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Is there room for hope that things will get better? With God’s help, there is always hope.
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It’s hard to be a parent. But to be a single parent, is even more challenging. If you are a single parent trust me when I say, you are definitely not alone! There are nearly 14 million single parents in the US, and a vast majority of the load of raising their kids is being carried by the mothers. Many people I talk to on my radio show, Dawson McAllister Live, are single mothers simply trying to find ways to cope. Trying to find ways to bring in enough money, take care of the responsibilities of a house or apartment, and still allow their children to have the life they long for them to have. It can be overwhelming. That’s why I wanted to address this important issue.
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In being a responsible single mom you are saying, my life is no longer my own.
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So, how does one become a successful single mom? Especially when all you feel is overwhelmed and stressed-out? Is there room for hope that things will get better? With God’s help, there is always hope. Here are some thoughts to help you not only survive, but also to thrive!
1. Realize your life will never be quite the same again. My mama used to say, “People make their choices, and their choices make them.” She used to also say, “When you say yes to one thing, you may be saying no
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Nothing will more radically change your day-to-day life than being a single mother.
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to something else.” For whatever reason, however it came about, if you are a single mom, you said yes to putting yourself in a situation where you could become a single parent. And becoming a parent changes everything.
Rhea says that she has been a single Mom for two years now. “It is not an easy road. The added responsibility sucks the life out of a person because you're dealing with many issues: dealing with childcare while you're working, the many times you may have to miss work due to sickness of your kids,
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Until you reach that place where you realize that your life will never be the same again, both you and your children will suffer.
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the instability of support you may receive, making enough money to support yourself and your kids AND find a little extra in there somewhere for a little recreation.”
In being a responsible single mom you are saying, my life is no longer my own. I have to think about my child first before I think about myself. Every decision I make has to be based on how it will affect my child(ren), which includes: who you date, what you do with your free time, your education, your extended family, your living situation, and in fact, every aspect of your life. Nothing will more radically change your day-to-day life than being a single mother. It’s not easy accepting all that responsibility and change. But it’s well worth it. At the end of the day, what’s more important than your children?
Until you reach that place where you realize that your life will never be the same again, both you and your children will suffer. Every single mom has to answer the question: “Outside of my relationship with God, are my priorities focused on my children first?”
Next week, I’m going to talk about issues single mothers face in their relationships with men. For example, how should she deal with the birth father? How much should he be involved in your kid’s life? When is it ok to date again, and who do you decide to date? Please tell me your story of your relationship with men as a single mom.