Single Parenting

Being pregnant is one of the most anticipated and exciting moments in a person’s life. The moment the doctor says the words “you’re pregnant”, most parents burst into tears and immediately start to think of what they will name their little bundle of joy. Upon stepping out of the doctor’s office, they would probably call everyone they know to share the good news.

However, there are some parents who find it difficult to rejoice upon confirmation of a pregnancy. These are those who, in one way or another, are still unprepared for the responsibility of having a child. They could be financially strapped; have medical conditions wherein a pregnancy could adversely affect the health of the mother, or that of the unborn child; and those who, upon the birth of the infant, will have to raise the child alone as a single parent.

Basically, a single parent is someone who will be raising a child on his/her own, without the help or support of a partner. One becomes a single parent through a variety of reasons such as death (the husband could have died before the baby was born, or the mother dies at childbirth); divorce or separation; by choice (adopting a child or through IVF); and the most common is through unplanned pregnancies.

A single parent may be male or female, although most seem to be female; can be between the ages of 16 to the late 40’s or 50’s, and may come from any race, religion, and socio-economic class. Anyone can be a single parent, and being one is not an easy task.