The difficulties of being a single mother

Having a child is a unique and wonderful experience that changes life completely. Today there are many mothers, who due to different circumstances, separation, abandonment of the couple, by their own choice, etc. are single mothers and they face alone the challenge of motherhood.

In spite of the great social advances, nowadays single mother, sometimes, it can be complicated. Single mothers face motherhood and also fatherhood.

Single mothers and their difficulties

The single mother faces the challenges of motherhood, but also has other problems:

- The single mother will have to learn to be a mother and to be a father and all this at the same time and maintaining sanity and balance. The role of mother and father is in your hands. Being a mother and father at the same time is an experience of personal growth and development, but it can be exhausting.
- The single mother will face her son's questions about her father. There will come a time when the child wants to know: who is his father, where is he ... depending on the situation the explanations will be different. In any case, it is the mother who will face this challenge.
- The single mother may be the one who receives the frustrations of her children in relation to the absence of the father. It is likely that the child gets angry, seek explanation and even blame the mother, in an attempt to manage that emotional discomfort that causes not having the father.

How to face the condition of being a single mother

1. Although many reject you, subtly some will support you and help you. Seek your support and company.
2. Being a mother is an exciting experience, that will make you learn and develop as a person.
3. Educate your children with a lot of love and considering that you can not, nor do you need to be perfect.
4. Explain them naturally and adapting to their age, everything they need to know about their father.
5. Being a single mother means not having your partner's company, but there are many people who will be happy to help you. Try, if possible, that someone you trust (grandfather, uncle, etc.) can play the role of father, so important in the education of a child. You do not have to be alone, get organized and ask for help from family members.

Aid for single mothers

Madrina Foundation:Fundación Madrina helps mothers and families with minors under their care at risk of social exclusion. www.madrina.org

Mother Network Foundation: REDMADRE is a Foundation created in 2007 with the purpose of offering support, advice and help to pregnant women. www.redmadre.es

House of the Almudena: mother-child house, for young pregnant women and single mothers with problems. www.familias-acogida.es

Celia Rodríguez Ruiz. Clinical health psychologist. Specialist in pedagogy and child and youth psychology. Director of Educa and Aprende.
Author of the collection Stimulate the reading and writing processes.