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Being a Single Parent of Teen parents

Being a parent is the
hardest job in the world, so doing it on your own as a single parent can be
extremely difficult.

You are the sole
responsibility for your child and you are the only one to lead them in life and
who they look up to for help and support. This can be a very stressful
situation when you don’t have someone sharing that huge responsibility with
you.

Surviving as a single parent
is going to be hard.  You will have so
many difficult situations to face and you will feel alone and like you have the
world on your shoulders.  Not only do you
have to do the job of one parent but you must also fill in the gap of the
missing parent.

You need to be strong.

You need to be confident.

You need to have commitment.

You CANNOT give up.

You won’t have time to feel
sorry for yourself; you have a job to do. 
Once you have accepted that you have this responsibility then you can
get on with it and do a good job.

You get what life deals you
and if you have been dealt the responsibility of bringing up a child on your
own, then that’s what is meant to be and you must be strong enough to do so.

A child with just one parent
is not less likely to develop into a healthy, good valued child than a child
with two parents.

As a single parent of
teenagers it is important that your teenagers don’t think that they can get
away with more just because they only have one parent. You need to instil this
in them from a very young age that although you are a single parent you still
demand respect.  You still have house
rules and expect them to abide by them.

You can still, as a single
parent, teach your child important skills such as self confidence and respect
for others so that they will grow to be well adjusted happy young adults.

It is also important as a
single parent of teenagers that your teenagers don’t feel an obligation to care
for you because you are single.  Show
them that you are independent which will also teach them to be independent. They
need to know that you are ok and don’t need looking after. They have their own
lives to grow into and don’t need the guilt of worrying about you.

Every parent at some stage
needs to take time out for themselves and you shouldn’t miss out on that
because you are single.  Reach out for
help and take that time out for yourself. 
You will be a better parent in the long term if you do.

Show your teenager love and
appreciation.  Spend time with them and
praise their positive behaviours.  By
doing this from a young age and continue this behaviour into their teenage
years you will keep a strong bond with your teenager which will keep the door
open for them to come to you if they need help or advice.

You can join parenting
groups for single parents and meet other people in the same situation as yourself.
This can be extremely useful if you do have any problems with your teenagers,
to be able to discuss your problems with others who may have children around
the same age.

Just because you are a
single parent does not mean that you are alone. 
Turn to your family, friends or support groups.  Don’t try to take on the world alone, there
are people out there who can help you.

A wise single parent will
know when to accept help when it is offered and know when to ask for help. 

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