A single mother is someone who lives alone with their child or children, and who doesn’t have a partner or live-in spouse. Becoming a single mother often stems from divorce, separation, abuse, or death of an unmarried partner. Single mothers face a unique set of challenges than do others who don’t become mothers.
Over half of all American families are headed by a single mother. In some cases, single motherhood is the norm. But in many cases, this is not the case. In some of our largest cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles, the rate of single-mother households is growing at a faster rate than those headed by married couples. There are a number of reasons for these changes. One of them is poverty.
As the cost of living continues to rise, many people who once could afford to live comfortably are now finding it increasingly difficult to get by. This includes single mothers. Low-income families tend to be two-income families, which can make it difficult for single mothers to make ends meet. Another reason why low-income families are increasingly rare is immigration. Since the 1980s, the number of immigrants trying to come to the United States has been on the rise, especially from Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe.
Living as a single mom can be a challenge. Not having a partner to share responsibility for raising the children can cause stress to the single mom. She may be tempted to get another job, but often the need for money is what pushes her into doing that. The need for stability may be even stronger. And, she may not know how to find that kind of stability. It’s not easy being a single mom.
However, there are options available for single mothers. She can work. This puts at least some monetary value to her current situation. Additionally, there are financial benefits to being a stay-at-home parent. That means the mother is no longer an “employed” person but has a job (and a family). This gives her a certain kind of security in her life.
For others, the financial benefits don’t seem to be enough. In this case, there are other options. Some single mothers do find a way to be both a mother and father to their children, even if this involves living with their abusive husbands or suffering neglectful situations.
But for others, financial security isn’t the only thing they’re looking for. For these moms, the goal is to have their children alone. Having the option to be a good mother and father without having the kids by their side can be very fulfilling. If you’re looking for a way out of a bad situation, consider opening lines of credit for mothers. The financial stability can provide the power needed to pull your life back together again. Just make sure that you take care of yourself and your children first, before you move on to securing other kinds of relief.
Raising children alone as a single mother often puts a deep emotional weight on the person. That’s not supposed to be the case. Being a single mother shouldn’t require you to be depressed, resentful or filled with dread. And it certainly shouldn’t have to make you less productive or otherwise unworthy of your children’s time. Even if you were recently divorced, you can still turn your life around. You just need a chance.
In fact, there’s an opportunity right now in our country to turn your life around – for the better. That’s because President Obama wants moms to return to school. It was amazing to me that he mentioned single parents in his speech in Spanish. (El aboudi said it in Spanish.)
The White House has made the great investment in online virtual learning courses that can bring a mom who’d previously given up her education to college, a dad who doesn’t work, and even a single parent going back to college. These classes are high quality and very effective. I know from personal experience that online courses are one of the best ways to raise your standard of living while gaining valuable skills and knowledge that you can then apply to your future. (In fact, I’m using one of these courses to supplement my income and is paying me well!
The good news is that President Obama thinks single mothers need a chance, an opportunity, to make their lives better. He has made this available through the Specialized Educators Grant Program, and all it takes is an application and a test. If you’re a single mother living paycheck to paycheck, you owe it to yourself and your family to give one of these a try. You just might be surprised at how much money you can raise just by getting involved in one of these programs. And once you get on the path to prosperity, you won’t remember how poor you were when you finished school.