The True Adventures of Single Parenthood

When it I first realized I was a single parent, it must have been at least a year after it became a fact. One day, after the daily morning rush of hustling four children to get ready for babysitters and school, it dawned on me. I was a single parent.

It doesn't matter how it happens, or when, as any single parent realizes at some point, the job has no back up. There is no other person to do one of the most important jobs you will ever do. There are no sick days or housework helpers, and there are few days off. When your child needs a hug, it's up to you. When the same child needs discipline, it is also up to you. There is no halfway. Single parents must love with a firm hand.

Single parents are often looked at with one of two expressions, either awe or pity. In reality, I often find that as a group, we are misunderstood. Single parenting changes you. There is no denying that fact. My own adventures in single parenthood have provided enough life lessons to draw out a stubborn persistence to finish the sometimes daunting task of raising children without any major upheavals. At the same time, single parenting is often a daily juggling act.

At some given point, after admitting that it was okay to send a child to school with two different socks by mistake, or send myself to time out when I needed a break, I relaxed. In seven years, the demands are still the same, but single parenting is something that you have to do with a sense of humor. Save the seriousness for trying to pay bills on a one-income household, or searching for a babysitter for a night out.

Single parenting can be exhausting, difficult, and challenging. It can also bring out your best qualities and provide a sense of knowing that you did the best for your children. As a single parent, I care less about whether socks are matched and more about where to hang the latest artwork by one of the kids. Company means someone dared to enter the house full of kids and toys. A night out is usually in between thinking about all the things to do for the next week. Nobody said it would be easy, but single parenting has a way of putting your priorities in order. The adventures are just part of any given day.