“I know we can make it work, I know we can make it – if we try” This brief song lyric describes the bottom line of what we are doing with our guides. Empowering you to try and succeed! Solo Parenting = Triumph!
“Yes, We Can Can” was a 1973 smash hit for The Pointer Sisters. It reminds us of how all things are possible. It reminds us that taking advantage of resources in your community is key to success. Yes, you might be a single parent on your own. Please know, however, that there is help out there for you and many others.
As a single parent, know that you most definitely “can-can”. More importantly, you do– do! Taking care of your children as well as yourself is a daily effort in meeting every challenge. You make no excuses. You charge until the job is completed.
Every good soldier needs support.
Joining one of the many national and local single-parent support groups can provide you with the tremendous help that you need.
This guide on single-parent support groups is a great tool for finding which support group may be right for you.
The guide also serves to teach you what to do if you can’t find a support group.
This decision is a no-brainer. Getting the opportunity to gain support from others can only be a positive. Communication is key. Let’s learn why reaching out for support via single-parent support groups is a great thing.
What Is A Support Group?
According to helpguide.org, a trusted nonprofit online guide to better mental health and wellness, the definition of a support group is simple. A support group is a gathering of people facing common issues to share what’s troubling them.
Through the sharing of experiences, they’re able to offer support, encouragement, and comfort to the other group members, and receive the same in return.
What Are Single Parent Support Groups?
Support groups are most effective if they supply assistance, resources, and support to specific groups. A general parenting support group will be extremely helpful if you have children. However, if you are a single parent, you may find more in common with other single parents. In that case, single-parent support groups may be most helpful. This is a gathering of single parents getting together to discuss how to be better single parents. They discuss the problems they are facing. How current events are affecting their households, and how they may have become single parents in the first place. The only limitation to the group discussion is what the members set on the topics. You become a better single parent by discussing different solutions to common problems. You learn how others may have handled a similar situation and what to do about it.
Once you begin to click around the Internet, you will find a lot of information on single-parent support groups. There are many online organizations out there to help you be the very best single parent you can be.
You Are Not Alone - Challenges Single Parents Face
The American Psychological Association lists several stressors that single parents face today, which include:
Visitation and custody problems – The fact of being a single parent means there is yet another parent involved, usually. The stress from interaction with your co-parent is common. In the case of being a single parent by choice, (adopting a child as a single man or woman or being artificially inseminated as a single woman) means there is no interaction with biological co-parents. However, that in and of itself can be stressful. for you and your child or children. How to manage these stressors is as varied as the many different types of families there are today. However, open, honest communication is always important.
Unresolved conflict between the co-parents – even if the conflict is not related to visitation and custody if you and your ex are fighting about relationship issues, your new significant other, or anything – it becomes stressful
Not enough quality time –As a single parent you have more on your plate, in general, than a two-parent family. Just because there is no sharing of at-home child and household responsibilities, there is less time for you to spend with your child doing fun things.
How your child reacted to the break-up, if there was one, can be a continuous stressor. Break-ups impact education and social lives.
Extended family changes – you may have had to move to a different city or state as a result of the break up of your relationship. This is true for parents that were never married as well. As a result, your child is not as close to their extended family. Extended family changes can result if there is tension or “bad blood” between the co-parent’s family.
Problems can arise from dating – Single parents face a challenge if they want to continue seeking romantic relationships.
We'd Like To Add The Other Obvious Stressors That Single Parents Face:
Lack of income – admittedly, this is not a problem for every single parent. But if you happen not to be a millionaire, then you are on your stretching income to meet household needs. Even if both co-parents have adequate incomes, you now have to include the maintenance of two households instead of one. Dollars must be stretched in single-parent households.
Lack of Communication – Being able to keep tabs on your children’s whereabouts is critical. Communicating with your pediatrician, children’s school staff, your co-parent., your family, yand our co-parents’ family is important. Cellphones are necessary and keeping costs to a minimum means everything. Here is where EASY Wireless solves so many single-parent challenges. Your ability to keep in contact with the people you need to is taken care of. The Affordable Connectivity Program, by the United States government and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), offers stipends for individuals with low incomes to use towards communication services. EASY Wireless accepts the benefits of this program. You can use those benefits for a great FREE SIM card! The opportunity to be connected to your loved ones and necessary resources can happen with one visit to the EASY Wireless website. Click on the highlighted site to learn more about how you can qualify to receive these benefits and become one of their countless satisfied customers.
Benefits Of Participation In A Single-Parent Support Group
Newport Academy is a big supporter of single parent support groups and parenting support groups as a whole. They offer their take on the “5 Reasons Why Parenting Support Groups Are So Important”:
Other parents go through the very same thing – it’s important to realize that you are not alone in the struggles you face as a parent.
These groups are an active form of self–care – taking the time to take great care of yourself is of utmost importance. You’ll take good care of yourself and good care of your child at the same time by being open to single parent support groups.
Single-parent support groups are a great way to gain valuable resources – not only that, you will gain a great support network of both professionals and peers that can help you be the very best single parent you can be.
Single-parent support groups can also help you build great skill sets – you’ll learn so much about yourself, your children, and your parenting skills. You’ll learn what you already have and you’ll learn what you can gain to become a better parent.
A place to find H & H – Newport Academy stresses that parenting support groups are a great resource for hope and humor. You’ll find things in common to laugh about and you’ll gain hope in your child’s future and your future as a great single parent.
Seeing The Benefits - Support Group Resources
Love-To-Know is an online resource that offers the following listing of local support groups and single parent support groups:
These national support groups are available by going online and simply typing in your ZIP Code. Go to the Single Parent Support Group Options Page on the Love-To-Know website for links and more information:
Parents Without Partners – is an international non-profit. This group provides support for mothers and fathers in both the United States and Canada. Go to their website to see if you can find a local chapter. Parents Without Partners offers retreats, parenting dinners, hiking as well as other outdoor and indoor activities to keep you active. The local chapters are generally conducted by Parents Without Partners members and everyone is volunteering their time.
Psychology Today – is another great resource for finding single parent support groups. They offer different options for single parent support groups that are led by professionals in the field. Counselors, family therapists, social workers, and marriage counselors run these groups and you can find what will work best for you. Some of these groups may have a fee. Make certain that your group meets your criteria.
Meet Up – is yet another single parenting group that has chapters across the United States. These groups are not only for single parenting issues, you may be able to find a group that can help you with other mental health issues or social issues. If you find anything that you like on the Meet Up website, you can request or you can ask to join right then and there.
Life of a Single Mom – is a resource that can help you find local support groups that are held worldwide. Check out their website to see if you can locate something that will work for you. If you type in your ZIP Code, they will let you know if what you want is nearby or exactly where you can find the resources you need.
Dad, They Didn’t Forget About You
On the Meet Up site, there is a map just for single dad support groups. Love-T-Know reminds us that in order to use the Meet Up site you have to create an account.
Another Great Resource Is Single & Parenting
This is a pretty spectacular single parent support group program. There are three phases to the Single & Parenting Program:
A video seminar – the Single & Parenting organization produces different parenting videos to help single parents with daily challenges. These seminars include teachings from professionals and other counselors who have either been single parents or worked professionally with single parents. These videos include actual single parents and professional advice who’ve faced different situations in their parenting lives. These parents and professionals share various solutions they found themselves or have learned to be effective.
Once you watch the videos, there is a small group discussion portion of the Single & Parenting program. Everyone gets to talk about what’s going on in their individual parenting life. Also, once you break out into the small group discussion portion of the program, you can talk about the videos that you’ve learned from. You’ll discuss how to apply what you’ve learned from the videos to your real life.
As you maintain attendance in the single parent support groups, there is yet another part of the Single & Parenting program. You get the opportunity to work it out with a workbook–based personal application. These workbooks help you deal with daily struggles with your children, such as
- Discipline
- Exhaustion
- Finances
Emotions related to parenting or just plain simple living, such as frustration, anger, and depression
Ideally, after some time in the single parent support groups as part of the Single & Parenting program, you’ll start to feel:
Hopeful for the future – many parents have a lot of anxiety regarding their children’s futures. They want their children to “turn out OK”. After sharing your experiences with the other single parents in the group, you’ll start to feel more confident in your parenting skills because you have learned how to become a better parent from the videos and the group discussion shared experiences.
Like your single parent support group will begin to feel like a family – You’ll get to know the others in the group. You’ll get to know their struggles, trials, and triumphs. You’ll probably make new and lifelong friends in your single parent support group. The group will become a place where you feel safe and comfortable sharing.
Like expressing yourself – talking about the issues you’re facing with your co-parent, your child’s school staff, whatever the situation. You’ll feel better once you start talking about it and getting it out.
You’re able to apply the good things you’ve learned – hearing solutions from real parents coupled with the information in the videos and workbook can be applied to your own situation. After a while, you’ll feel comfortable applying the new knowledge.
Everyone is there for a common goal – all of the single parents in your single parent support groups are trying to become better single parents. As a result, the Single & Parenting program administrators declare that you won’t feel very nervous for long.
Because you all have the same goals, you’ll find that the people in your single parent support group actually “get it”.
We give more information about the Single & Parenting resource because it is the first single parent support group option listed on the Love to Know website. They also go into great detail about what their program offers on their site. Get more information by going to the specific website of all the programs and resources listed above.
Online Support Groups
That is one good thing that arose during this pandemic. We understand that we can rely on technology to bring us together if we cannot get together in person. This togetherness can be that missing piece that you need to maintain the success you work so hard for. EASY Wireless is a major player in your ability to effectively communicate with all of the folks you need to be in contact with. You can be actively engaging in your single parent support group while being present in the home with your child. Lack of childcare is not an obstacle to participating in single parent support groups. Love-To-Know. com
Single moms and single dads have their support group online. You can post a thread about something that you want to discuss on this website and you can get a wealth of information about single parent support groups that are both local and national or worldwide.
Another online resource is Daily Strength. All you have to do is register online and enter your personal information. If you’d like to share a lot or you would like to share a little, you’ll have the opportunity to do so.
Single Parent Support Online Chat
If you don’t have the time to join single parent support groups, why not just chat when you need extra help? There are online chat rooms that are safe for you to share online. Here you can just go on and share when you are having a pressing issue, immediate concern, need information or knowledge, or a particular challenge. You will still get the help you need for your family.
- Individual Therapy
- Clergy Counseling
- Family Therapy
Support Groups For Children Living In Single Parent Households
