Surviving As A Single Parent: Seven Simple Suggestions To Make Your Life Easier
By Danielle
Hollister
1 - Forgive even if you will never be able to Forget -
Let go of grudges you may hold against your child’s other
parent, who is absent from BOTH of your lives. Holding onto
feelings of anger will not change your situation and will
probably consume a great deal of your energy - energy you
need to devote to creating a positive environment for your
child. If you dwell on your disappointment with and/or dislike
of the father or mother of your child - chances are your child
will sense your feelings and suffer in some way from your
negative attitude.
2 - Make the most of everything you have -
Even if you do not have a lot of
money, you do have your child and your love and your time
to give to him or her. Try to remember that monetary wealth
and material possessions are not the most important items
in your child’s life. Your love, support and time together
mean much more to them. You can have fun for free. Activities
like - going for a walk or a bike ride, playing at the park,
coloring, painting, singing, or dancing - will thrill your
child just as much as spending money to go to an amusement
park, an arcade or a toy store.
3 - Be the best parent you can possibly be -
Give as much as you can without setting goals that are
unrealistic for one parent to achieve. Don’t beat yourself
up for what cannot be. Do recognize what you can do to create
a good life for your child to the best of your abilities.
4 - Develop a network of reliable resources - Families
are not biological.
Surround yourself and your child with friends you know
and trust - people who care about both of you. “Aunts” and
“Uncles” and even “Grandparents,” who are not blood-related
can be just as beneficial to your child as actual biological
family members. The “family” you create for your child can
provide him or her with the same kind of love and support
as a traditional family. They can also help you with your
responsibilities as a single parent. Let them play an active
role in your child’s life. Learn to turn to your “family”
when you need a break. Nobody should have to go it alone and
you will probably be able to be a better parent by relying
on your “family” of close friends to support you and your
child.
5 - Take responsibility for your life today -
Remember whatever lead you to where you are today, you
are responsible for another life - the innocent life of a
child, who didn’t ask to be born. Your child is not responsible
for the experiences or events that made you become a single
parent. Your child is completely dependent upon you through
no choice of their own. Don’t let them down or hold them accountable
for your actions (or the actions of their absent parent).
They are powerless and vulnerable to the possibly less-than-ideal
consequences they face as the child of a single parent. Your
role and influence in their life is paramount to their chances
of becoming a happy, productive, successful adult. They need
you more than their words will ever tell.
6 - Set up daily rituals and regular routines -
Your child needs stability and security. One way to provide
this is by developing a daily routine. Simple things like
- going to the park every Sunday afternoon, eating dinner
together each night, sharing a treat before nap time or reading
a book together before bed every night, will become activities
that your child looks forward to and can count on to occur
with regularity.
7 - Be consistent and dependable -
Create realistic rules and a standard
of discipline that you stick to all the time. If you’re consistent
with your child, he or she will learn what is acceptable behavior
and what is not. They will also learn what you expect from
them and what they can expect from you. If you’re dependable,
they will know that they can always count on you to help them
with their homework, be there for dinner or tuck them in bed
at night. They have to be able to depend on you. You’re the
most important person in their life. Try to remember that
no matter how tired you are at the end of the day or how frustrated
you may become when they’re fussy - They need you to be there
for them. You should cherish every moment with your child
- they are the best blessings on earth.
Resource Box - © Danielle Hollister (2004)
Danielle Hollister is the Quotations Editor at BellaOnline
and Publisher of BellaOnline Quotations Zine http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art8364.asp
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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