Tag: stress

Handling your child while being a working single parent is a tough task, and it comes with its own set of challenges. Single parents have added responsibility, and they have to face new challenges every day with raising their kids. Having a spouse by your side while raising kids is a lot more helpful and comforting than doing it alone.

You have the responsibility of every little and major thing, like finances, schooling, health, shelter, etc. These responsibilities come to you irrespective of your gender or age, and the challenges of single parenting are equal for both men and women. This article will understand the challenges that single parents have to bear while raising their kids.

How Does Single Parenting Differ from Dual Parenting?

Single parenting differs from dual parenting in many ways. The major difference is that dual parenting has both parents under one roof looking after their kids together. On the other hand, single parenting has only one person bearing the complete responsibility of bringing up children and providing them with food, shelter, education, etc.

In dual parenting, both parents make decisions together, and divide their responsibilities, like running the house and raising their children. In single-parent families, the decisions are taken after discussing them with the children. These decisions include holiday destinations, purchasing a house, etc.

Children raised from single-parent families have more responsibilities from a young age as they have no other adult other than their parent to look after the house. Therefore, they act as companions to their single parents. On the other hand, the single parent may feel overwhelmed with the thought of being the perfect parent and providing their offspring with all the necessities.

Challenges of Being a Working Single Parent

Single parenting is a tough job. However, being a working single parent adds fuel to the fire. Single parents who get compensation for the expenses of raising their kids worry a little less about handling things alone. On the other hand, working single parents have a hard time bringing up their children because they have to juggle work and their household responsibilities. Working single parents face many challenges; some of them are mentioned below.

A Personal-Professional Balance

The hardest part of being a working single parent is achieving the required balance in their personal-professional life. Professional responsibilities cannot be taken for granted as that is where you are providing for yourself and your children. However, your children may need you to be at home because they are sick. It has been seen that single parents have to juggle a lot in their work-life balance.

For example, if you are a regular radiologic technologist, you have long working hours, rotational shifts, and even on-call suits which need to be fulfilled.

In addition, you have requirements to fulfil in order to grow in your career, like earning Ce Credits For Radiologic Technologists. To earn these points, you will need extra time to complete the course and pass the test. Such parents have a hard time balancing their work lives and end up putting in extra working hours.

Communication

Communicating when you are a single parent is tough for both fathers and mothers. Some do not find communication difficult, and are on very clear terms with their kids, whereas most find it hard to converse with their kids. Conversational issues have been mostly seen in single fathers around the world.

They tend to fulfil their child’s wishes and fix problems, but do not have time to be a good listener. Providing solutions is an instinct of parents; however, practicing asking questions may help you tackle the communication issues with your child.

Stress Management

Single parents are under constant stress because of their workload and family responsibilities. They worry about providing their kid with food, shelter, and education not only in the present, but also for their future.

As a result, they tend to put themselves last when having proper meals, exercising, or dealing with stress. You must exercise daily, spend quality time with your loved ones, or do things that make you happy once in a while.

Being There for Your Child

Single parents usually have a lot on their plate, apart from juggling between work and regular chores. Working parents need to make sure that they are present for their children at all times. In addition, they have to adjust their schedules to make time for their child’s school activities. It is a big challenge as their patience and understanding skills are constantly tested.

Financial Stability

Financial strain is the biggest challenge to a single parent. You might think it is important to be with your child during his adolescent years; however, you cannot be a stay-at-home parent if your child has specific financial needs. The responsibility of bearing finances and also saving money magnifies when you are not well off.

You need to look after the house as well as the needs of your child and yourself, and also save every single paycheck. Staying prepared for the future in terms of finances is one of the toughest challenges that a single parent faces. To regain their stability, single-parent families go through tough times for a while where they cut down on their expenses in order to streamline their budget.

Discipline

It is a huge responsibility to bring up a socially confident, yet disciplined child for single parents. Children with single parents have judgements from society as well as their peers.

Emotional Challenges

Single parents feel lonely, and they have to deal with stress and discomfort alone. They have no one to share their good and bad days with. They stay strong and come out happy for their kids; however, they ignore their own emotional needs.

Society particularly judges single moms when they are dating or spending time with someone other than their family. These judgements magnify the emotional challenges further.

Fatigue and Lack of Time

The pressure of always being on your toes while fulfilling the responsibilities of work and the house leaves single parents feeling tired most of the time. They lack the time to take care of themselves and look after their personal needs. They are under constant pressure to complete one or another task.

You might not see them rushing physically, but their mind is overloaded, and it does not rest. This constant fatigue starts to affect their body psychologically, emotionally, and cognitively.

Conclusion

It is not easy to be a working single parent. One has to take on the responsibilities of the house while also juggling their professional commitments. Raising a child is like a full-time job, but it isn’t easy to be a stay-at-home parent when you are a single parent. You have to work to provide for your family’s needs.

Working single parents have a tough time looking for reliable and committed childcare support. They have so many challenges that are daily related to their child, among other things like house chores.

Single parents have the least amount of time for self-care, they have distorted sleep schedules, and some even work two jobs to provide for their needs. If you are a radiologic technologist, get the benefit of our 12 CE credits today.