Children are a serious challenge no matter who you are. Once you have a child, your life is no longer completely your own. Every decision you make must be filtered through the question, “How does this affect my child?” Here are some things that can make that difficult process even harder.
Raising Children Alone
Being a single parent brings a whole host of new challenges. You no longer have someone who can share the load of responsibility. It leaves you singularly in charge of your child’s life, wellbeing, and education, as well as your own finances and errands of everyday life. Being a single parent is extremely hard, no doubt – but it is not impossible. While you should want to try and work out an amicable solution to your given relationship situation to secure the parenting duo dynamic, it’s not the end of the world if you end up single. It’s better to be a single parent than to be with an abusive or neglectful partner.
Adopted Children
Adopted children come with unique challenges – although, to be fair, so does every child. It is typically a little bit easier, emotionally speaking, to adopt younger children. They tend to be more trusting, and it will be easier to create an authentic parent-child bond. Older children, on the other hand, can be a bit more of a challenge. Many older children put up for adoption are coming from difficult home situations. They might have traumas or behaviors that can make parenting extra challenging. If adoption is a route that you are considering, think about having the adoptive child speak to a trusted therapist. Although it might cost you a little bit extra, you will likely find that it will be worth the trouble.
Financial Constraints
Raising a child in the ideal conditions means raising a child with the time and resources to give them all of the attention and care that they deserve. Sometimes, financial difficulties render that impossible. Working multiple jobs can take away valuable time. You might be unable to send them to the nicer school in your district. As unfortunate as it may be, the fact of the matter is that struggling financially does make raising kids harder.
But if you end up in a situation where you need to raise a kid in one or more of these environments – don’t be afraid. What really matters is the love that you show your child any way you can. Commit to being a good parent no matter the circumstance, and there will always be ways you can make your child feel loved.
Check out this article on how to help your kids get along with others!
