Today, we are going to talk about this place we called home. For some children, this may no longer feel like a haven, a safe and healthy environment. With one parent absent in the home, the home is no longer a house, but a building. A building filled with fear, separation and confusion. It is our job as parents to let them know, that a home is not just a building, because a building can get burned down or destroyed, but instead it’s a place where they can find comfort in knowing that they are loved, cared for, and most important wanted. This can only happen if we as parents provide love, stability and structure to our kids, whether living together as partners, or from separate homes.
If there's a single group of people who are under appreciated more than any other group of people, it has to be single parents. While everyone knows being a parent is hard, being a single parent tends to be even harder. Not only do you have to play the roles of both parents, but you're financially responsible for a set of bills that are usually paid by two incomes. Here are three of the most common problems' single parents struggle with, along with tips and strategies on how to overcome them:
1. The Financial Challenges. When you have two people paying a mortgage of $1,400 or more a month, it doesn't seem like that big of a deal. However, when one person is responsible for that kind of monthly payment, it becomes a big deal indeed. If you're having a hard time making your monthly housing payment, try downsizing to a smaller home, or if that's impossible, refinance over a longer period of time (or at a low interest rate, if possible).
Make sure you do what you can to cut your other monthly expenses as well. Clip coupons and shop the sales at your local grocery store, get an all-in-one phone, cable and high-speed Internet plan and try shopping Goodwill stores for your household needs. Believe it or not, Goodwill isn't just about used clothing. Stores donate brand new items to the Goodwill center, and you can get some really helpful household items for very little money. Even inexpensive computers for young children can be found there.
2. Finding Competent Child Care. Many single parents are at the mercy of the childcare opportunities available in their area. No one wants to leave her child in a childcare center that is anything but the best. The problem is that the best is also usually the most expensive. Call the different childcare centers in your area and compare charges and services offered. Ask each one for references and check to see if there are any financial assistance opportunities available like reduced-price lunches.
3. Gender Issues. A mom that is a single parent may have a hard time teaching her sons about the things a dad would normally cover, and a single father may have a hard time discussing female issues with his daughters. If there isn't a parental figure for your child to discuss gender-related issues with, you should enlist the help of a favorite aunt or uncle or a close family friend to act as a "surrogate parent" for your child. It may be easier for your child to open up to this other significant adult.
Need more great tips? Call us at 1-888-314-0003 or (757) 327-0481, “or visit our website at: www.4ourkids.org., and register to attend one of our classes today.
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