Challenges single mothers face

Being a single mother comes with its own set of unique challenges ranging from self-doubt to anxiety about making major decisions concerning your child on your own.

Basically it is twice the work, twice the stress and twice the tears.

Here are some challenges that single mothers face and how they can handle them.

Social stigmatization

Society has a way of dictating how your life should turn out and reminding you that how you are living your life is not acceptable – at least according to society.

This reality dawns harshly on single mothers who for example, are constantly being told how to raise their children.

Your neighbour may feel obliged to tell you how your child is naughty because you do not discipline them through corporal punishment.

Bottom line is that it is your child and you decide how to discipline them and what is good for them.

ALSO READ: Why single mothers remain single

Not being able to make important decisions about their children

This is one challenge that many Kenyan women face, especially when the father wants to give the mother of his children a hard time.

They want to take their children out of the country for a trip abroad – they have to fight their baby fathers for permission. They want their children to change schools – the father thinks that the mother is trying to take their child away from them.

It is always a battle when it comes to making major decisions when it comes to their child even when the father is not present in the child’s life.

Lack of trust in men and unable to find legible suitors

Single mothers have loved, bore a child and broken up with the men they thought they would spend the rest of their lives with.

It becomes hard for them to trust another man into their life especially now that they have a child to consider before dating.

In the case of dating, the best thing to do is to take time before allowing someone else into your life. There is no rush.

Financial constraints

Any parent will agree that having a child requires one to be financially stable in order to be able to take care of the children.

For single parents, they may be overwhelmed with all the financial responsibilities that come with taking care of children.

Studies have found that in Kenya, men abandoning their responsibilities as fathers to be one of the factors to why women are rendered to raise their children single-handedly.

Taking some time off for yourself as a single mother could help relieve the anxiety that comes with financial issues. Start exercising, for example to help relieve some of that stress.

Self-doubt

Single mothers are tasked with making a lot of decisions on their own which can lead to them having self-doubt in the decisions they make. They are not sure whether the decisions they have made are right or not.

As a single mother, surrounding yourself with other single mothers that may be going through similar situations may help in not feeling like you are alone.