Being a mother is the toughest and the most responsible job on the planet. But being a single mom who is doing the work of two people all by herself is an act of a true hero.
And it is especially difficult at first, when you are still not fully aware of all of your strength and of everything you can accomplish. You are scared if you’ll succeed in raising this human being alone.
But eventually, you see that a mother’s love for a child can move mountains.
You see that you are fierce and powerful and that nothing and nobody can stand in your way where your child’s happiness is concerned.
If you’ve been raised by a single mother or you are one, you know exactly what I am talking about.
I am just here to tell you not to beat yourself up when you feel tired or overwhelmed because almost every single mom faces similar emotional struggles and here are 6 of them.
1. Finances and career
Every loving and caring parent wants to do their best to provide for their family. And single moms are no exception.
The big difference here is that if you are a single mom with no financial help from the other side, you are the only provider for the family. Of course, you want to give your child as much as possible.
But at the same time, you are always torn apart between working extra hours and the fear that you’ll miss out on a big part of your kid’s childhood because you are chasing your career to give them a better future.
2. Responsibility
One of the struggles literally every single mom faces is the fact that the entire parenting responsibility is only on her back.
You are the one responsible for forming another human being and there is nobody to share that burden with you.
You don’t have anyone to rely on. Yes, you can ask for advice from people close to you but at the end of the day, you are the one making all the decisions.
You have to be both the good and the bad cop, a strict parent and a friend, the mother and the father.
3. Guilt
When you end a relationship with no children involved, you just have to deal with your heartbreak.
But what happens when you have to mend your child’s broken heart and explain to them that their dad doesn’t want to be a part of their life and that they aren’t to blame for that?
Were you the one who ended things with your child’s father? You knew that this was the best thing you could do for your kid and you knew that they didn’t deserve to be raised in such a toxic atmosphere.
But despite this, sometimes you can’t help but wonder—did you make the right choice? Should you have chased him more in order to be a responsible parent?
Did you deprive your child of having a father in their life? Do they understand that you did something that had to be done or do they blame you for walking away?
When you ask yourself these questions, just bear in mind that it is better off this way. It is better for your child to have a healthy relationship with one of their parents than to be raised in a dysfunctional family.
4. Social life
Being a single mom is exhausting and it rarely leaves you any time or energy for anything else in life.
But that doesn’t mean that you’ve ceased to exist as a human being other than being just a mother. That doesn’t mean that you don’t want to socialize and have friends.
Let me tell you just one thing—there is nothing remotely wrong with this. You shouldn’t ever feel guilty for giving yourself a break from time to time.
I know you are a full-time mother but you’ll be happier if you loosen up a little and your child will enjoy having a more satisfied mother.
5. Love life
The same way you haven’t ceased to exist as a human being since you’ve become a mother, you are also still a woman with her emotional and sexual needs.
Sometimes, you feel lonely and you just want to have someone to hold your hand and to tell you everything will be all right. You need intimacy and affection and that is perfectly natural.
But on the other hand, you know that it takes a strong man to win your heart and you are worried how your romantic relationships might affect your kid.
Will they feel emotionally neglected? Will your potential partner get along with your child?
6. Insecurity
When you are a single mom, there are times when you are proud of yourself for achieving everything all by yourself.
And then, there are times when you don’t feel enough and when you wonder if you should have done something differently.
Does your child miss having another parent? Should you be earning more money? Do you spend enough time with them?
Are you setting a good example? Or are you actually a toxic parent, without even being aware of it?
There are times when all of your insecurities and fears appear on the surface. Times when you just need someone to tell you that you are doing things right.
And this is why I am here to give you the reassurance you need, here to tell you that you are amazing and that you are killing it at this parenting thing.
Trust me, you are more than enough and you are doing a great job simply because you are giving your best.
