Being a single parent is never easy, but neither is being a parent in general. Your kids become the centre of your existence and it’s difficult to ever imagine yourself without them. But the greatest part of being a single parent is that you become an example to your children. You show them that no matter how hard life gets, you can always make it on your own.
Sure the struggle on most days is difficult, but you never have to be dependent on anyone. You authority will never be undermined and you’ll get all the credit in the years to come because your kids are a result of all the hard work and difficult days that you put into your family. So while it’s easy to point out the pains of being a single parent, here’s a list of the 10 best things about being a singe parent!
10. YOUR Choice
Want to put your kids to bed at nine? Your choice. Want to feed them cheese four days of the week? Your choice. Want to enroll your daughter in kickboxing class? Your choice.
The best thing about being a single parent is that you can do what you want to do when it comes to your children, without having to listen to someone else’s opinion.
9. YOU decide
How nice is it to be able to call the shots? As a single parent, you don’t have to consult someone else or wait until someone else comes home before making a decision. You’re the only one responsible for your kids’ welfare and you’re the only one who decides what’s right or wrong for them.
Granted, you may not always make the right decisions, but at least they’re yours and you’ll learn from them. That’s always better than having to do what someone else wants because you want to avoid an argument.
8. The kids love YOU most
You’re the only parent your kids have ever known so it doesn’t matter if you’ve just had a fight with your children or not succumbed to one of their many demands; you’re special to them and they’ll always come back to you because you’re the only source of love known to them.
It doesn’t take much to notice that children of single parents always have a very close attachment to their mother/father. That’s because the parent has been their source of everything happy in life ever since they were born. As a single parent, there’s no one else you have to compete with for the love of your children. They love you best and most.
7. They learn responsibility from YOU
The great thing about being a single parent is that you become your kids’ role model. Because they’ve seen you manage everything so effortlessly since they were tiny, they’ve grown to regard you as someone who’s responsible and does not take his/her duty lightly.
So when the time comes for them to be adults of tomorrow, they won’t have to search far and wide to find someone to look up to because they’ve always had an in-house source of inspiration.
You teach them that relationships are a choice, not an obligation. You should “want” to be in a relationship and should never feel the “need” to be in one. As a single parent, the most important lesson you’re teaching your children is that they can make it on their own.
6. YOU don’t have to deal with any drama
Thank God! In a relationship, we can never truly be completely satisfied with the other person. There will always be traits in them that we wish they’d change or work upon.
Guess what? As a single parent, you have none of that to deal with. No having to worry about what your husband has said to your children or why your wife isn’t ever around to help with the kids. The only consequences you have to deal with are the ones that are a result of your decisions. Sounds neat, eh?
5. YOU get time to yourself
Contrary to what most people think, single parenthood isn’t always exhausting and keen on sucking you dry. There are days when your parents can keep the children or they go over to a friend’s to play. On those days, the only person you have to spoil is yourself. And that’s special because in other cases when the children are gone, the parents have each other to think of and spend time with.
In your case, you don’t have to think of anybody else’s interests but yours and can have complete me time! So take a trip to the spa or just sit at home reading a book – doesn’t matter as long as you’re having quality time alone!
4. YOU decide where money gets spent
Most couples fight over financial issues. Where the money goes, when the money goes, why isn’t enough money coming in, why isn’t enough being saved, et cetera, et cetera.
When you raise your children alone, that’s one thing you’ll never have to deal with. Since you’re the sole breadwinner, it will obviously be tough to earn enough to sustain your entire family. But the good part is that you get to decide how much gets spent and where. You get to set the budget. You decide the house you want your children to grow up in. You decide what kind of pocket allowance works. It’s all you.
3. YOU’RE there for everything
Since you’re the only parent your children have, it’s obvious you’ll have to do double duty. While couples usually divide the work and attend alternate PTMs or Annual days or Sports days, you don’t have that luck. But what seems like a huge task is actually the biggest blessing you could have asked for.
Because you go for every event and are present at home every day and are a constant fixture in their lives, you don’t miss anything. So from their first walk to their wedding, you’re the parent that’s always been there.
2. YOUR friendships strengthen
When you’re a single parent, friends become a central part of your life. They’re the ones you call when you need help handling your rowdy kids or when you want some company while your kids are playing in the park. You slowly grow to lean on them and they on you, and what that does is that it makes your friendships stronger.
1. YOU get bragging rights
This is the most important, and most satisfying point. After all that’s said and done, who gets the credit for raising the kids right? YOU! Every time someone praises one of your children, they’re going to look behind your child, notice you, and acknowledge the amazing job that you’ve done with them. You’re the reason behind every success that they will have and every milestone that they will cross.
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