenges of single parenting and
how it will affect your children. You may have seen other people
struggle with single parenting or thought about the strain
single parenting would seemingly put on you and your children.
Single Parenting Is Easier If You Know Yourself.
When deciding about getting a divorce and thinking about how
single parenting figures in, make sure that you know yourself.
Ask yourself if you're really ready to get divorced and if you
can overcome the fear or challenge of single parenting. Don't be
hasty with your decision, who knows? Maybe your marriage can be
saved! Then again, maybe not.
Know yourself...know whether or not you're thinking of single
parenting solely to take something away from your
spouse...clearly a selfish and useless reason to be a single
parent. Know whether or not you can adequately be a single
parent based on your inner strength, work ethic, tendencies
towards being overly busy, etc.
Single parenting is tough, what you may be able to take for
granted as a married person will be gone if you're thinking of
trying single parenting. Chances are if you're thinking of
trying single parenting, you won't have much time at all for
yourself...in essence, your 'self' will be all about your
children. Know whether you're really ready for this...after all
your children deserve the best care possible!
Single Parenting Is Easier If You Know Your Children. Yes, you
have to really know your children...you have to know how they'll
respond to a plethora of changes if you're going to try single
parenting. How will they respond to not seeing your spouse - Mom
or Dad - as often? How will your children react to having to be
dropped off at your ex-spouses house for visitation? How will
the children feel about potentially not enjoying the same
luxuries or attention that they may have had previously? Of
course, there's more questions to ask to fit your particular
situation...keep your children's best interest at heart.
You absolutely must know your children in order to be
comfortable about trying single parenting. Granted, it won't be
easy and there will be rocky points in the process, but if you
know your children well enough single parenting can be
productive assuming your marriage cannot be saved. In any event,
your children most likely will have to sacrifice if you're going
to try single parenting.
Single Parenting Will Be Easier If You Review Your Finances And
Plan Accordingly.
Whether the concept is shallow or not is irrelevant. Finances
(or lack thereof) figure in to your decision to venture into
single parenting. Take a hard look at what your finances will
allow for if you're thinking of becoming a single parent. You
must not let emotion completely rule your decision to try single
parenting. In order to do what's best for you and your children,
you need to assess just how you'll make ends meet and how you'll
provide for them...and yourself!
Be sensible and take a good amount of time to figure out how
you'll live, where the money will come from, how your own
freedoms will be compromised, and more importantly, how your
children's freedoms will be affected!
If you have a well laid out plan with regards to finance before
you start single parenting, you will be much better off.
Single parenting is hard and your children will be affected no
matter how well off you are in your life with regards to finance
and support mechanisms. But, unfortunately, single parenting can
be a necessary thing to do in some instances. Just do right by
your children and yourself and think about the future and how
you can build your life correctly before you venture into single
parenting.