Lessons Learned as a Single Parent

Lessons Learned as a Single Parent

I am a single parent. Five little words I never thought I would have to say. Before I became a single mom, I used to look at my darling children and wonder “How on earth do single parents do this parenting thing?” Especially when my children were doing something not quite so darling. At some point in our parenting, we are all single parents. Death of a spouse and divorce are the most common reasons, while illness or demands of a job can affect even a married couple.

Parenting under the best circumstances is tough and the issue at hand remains: raising young children to be God-fearing, well-adjusted, loving adults, and not losing yourself or them in the process.  In the forefront of our minds, we should be reminded that we are raising a future man or woman—someone’s wife or someone’s husband; the mother or father of our grandchildren. Our marital status doesn’t change the work we have before us. Our job and goals are still the same as before:

  • Make all of life about God. 

“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  —1 Corinthians 10:31

  • Pray for our children while teaching them to pray.

“You shall teachthem to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.”  —Deuteronomy 11:19

  • Demonstrate the importance of the Bible.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” —Psalm 119:105

  • Be a living example of faith.

“Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”  —1 Corinthians 11:1

  • Discipline.

“He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.”  —Proverbs 13:24

  • Worship together.

What has changed is recognizing that we really can’t do this parenting thing alone; no one can.  We aren’t designed to do these things alone. One of the blessings of being a part of the body of Christ is being able to humbly accept help when it’s offered and being brave enough to ask for it when it isn’t.