Families today are different from the past. Today one quarter of all parents are single parents. Raising a child is a hard job, which is even harder when you are alone. Sometimes the stresses of being the only one feel huge: you are the worker, the parent, the cook, the cleaner. Learning how to manage time, and to set priorities are important skills for a single parent.

People who are successful single parents say they seek out friends who are also single parents. They can help share child care, errands or ideas. It also helps to know that others are in the same situation as you, and that the stresses are not unique to you alone. Another tip from successful single parents, is to take care of yourself. This means taking care of your own health, taking time to have fun, and to have other adult companions. Successful single parent families teach children to share in household chores, and spend time having fun together.

Since there are so many single parents today, you may find that your community has support or social groups for single parent families. Parents without Partners is one such group (call toll-free at (800) 637-7974) ; your church or temple may have one as well. These can be great ways to meet others who are dealing with the same challenges as you, raising a family alone. Remember, it's the quality of parenting a child gets that is important, not how many parents there are.

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