| Single parents are parents that care for their children | | | | Nevertheless, single parenting involves understanding |
| without assistance from others in the home, though | | | | the other parent's legal and financial responsibilities, |
| legal definitions may vary according to local laws of | | | | clarifying custody as well as visitation rights, and in this |
| different states. Single parenting may be a result of | | | | regard, it pays to have the roles clearly defined legally |
| different factors, though often it is an option taken by | | | | so as to protect the child better. The single parent |
| the parent as in the case of adoption, artificial | | | | should also clarify his or her needs for support and |
| insemination, surrogate motherhood or pre-marital | | | | should not be afraid to ask for help. |
| pregnancy. | | | | Single parenting also means setting up daily rituals and |
| A Big Challenge | | | | regular routines and being consistent and dependable. |
| Single parenting can often be very challenging and | | | | To make single parenting easier, it is necessary to |
| single parents as well as their children often face | | | | forgive the other parent and not hold any grudge |
| stigma, violence and social problems. In addition, children | | | | against one who is absent. Not having a lot of money |
| of single parents often need to take on more | | | | need not be a big drawback as there is always the |
| responsibilities that also include looking after | | | | child close at hand; and material comforts and |
| themselves. Also, single parenting means discussing | | | | monetary wealth are but poor substitutes for the love |
| things with the children such as financial or family | | | | and time that single parenting affords while taking care |
| decisions, which in other families, are only discussed | | | | of the child. Single parenting also means giving as much |
| among parents. | | | | time and devotion as is reasonably possible without |
| Often, single parenting is a result of it being the best or | | | | setting impossible goals. Also, families do not need to |
| only option and despite media hype; it need not always | | | | be only biological, because the single parent can and |
| be bad news. It requires sorting out the difficult issues | | | | should surround himself and the child with friends that |
| of money, childcare as well as the relationship that the | | | | are trustworthy and who care about both of you. |
| single parent is in with the other parent of the child. | | | | It is also necessary to take responsibility for your own |
| Single parenting, contrary to popular opinion, is often a | | | | life by realizing that you are solely responsible for an |
| joy as it brings the parent closer to the child as well as | | | | innocent life too. It means not letting the child down or |
| gives more control to parent the child according to one | | | | holding him accountable for the actions over which he |
| parent's vision. | | | | never had any control. |