Even in today’s sophisticated society, single parent families are often stigmatized and thoughtlessly perceived as not entirely as functional as two parent families.

Most single moms can verify how such of a stigma seems to linger over our heads like some dark, ominous cloud.

For instance, men assume because we have children,

we are desperate for husbands, schools believe us to be operating with a disability and very few churches have created ministries exclusively for us.

I could go on.

By some, our families are viewed as abnormal, incomplete or fragmented. Our homes are called “broken” and are indirectly associated with producing defective or maladjusted children. The sad reality is that the majority of the people who raise these criticisms have had limited exposure with successful single parent families and are narrowly interpreting “so called” research written by people who know little about us or the “human” side of our families.

Allow me to be among the first to tell you that contrary to popular opinion, most single moms succeed wonderfully at raising healthy, happy well-adjusted children. In numerous categories, our family types outshine our two parent counterparts.

By no means am I glamorizing single parenting as an ideal family situation. Two-parent families do create a continuum of support invaluable to healthy youth development.

Nonetheless, the story doesn’t end there.

Our families, however, do possess some specific, undeniable strengths that effectually enable us raise healthy, well-developed children. Our one-parent families tend to create a less troublesome environment than that of some of our two-parent families.

For example, parents in a distressed two-parent family are often overwhelmed with maintaining a healthy marriage and can easily overlook the emotional and developmental needs of their children.

Likewise, two parents in emotional duress inadvertently model an unhealthy, undesired model of family life in plain view their children. Growing up in such an atmosphere can influence harmful patterns and cycles of broken relationships throughout generations!.

On the other hand, single parent families don’t fall victim to such pitfalls. Ideally, we can engineer stability and emotional wellness within ourselves without the added worries connected with or caring for a spouse.

In short, all we have to worry about is ourselves! Within our homes, our children see no arguing or witness power struggles between the two authority figures.

As a result, many single parent homes are better equipped to provide a relaxed, fun home atmosphere for children to grow, develop and thrive. It has been stated that children of healthy single parents frequently acquire competencies and valuable life skills that prepare them to be productive, independent adults.

Also, if functioning well our families tend to be to be closer and cooperative with one another.

Undoubtedly, our family structure does have its fair share of challenges, but none of them are fatal. Yes, ideally a child should have two healthy, well-balanced parents but it doesn’t always work out that way.

So we must accentuate the positive and go on to excel as mothers, flourish as women, and produce healthy young people despite being single and despite the prejudices against our family types. So, hold your head high and embrace who you are and where you are during this "single parent" season in your life.

by: Teri Worten

About The Author

Teri Worten is a freelance writer as well as the founder of the online contemporary magazine for single moms and all women – Gotta Be Me Girl.Com! You can visit her site and read more articles athttp://www.gottabemegirl.com.
teriworten@gottabemegirl.com

This article was posted on July 6, 2002

Single mothers are the biggest drain on society today
Single mothers are the biggest drain on society today. Do you believe this to be true? Are single mothers to blame?

Single mom Britain’s new Poet Laureate: Let the hate begin
Something about Carol Ann Duffy being a single mom, bisexual, and a Scott has some folks just frothing at the mouth. 

About Careers – Government Grants for Single Mothers
With all the bad economic news, it may make it seem like this is a bad time for single mothers to go back to school.

Now that you have a boyfriend – Single Mom Seeking
Of course, I’m enjoying it all! But dang, this mama is exhausted. If you have any advice at all, I’m all ears. In the meantime, I’m off to bed. Sweet dreams. 

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Being a mother is a demanding task and being a single mother is exponentially more challenging. Stress in single moms runs high because of constant demands and mom having to play dual roles in the lives of their children. What are the effects and what can be done about them?

There is a very demanding daily cycle in the life of the single mom that starts with getting the kids ready for school, getting herself ready for work, working all day long, kids’ homework, their aches and pains, their needs, cleaning the house, groceries, fixing things around the house, the list just goes on and on.

Fitting all these things into twelve to sixteen hours every day causes a lot of immediate and short term stress.

There is probably not a single day without stress for the single mom.

In addition to all this, there is also the longer term stress for the single mom that comes from dealing with the emotional aftermath of a divorce or break-up.

What are the effects of this stress on the single mom?

Emotionally the single mom usually suffers because it is very tough maintaining a bright and positive attitude with all these pressure bearing down on you.

There are also the physical effects of stress. These typically include a change in the single mom’s weight by either gaining weight or losing weight. Most women tend to experience the effects on the weight gain side.

Unchecked stress levels increase one’s appetite that results in either a gain in weight or a real difficulty losing weight.

What can the single mom do to combat this stress?

The most important thing to do is to recognize that you have high stress levels and to take care of yourself with that in mind.

You need to make time for yourself where you can break out of the routine and just simply relax.

This can include something as elaborate as taking a vacation without the children, to something as small as spending an hour at a salon or at the gym.

Stress levels in women are also reduced by getting support from friends and family. Just talking to people and having a good laugh goes a long way towards breaking the constant cycle of stress piling on top of more stress.

Stress in single moms is a very real threat to the health and wellbeing of the

single mom and it must be recognized and dealt with stress reducing and relaxation activities on a daily basis.

By: Tisha Diaz -

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Tisha Diaz recommends these relaxation, stress relief products, and and feng shui products that include professional quality massage tools & chairs, snuggle comfort pillows, aromatherapy products, and other things to soothe you and delight you every day.

Daily Stress – Combat Daily Stress as a Single Parent
Daily stress is a huge concern for today’s single parent. Learn how to cope with daily stress by giving yourself permission to have fun, take a break, and get a fresh start.

Single Mom Says: Pinch Me
10:07 AM. Single Mom Seeking said… So, when’s your REAL birthdate, babe

? Stress reliever: getting away to the beach! 

Combat Daily Stress as a Single Parent
Combat Daily Stress as a Single Parent. Monday March 30, 2009. I did something a little out of the ordinary this evening.

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What is it?
Founded in 1957 in New York City, Parents Without Partners is a non-profit organization that provides single parents and their children a platform to connect with each other and build their self-confidence and personal growth.

Jim Egleson and Jacqueline Bernard, the founders, felt isolated from society because of their marital status and decided to form an organization that would cater to the needs of single parents like them.

After a newspaper advertisement titled "Parents Without Partners," several single parents showed interest. Today, the organization has more than thousands of members in the United States and Canada.

Why should I join?

Almost every single parent, at some point or the other, feels the need to connect with other single parents to discuss issues and seek support.

Moreover, the strong sense of community that such organizations provide can actually be beneficial for children as well

as the parent.

Members of Parents Without Partners come from all walks of life.

Divorced, separated, or never married parents participate in a range of social and educational activities for parents and children.

How do I join?

To be a member, you must be a single parent. The reason for being single can be death of spouse, separation, divorce, or any special case that Parents Without Partners deems as acceptable.

Visit the Parents Without Partners website for more information on how to join – parentswithoutpartners.org/join.htm

I don’t have custody of my children. Can I join?
Parents without partners does not consider child custody as a factor for membership.

By Paul B
Published: 7/31/2008

Parents Without Partners
Furthermore, statistics show that many more children are being born to single parents who may, or may not, have an ongoing relationship.

Single Parenting – Recognizing Their Efforts And Helping Them
WHITTIER – Parents without Partners La Mirada, E. Whittier Chapter 176 will hold a dance and membership orientation at 7 pm Friday. 

Parents without Partners dance (Whittier Daily News)
LA MIRADA – Parents without Partners will hold a dance and membership orientation at 7 pm with the dance from 8 pm to midnight Saturday at the Candlewood Country Club, 14000 Telegraph Road.  

All About Single Parents
The Wikipedia Web site defines single parents are parents without partners in raising a child or children. 

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While there is a large segment of single moms who did not plan their pregnancy, it is becoming more acceptable in our society to plan a single parent family.

Adoption and even artificial insemination are becoming more common for single women, with many adoption agencies relaxing their view on single parenting and artificial insemination more readily available and affordable.

Single moms do have busy lives; there is no doubt about that. Often there is no one to share the responsibility of making sure that the children get

off to school in the morning. Single moms also have to juggle their schedules to get the kids to after school lessons and activities or getting them to doct

or and dentist appointments.

Single moms too often bear the sole responsibility for making sure the household is run efficiently. When there is no father, single moms also bear the sole responsibility for the children’s emotional well-being having to shoulder the burden of fulfilling the male role also.

Support groups have sprung up nationwide for single moms. These groups offer sound advice on raising children, handling finances, emotional issues, even dating. Many local support groups offer baby-sitting co-ops, sharing resources so that all members are able to have personal time to pursue other activities.

Single moms often feel alienated from traditional families and feel as though they are not welcome to participate in organizations geared toward traditional families. Finding a support group can give these single moms the confidence and comradery often found from those types of organizations.

Single moms who divorce often experience self-doubt, fear and confusion over how to deal with their new role. In addition to their own emotional turmoil, they must deal with the emotional effects of the divorce on their children. Children deal with feelings of abandonment and fear that neither parent really wants them.

They often fear that they are the cause of the divorce and are anxious at having to split their time between two parents. Single moms often need support in dealing with these issues with their children. Support groups offer advice on dealing with these issues and provide resources for affordable counseling available for single moms and their children.

Single moms who are newly divorced often experience feelings of resentment at the loss of their old lifestyle. The lack of free time, reduction in finances and the additional workloads that single moms must adjust to are often daunting. Support groups can make the transition to

the life of single parenthood much easier and much more comfortable, both for the single moms and for the children.

Author: Joel Williams

Joel Williams has written several books and articles for single moms. Check out his website at http://singlemomachievers.com for information, resourceful articles, parenting tools and audios plus methods you can use to become the Mom you intended to be from the start. There is a FREE report to help you get started, "Your 7 Day Personal Program For Taking Back Control Of Your Life As A Single Mom! "

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joel_Williams

Single Moms Support Group – Mandarin Regional Library
Rest Stop for Single Parents Support group, meetings are held once a month at the Mandarin Library on Kori Rd. Children are welcome. 

LA Moms Blog: Remember the single moms this Mother’s Day
Single moms Every mother raising their child(ren) deserves a little recognition on this hallmark holiday. Sure, it’s kind of stupid. 

Single Mothers At Greater Risk For Depression
Playing off the co-op idea above, create a single mothers support group. Single mothers are one of THE most creative and resourceful groups on the planet! 

Technorati Tags: single mother, single parent family, single women

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You can navigate through the site by using

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I hope you find the information I provide valuable and helpful.

All the best,
Pete Higginson

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Please contact me at  pete.higginson@googlemail.com!

I will reply to all messages as soon as possible.
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I was divorced almost 5 years ago when my children were 10, 7, and 4; they are currently 15, 12, and 9 but now I also have a 16-month-old. The baby was the result of an unexpected pregnancy (we used birth control) which I discovered shortly after the year-long relationship I had with her father ended.

He did not want a child or to be involved in any way so the relationship remained over and I had my fourth child as a single mom.

Having the baby was my choice, but as a single mom was not what I had hoped for.Regardless, I know the reality of being a single mom from the very beginning of my child’s existence, an experience not all single moms have.

Going through a pregnancy, birth, and the first 16 months of my daughter’s life without her father’s involvement is very different from my experience with my other three children.

I know all too well what it was like to be able to share those experiences with the person I loved and created a child with, and what it’ s like not to.

I think most women would agree with me when I say the former is the ideal and also our preference, but we don’t always have that choice.

It’s becoming more and more common for women today to conceive through a sperm donor and raise a child on her own. Most women have a strong desire to have children, and if they haven’t found the right man and aren’t in a relationship, they can still make that happen before their body decides it’s too late. Unfortunately sometimes these women are judged as selfish for not providing their child with a father while indulging their greatest biological desire.

Being on the other side of this situation as in raising my daughter without her father by his choice, I support the single-moms-by-choice for their decision to go ahead anyway.

After all, they have no guarantee that the child’s father would always be involved even if they did wait for ‘Mr. Right’ to come along before having kids, and who’s to say he can’t come along afterwar

d?

The fact is no matter which scenario a single mom is in or why, the responsibility of raising and nurturing a child is mostly on the mother, although the father’s participation is also very important. Being a single mom with a baby has many challenges, and the involvement of the father is a big one.

Often for single moms of babies, the father’s involvement becomes the mother’s responsibility. I’m not saying this is right or even fair, but the reality is that especially when the child is a baby, it takes a lot more effort from the mother to create the best situation possible and provide a positive environment that would encourage a reluctant or distant father to take a positive and active role with a baby.

It’s much harder for the father to form a bond with a baby that he’s not actively raising with you on a daily basis, and that only perpetuates the lack of involvement. Just like the rest of mothering, taking on the responsibility and doing what’s best for our children ultimately falls on us.

The father will have an influence on our child’s sense of self whether or not he’s involved, and what’s best for our babies is doing what we can to make that a good one.

Over the last two years and through much opposition and resistance I think I have found my answer; the situation it is what it is – and it can always get better. Leaving the door open and with a welcome mat for this to occur is the choice that I have made for my daughter.

Maybe nothing will change and her father will remain detached and uninvolved, which is beyond my control, but maybe he will come to realize what a blessing she is and also want to do what’s best for her by providing her with a positive father figure instead of a negative one. Anything’s possible and it all starts with us single moms and the power of thinking and being positive.

I choose to make my decisions not based on the worse-case-scenario but on the best possible outcome, which is my daughter having a father that can love and show his love for her as she grows up.

‘We must be the change we want to see in the world.’ ~ Mahatma Ghandi

Our children all need fathers and the challenge to a single mom with a baby is to first make every effort to ensure that can happen with the biological father when possible.

In some cases it isn’t healthy to put your child in the care of a man who doesn’t want or accept your child, but in the case he is safe you must balance your differences with him and the need for your child to feel wanted and loved by both parents. If that doesn’t happen, you’ll know it wasn’t because you stood in the way and your child will know it too.

Author: Mindy Erickson

Mindy Erickson is a single mom of four living in Colorado. She is a frequent contributor of articles relating to her experiences and observations as a single mom. You can read more of her articles on her website http://www.othersinglemoms.com and learn more about Mindy on her blog http://www.singlemommindy.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mindy_Erickson

Single Mom’s – The Saladmag Blog
I eventually left the hosiptal fef and went back to my room with my tiny baby. My Dad had made my Mom go shopping for all the things I would need and it was all there waiting for us. 

Single Mom Friday Zen
You are my number one fave celeb single mom of the web, Ms Alaina! Can’t wait till next week, Chicago baby!!! (we’ll be sure to take lots of awesome photos and video). 

I’m a Single Mom
Single Mom Mythology from the Huffington Post By Robert Franklin, Esq. | Apr 19, 2009 http://mensnewsdaily.com/glennsacks/2009/04/19/single-mom-mytholo. 

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