Who is a single parent?“A single parent is a person who lives with a child or children and who does not have a spouse or live-in partner. Reasons for becoming a single parent include divorce, break-up, and abandonment, death of the other parent, and childbirth by a single woman or single-person adoption”. -WikipediaI decided to define who a single parent is because every single parent you see have his or her story to tell, for some it is a natural cause which is by virtue of death of one of the partners and for some, they are different reasons which most times are bitter.
Hmmm!!!it is so amazing that the society we live in today is not friendly or really a conducive place for a single parent because of stigmatization, isolation and abandonment experience of the said party. Being a single parent comes with a whole lot of experiences which include:
• Dealing with the reality of it i.e the emotional problems, loneliness, adjustment difficulties and financial troubles e.t.c• Dealing with the society, the church, the family members, friends, people on your street who knew you were married e.t.c
• Having to deal with the child or the children as the case may be
• Effect on the child or children which could be positive and negative
• Dealing with the divorce process or separation process and the custody of the child or children• Raising the child or children afterwards, making sure that they never err, having to discipline them alone• Dealing with the child or children’s welfare (oh my God!!!!)
• The child or children relationship with the other party, i.e. the father or the mother as the case might be• Effects on the child or children in school, society and among their peers who lives with both parents• Social effects on the single parent
• Dealing with entering a new relationship with the child or children having to accept the new person in your life e.t. c. I could go on and on and on. So I have decided to open my own diary, to open my world and my experience of being a single parent to my beautiful children to you. I can tell you that it has not been an easy experience but in all when I look at the Bundles of Joy God has blessed me with, I tell myself Oluwabukola you must not fail. And as I open my diary, we will talk on each of the issues I have itemized because I am a living testimony and I know that since God has helped me this far, He will help you too. I hope for the very best for my children and I know you do same for yours. Join me next week on this awesome journey.
Author: Oluwabukola Emmanuel