By Jennifer • 10 Comments
When I was growing up, single moms were a rarity, but now it's pretty common for a strong, single woman to be raising her kids on her own for all kinds of reasons. It might seem a little scary at first, but here are a few of the ways growing up with a single mom (or single dad) can be pretty great.
Every single mother I've ever met - including my own! - is smart, tough, hard-working, resourceful, resilient, and strong. What more could you ask for in a role model?
Whether it's just you and your mom, or you have siblings, too, now you're more than just a family: you're an important part of a team all focused on staying together and not just getting by, but flourishing. All the petty squabbles fade away, because now you're all there to support each other, and this is fantastic.
Until my parents split up, I never really saw my mother as her own person. She was just mom. But once she was a single mother, and I saw her struggles and her mistakes, she became an actual real human, and it made us a lot closer.
Everything you do, everything you achieve, from here on out will be a credit to the hard work and dedication you and your single mom put into it. Let's face it: people always assume kids from a single mom's household will do less. But you get to prove them wrong! If the son of a single mother can grow up to be the U.S. President, then there's really no limit to what you can do, too!
To some, this might seem like a bad thing, but in a way, the extra responsibility you have in a single-parent home will prepare you perfectly for life on your own. Having to cook meals two nights a week while mom works late means you get to lean how to cook well! You just might discover a hidden talent.
Chances are, someone else you know is probably going to go through their parents' divorce later on, and you'll be there to help them through it. They'll see that you're doing okay, that you've been able to flourish, and they'll be encouraged by that.
While this isn't always the case, often times when a bad marriage ends, and that poison is gone from your daily life, you'll get to spend more QT with your mom (and maybe even your dad). I know I looked forward to the weekends with my dad because they were a change of pace, and because it was nice to spend time just with me and him. Likewise, at home, I had my mom to myself a lot more.
Getting used to living with your single mom isn't always easy, but it really doesn't have to be a total negative! There are a lot of ways being from a single parent home can be an advantage - what else would you add to my list?