Are you among the single-parent family taking care of your child alone? Being a parent is quite a difficult job, but being a single parent could be even more tedious and stressful?
A single parent can be compared to a weighing scale constantly trying to balance a variety of tasks.The problems faced by single parents and their children are numerous. Some of these are:
1. Financial problems
Single-parent familiesoften face a lot of financial issues. They find it difficult to make ends meet since the single parent has to pay for all the expenses of running the house, raising the child, and fulfilling the educational costs.
Children forcefully change their lifestyles to line withsingle parents’means. Children often complain that they do not get all the extras their friends who have two parents get. They might also feel ashamed or abandoned.
Single parents might get desperate financially and begin thinking things like “could Ipawn my car” to make ends meet, which is a short-term and stressful situation to be in.
2. Juggling between work and family
Single parent familyhas a hard time trying to juggle between their professional and personal life. They have to fulfill the responsibilities of both parents. They must do house chores, help children with assignments and spend quality time with them.
Also, single parents might have to work long hours to make enough income which further reduces the time available to interact with their children. Due to this, parents also overreact to petty things making kids feel miserable.
3. Psychological problems for children
Children belonging to single-parent families often face a lot of physiological issues. They usually do not socialize with other people and exhibit a bitter attitude. They may also feel ashamed and have low self-esteem compared to other children in the same age group.
Also, children find it difficult to adjust to the new circ*mstances in the family. Many children feel lonely. Health issues are also quite common among such children due to the lack of finances or proper care.
4. Education
The findings of many studies indicate that the drop-out ratio of single-parent children is quite high. These children have a high rate of absenteeism in school which affects their studies quite seriously.
Such children then engage in the wrong kind of things. Children, especially teenagers, indulge in taking drugs and alcohol. This makes their other life miserable.
5. Sense of loss and feeling of loneliness
The feeling of a sense of loss and loneliness is experienced both by the single parent and the children, whether forsingle-parentfamily status, divorce, death, or abandonment. A single parent might feel that they are carrying the weight of all responsibilities on their shoulders, but the children are equally burdened owing to the new and drastically changed life.
The Way Out
Although the stress of single parents is unavoidable, one should learn to cope with these stresses to lead a peaceful and harmonious life.
- Single parents should form a close bond with their children and spend quality time with them.
- They should inquire about how they spent their day and if they are facing any issues or stress.
- Single parents should never try to find their missing partner in the child.
- They should always encourage their children to complete their education and partake in extracurricular activities.
Last Updated on by hamna
