How to Be a Confident Single Mom

Being a single mom can be a challenging and rewarding experience, but remember all parents come in different shapes and sizes. It is more important that you be confident in your role as a parent and remember that you are doing the most important job in the world, raising kids. Read on to learn how to be a confident single mom.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Believe that you can be a confident and successful single parent, whether you made the choice yourself or it was out of your control. This believe in yourself will be a guiding light when issues arise.

2. Define your family as you and your children. A family does not need a specific number of adults or to meet any other standard. Be sure to explain this to your children and to anyone who questions you.

3. Ignore negative stereotypes about single parent households and kids raised in single family homes. You will shape your child, their beliefs and their behavior, not the fact that you are a single mom.

4. Ask trusted friends and family to help, especially when they can contribute their own knowledge and skills. A married couple would ask friends to help put together a swing set and a single mom should do the same.

5. Budget wisely for your children, yourself and your future. Although it may be hard to say "no" to a small thing here and there, it will be much more difficult to say "no" to college later on.

6. Search out support from other single parents. This is a great support system for times of stress, as well as for times when you want to share your accomplishments.

Tips & Warnings

• Take time for yourself, even if it is a walk in the evening or a trip to the salon.
• Remember your child did not make you a single parent and they are not to be held accountable for your situation.

[jgsmom]

on 6/9/2008 4&5 are great tips. The last thing, about taking time for yourself, isn't always possible for a true single parent, though. Good article.

[Nicandab]

on 8/23/2007 this is good advice. :) Thanks.