Imagine being a single parent and taking your 3-year-old daughter to the hospital because she’s been complaining about neck pain for almost a week. You brush it off mainly because she would say it hurts and then run off to play. She didn’t seem to be in too much pain, so you weren’t worried.
Then one night, she falls to the floor screaming in agony. Her head, neck, eyes, and legs hurt. The light was hurting her eyes, and she couldn’t walk. Your mind starts racing, and you immediately go into a panic. However, you take a deep breath and pull yourself together. You pick up your daughter, buckle her in her car seat and make your way to the hospital. You spend five hours in the emergency room and at different doctor’s appointments the next few days. You soon discover a viral infection causing your daughter so much pain.
This experience can be scary for any parent, but it can be terrifying for a single parent who has no one else to lean on. When there’s no other parenting figure in the equation, you have to make all the decisions and do everything yourself. Here are some reasons why we should consider single parents superheroes.
You do it all alone.
When you think about single parents, think about the struggles they have to endure. They have to make split-second decisions all alone without another parent there to consult. They have to live with the fear that something could be wrong and not have anyone who is equally yoked in their child’s life to lean on. Like any other parent, they have to think about bills or having enough time for their bundle of joy, but they have to work on a single income, and there’s only so much time in the day. There may be some days when they feel like they aren’t enough. There’s a lot of work and love that goes into single parenthood. So whether you’re a single parent by choice or otherwise, you should consider yourself a superhero.
Single parents are creative.
Living on a single income indeed gets challenging, but that doesn’t mean single parents can’t have a fulfilling and happy household. At this point, a single parent has to get creative. Nobody cuts cost better than a single parent, and they always have creative and cheaper alternatives for pricey items. For example, instead of buying a costume for the school play, a single parent would make one at home for little to no cost.
If they can’t afford an expensive vacation, they plan staycations in their homes. They build forts and tents for camping in the living room, roast marshmallows over the stove, and share the scariest ghost stories. They can turn a thrift-store-bought dress into a designer outfit for a school function. Single parents can turn nothing into something, and they’ll do anything to make their children happy.
Single parents teach their children resilience.
The tales of kids being unable to accept change and getting carried away in the process are apparent, especially among college students in their newfound freedom. However, these situations are rare in children from single-parent households. Children from single homes grow up witnessing their mothers’ remarkable strength. Learning the skill of strength provides the lifelong ability to adapt and persevere.
Single parents promote cooperation.
A household with a single parent at the helm often requires the kids to take on more significant roles. Some may object to trusting children with bigger responsibilities and say it prevents them from enjoying their childhood and makes them grow up too quickly.
However, single parenthood homes usually have a system of cooperation, where everyone in the house depends on each other, creating an unbreakable bond. Like a sports team, these families work together for a common goal: the betterment of the household. With this system, the children understand the importance of working together and cooperation.
Single parents are good at handling finances.
Most single parents generally work with a small budget, so it’s apparent that their kids know the value of a dollar. Children raised by single mothers learn and understand how much effort goes into keeping the household functioning. By being raised in a household with a tight budget, children of single parents form an understanding of managing finances. They also learn how to preserve their resources. They prioritize what’s essential enough to spend on and the things that can wait. These experiences strengthen the children as they make their way to achieve financial independence.
Single parents are efficient at role-reversals.
From a designer, chef, housekeeper, family bookkeeper, gardener, and homework helper, not only do single parents switch roles, but they do it quite effectively. This power comes from a single parent’s dedication to managing their households in a way that their kids can prosper and grow in it. They have to take up numerous roles to serve their purpose. So, single parents are superheroes.
For the moms and dads that wake up every day and do it on their own, working to provide, make it to school and sporting events on time, and give their children the love and affection they deserve, give yourself a pat on the back. You are amazing and a real-life superhero. There may be days when you feel like you’re not doing enough, but you’re doing your best. You sacrifice personal desires and sleep to ensure your children have everything they need. You do the work of two parents by yourself with little recognition.
You pour everything into your kids without having someone to share your experiences with. Sometimes you feel isolated and alone and like you’ll never really be yourself again. You look at yourself and don’t recognize your reflection. However, you’re there daily for your children and yourself, all alone. Your children may not understand the sacrifices you’re making, but they will one day thank you for what you’ve done. They’ll recognize the love and hard work you put into them that made them who they are. So single parents everywhere, you are superheroes, and your work doesn’t go unnoticed.
