What is a solo parent?
With the increasing percentage of divorce and separation, it’s common to use the term “solo parent” for all the single parents who are taking their responsibilities alone.
However, these two terminologies are completely different!
Solo parents are those individuals who want to have kids usually without marriage. Mothers either adopt a kid or take artificial measures i.e. intrauterine insemination to produce kids.
Solo parents are parents who raise their kids alone without support of any spouse or Co-Partner.
Types of Solo Parent:
Here are two types of solo parenting;
•Temporary Solo Parenting
•Permanent Solo Parenting
Temporary Solo Parenting:
Temporary solo parenting refers to the type of solo parenting in which either of the parents is not available for a short duration of time.
In temporary solo parenting, a single parent needs to carry out responsibilities of both father and mother for a short duration of time that can be from days to months or years too, depending upon the situation. Child may or may not belong biologically to the solo parent.
Here are some situations when it’s temporary solo parenting:
- It’s when fathers are missing for military reasons. Mothers aren’t sure about what happened to them in military camps, they raise their kids alone until father returns.
- Usually, women prior to their decision of marriage, prefer solo parenting to gain an experience of raising a child for a short duration.
- When kids are adopted by a parent for a short duration of time by single individuals and then returned back to orphanages.
- Grandmother or grandfather raising their grandchildren when parents need to travel to far distant areas.
- Family members raising the kid of some dead couple, until some reliable couple officially declares to adopt them.
- Kids of broken marriages where none of the parents want to take responsibility for the kid, such kids are usually raised by an unmarried person belonging to either of the parents until they finally agree upon some decision.
Permanent solo parenting:
Permanent solo parenting is the type of solo parenting in which a parent permanently take charge of a kid without the support of any spouse or co parent.
Following are some situations which are manifestations of permanent solo parenting:
- Widowed mothers or fathers who brought up their kids after the death of their parents.
- When one of the partners after divorce or separation doesn’t want to keep responsibility for their child, the mother or father take responsibility all alone.
- Parents who want kids without marriage, adopt kids and raise them.
- Mothers who undergo intrauterine insemination, to have kids, are the permanent solo parents.
- Where kids are adopted for the whole life by either of the parents.
- Women who produce their kid after rape, raise them solely, as father are unknown in majority cases.
5 Complications of solo parenting:
Solo parenting is one of the most difficult kinds of parenting. It raises lots of complications where parents undergo serious pressure of responsibilities.
Here are 5 Complication listed:
- Financial pressure: solo parents need to take financial responsibility all alone. Either it is school or college fee or other daily basis necessities, such pressure disturbs the only parent a lot.
- Lack of time for your own: Although this decision of parenting is all alone, a solo parent is always involved in taking care of needs, lacking time for oneself.
- Frustrated parents: Lack of time makes parents frustrated, affecting the environment of household affection. Kids of such households get affected with their parent’s behaviour.
- Affected kids: Kids of solo parents always ask about their other missing parents. Unanswered questions about how they looked or why they don’t live with them anymore affect children’s growth. They compare their solo parents to those nearby and get disappointed as a result.
- Society norms: Living in a society with strong family architecture usually questions solo parenting. Answering such questions is difficult for kids and their solo parents both. Solo parenting of adopted kids creates fraternity disputes. Religious and societal norms usually do not support solo parenting that much.
5 Tips for effective solo parenting:
Once you actually decide to parent your kid solely, you need to stick to it patiently no matter what happens. Here are the 5 tips to go for effective parenting.
- Be patient: Your patience will decide your level of confidence in raising your child. Don’t be mad at your-self.
- Explain to your child: Explain your child your responsibilities as a single parent. Make them understand to balance their needs and desires.
- Teach your kid skills: You should teach your kid skills for financial independency. It’s necessary for their own growth too. It will add sense of responsibility that will prove helpful in future too.
- Don’t let your frustration affect kids: Work load can disturb your tone but don’t let it affect your kids. They are already in an incomplete house, try to communicate politely as a family.
- Don’t be overprotective: Solo parents are usually over protective. Don’t be over possessive for your kid. Act naturally, nothing can separate your kid from you. Don’t scold or panic each time your kid decides by his own. Accept growth and let them control their own lives.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What is solo parenting vs single parenting?
Solo parenting vs single parenting is the comparison of types of parenting. Solo parents are parents who chose to take the responsibility of their biological or non-biological kids by their own. Whereas single parenting is when parents are divorced or separated and usually cooperate as co-parents too.
How to survive as a solo parent?
Be patient, take your responsibility without frustration and don’t let society norms affect you. You are role model for your kid. They love you for your role in their life. Don’t compare yourself with other complete families. Be your child’s best friend to whom they can share all their queries. Don’t be judgemental when it’s upto your child’s growth