Parenting Articles:

Introduction
Definition
Skills
Not By Choice
Church
Dating
Education
Alcohol
Aids
Sex
Blending

Single Parenting - Introduction

Single parenting is the hardest job you'll ever love.

As single parents we should secure a healthy start, a head start, and a fair start in life for our children. We cannot afford not to invest in our children. It is hard parenting today and single parenting is even harder. It is hard to control our children's values, when public figures, advertisers and television equate drinking, sex and wasteful consumerism with fun, relaxation and style.

All parents single or not should not allow athletes or celebrity status to influence the rearing of their children. Sometimes parents overextend themselves financially buying the latest pair of brand name tennis shoes or jersey. When we do this what are we teaching our children? The love, caring and nurturing of our children should not have that kind of a price tag attached. We, the parents, should be their heroes and role models; our children should emulate us instead of a famous face or name on a cereal box. We should teach our children what our priorities are and what we value.

Single parents should stop and think if they are not cheating and neglecting their children for their own selfish, shortsighted and personal gain. Whether single parents or not, if we cut corners in life our children will too. If we lie, they will too. If we throw garbage from our car windows, park our cars illegally, and ignore road safety signs, our children will to. When we swear our children are listening. If we spend all our money on ourselves to keep up with the Jones's and give nothing to church or charity our children won't either. In order for our children to ascertain their place in life we have to first set the standards and be good moral examples for them. Remember; our children do not follow our words but our actions. If we are not good role models for our children, then someone else will fill those shoes and impart values to them that might not really be the ones we believe in.

As single parents we should place more emphasis on our children's future and they will place higher values on themselves. We should make sure that family and community values are not disappearing in our children. Our children seem to be growing up in a society where instant sex without responsibility is the norm, immediate rewards without effort is expected, quick solutions without sacrifice is a can do, getting rather than giving is a skill. It will take all our efforts to counteract these pressures, but because of this, our children need our guidance more than ever.

We need to teach our children to be assertive and not be lazy, to do their homework and housework, pay attention to details and take care and pride in their work and be reliable. Particularly in a small community like ours, a person is known by their integrity, honor, hardwork and good deeds, as well as by his or her sloth, bad character, disrespect for others and selfishness. Life is too short and important not to try to excel in every endeavor.

Our children should be taught that standards for success should not be personal greed rather than common good, and it is not enough just to get by rather than to do one's best. Single parents: we need to teach and show our children positive actions by our own examples. Excellence in all things and a commitment to always try our hardest are good values to work on for our children and ourselves.

As part of our parenting skills we should practice some of our family traditions such as praying before we get out of bed in the morning and before we go to sleep at night. Sharing Sunday dinners after church, spending Good Friday at Grand mother's house or spending Mother's and Father's Day with a favorite grand parent is a good thing. As single parents we need to remember that our values and morals shape our children's future. Sometimes it may seem like a trial and error process, but when we become more conscious in our parenting techniques, ideally this will nurture the development of respect.

Nothing and absolutely nothing must separate single parents and all parents from their duty to their children.