Single parenting comes with a baggage of troubled relationship and broken home. Thus, single parents are all the more burdened emotionally, in trying to bring up their children in a normal way like other children. The pressure can be very stressful when you try to play two roles together. There are many single parents who have reared their kids successfully and in a very commendable way. Read on to find some effective ways of raising your kid successfully by being the sole nurturer.
Try to change your attitude towards life
Try to change your vision and opinion about being labelled as a ‘single parent’ and consider this title as something more viable. Take a positive approach of raising your child all alone and see the benefits that you will have . You will be the one to take decisions and this independence would make you more happier. Try to refrain from feeling guilty as it was not your fault. Do not gloom over your fate and take self-pity as you will have to empower yourself, if you want to raise a happy child.
You should take pride of being the boss
You are now the boss of the household. Try to maintain boundaries and guidelines when bringing up your child. A lot of single parents make the mistake of treating their children like adults and give them an equal status. Treat kids like kids and you should be the one running the show. Be consistent and reinforce discipline like a normal household.
Learn to deal with the overload that comes
There are a lot of responsibilities that a single parent must carry out. In the midst of doing so, you end up becoming emotionally worked out. It is important to manage time effectively in order to run the household. If you feel stressed and if the work is overloading you, try to engage some help. If your kids are old enough, you could always enlist some help from them. You could perhaps hire domestic help when required or ask your friends or parents to help out once a while.
Remember that you are one parent and not both
You might be trying to play supermom or superdad to the hilt, but do not go overboard doing it. No matter how capable and competent you are, remember that you are only one person and you cannot possibly do two roles at the same time. Do not feel guilty about not being able to fill up the gap. Try to do whatever best you can without guilt and involve your kids to help you by making it a team effort. Always do what you can do best because it is unfair for you to do something that you have never done before. However, you could try new things out with your children. Being yourself is the most important thing rather than going the extra mile, trying to play mom or dad ineffectively.
Have stability and a sense of nurturing at home
Children crave for a secure and stable home. Therefore, nurturing your children the right way should be your top priority. Try to help them cope with the loss of one parent caused by divorce or death. A warm and secure environment is very important for the mental and physical well-being of a child. Give your children as much love and affection as you can to create a loving home.
Try to establish a routine at home
Run your home in a normal way by establishing a routine. By doing so, you would be creating a sense of security and stability at home. However, do not become that rigid and try to find a healthy balance. Remember that your children are your top most priority and try to keep their needs above everything else.
Take good care of yourself
While trying to play the perfect mom or dad, you might end up overworking yourself to the point of falling sick. Remember that you are the only parent for your child and it is important for you to take care of yourself. Take breaks from work when you feel like you aren’t quite up to it. Arrange for a babysitter, if you plan to indulge in something that distresses you. You should pay a great deal of attention to your diet and sleep. Try to incorporate some activities that you like best to relieve yourself from stress. A stress-free parent equals to a stress-free home.
Establish a reliable support system for help
Try to find people who can offer you that much needed emotional support, help you in emergencies, companionship and child care. Be very judicious while asking for help as the person should be reliable and trustworthy. Single parents having a great support system can feel more at ease.
Never treat your child as your peer
Treat your child like a child with the regular list of do’s and don’ts rather than treating them at par. Treating a child like a peer is a common mistake that single parents mostly do unintentionally, without realizing that children cannot handle certain situations like mature adults. Instead of confiding in them, you end up hurting them. Try to seek adults for companionship and for confiding.
Set realistic goals for yourself
Do not get turned off by failure and always focus on success. You must try to set realistic and workable goals for yourself and your family. Try to accomplish tasks as a team. You should try to involve your kids in setting these goals and do this by organizing family meets quite regularly with inputs from your kids. Effective and open communication is important for accomplishing goals. Do not forget to credit your kids for their contributions.