Facts About Single Parenting
Summary: Single parent households are on the rise, divorce is on the rise, leaving single mom and dads to bring up their child by themselves. Families are been split and mothers sometime left to fend for themselves. People get married have a baby and then their world turns upside-down and somebody is left with the kids as the other partner moves out of the home.

Parenting without a partner is becoming commonplace in today's society. It is estimated that 26% of children, under the age of 21, are being raised in single parent households.  Of those, 84% live with the custodial mother and 16% live with the custodial father.  

This is no longer found to be taboo.  On the contrary, many parents, men and women alike, choose to rear their children in single parent households for a whole host of reasons. Often they find that they are able to spend more time with their children, whether that is spending extra time on potty training and bedtime stories, teaching them to read, going to the park, forming playgroups, or for older children, working on homework or watching a movie.

And though this often puts an added financial strain on the custodial parent, some find that they actually prefer this option.  They find that they are happier being single raising their children, than they were being in an unhappy marriage - maintaining a marriage for the sake of the children. And of course, some people are single at the time they become a parent. With some minor adjustments to their households and careful budgeting they find that they are able to offer their children a well rounded, balanced home.

Easing some of the financial strain, some people will become resourceful finding ways of earning extra money on the Internet, working from home or working during the weekends that the former partner has the children.  This way their time away from home is minimized, and they have more time to enjoy their children.  Many also find assistance from family and friends.

It also seems to put things into perspective as well.  Many people will look at this life-changing event for the positive qualities held within it, growing from the experience.  They approach future relationships differently, do not get upset as easily and learn to share their feelings better.  Many times the mere act of raising children alone will even open up the lines of communication between ex-spouses, where there once was no or limited communication.  This not only benefits the custodial parent, it is good for the children as well.  

On the contrary, some people grow to be bitter when they become single, and carry resentment for their ex-spouse.  Sadly, in these circumstances, it is usually the children that suffer because they hear the complains about the ex-spouse or see fits of anger that will not be soon forgotten, divorce is not just nice for everybody. Despite the difficulty, if you are faced with becoming single, it is always best to remain as positive as possible.  It is unnecessary to bring it to your children's attention that your ex-spouse betrayed you or that they are a non-contributing person.  Children love their parents, regardless of their financial and/or visitation actions.  Allow them to form opinions for themselves as they mature.

Some people that are content with being single but struggling in other areas commonly find emotional support via website forums, therapy and support groups.  It's helpful to spend time with and share feelings with kindred spirits, and often these groups will flourish into friendships.  Parents also exchange a wealth of ideas on resolving difficulties that they are having within the web forums.  They are an excellent source of information with instant feedback.  The members in on these sites understand what it's like, including the stresses and the occasional feeling of being overwhelmed.