Single parenthood is a challenging proposition whether it happened due to some unfortunate incident or is taken by choice with the help of a competent attorney. It gets even more challenging during the holiday seasons like Christmas, which are a symbol of togetherness and family.

Single parenthood is particularly difficult for single mothers as they do not only have to keep their emotional instability in check. But, they must also tend to each and every matter of the household, ranging from finances to house management. As a result, it can get quite overwhelming for them to single handedly deal with all the affairs of the household. Therefore, we have discussed here five most common challenges you are going to face as a single mother, so that you can prepare yourself if you happen to find yourself in such a situation.  

  • Self-doubt:

One of the most common challenges single mothers face is having to deal with the increasing self-doubt. Being in a relationship means that you have someone who will validate your positive parenting skills, and can nudge you in the right direction if you are not doing that good a job. 

But, being single means that you are always going to question yourself about things like whether you are being a good mother or not. Therefore, it is always a good idea to surround yourself with single mothers because they are going through the same situation and having them in your social circle can give you a lot of validation.  

  • Making solo decisions:

Another challenge that comes with single motherhood is the pressure of making solo decisions. It can be quite overwhelming to make every little decision yourself because at times, you want someone to take care of some things for you. For example, single mothers usually struggle to buy things like lawn mowers, or carpenter tools, as these are not the decisions they are habitual of making themselves. 

  • Strained Finances:

Single mothers are incredibly likely to have strained finances, and it is more common among those mothers whose ex-partners do not share the expenses of child care. As a result, many single mothers take up multiple jobs at a time so that they can cope with the massive expenses of children’s education and health care. It has been studied that families run by single mothers have less access to health care because most of them are unable to pay for this basic necessity. 

  • Child behavior:

According to some studies, most of the fathers start to visit their children less regularly after the first year of divorce. As a result, children start to sense the absence of a male role model, and tend to act out of hurt and desperation. Moreover, behavior issues of children can also worsen because of single mothers getting immensely busy to make both ends meet. When single mothers fail to give their children proper time and attention, children start to retaliate by doing the same to their mothers by engaging themselves in other activities.

  • Poor mental health:

The immense burden of responsibilities is incredibly taxing for single mothers especially when they do not have anyone to share their tough lives. As a result, their mental health begins to deteriorate as they develop conditions like depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. As a result, single mothers are also commonly found to be addicted to painkillers and antidepressants. 

In a nutshell, single motherhood is incredibly taxing, and if you are choosing it for yourself, be prepared to cope with its inherent challenges.