Lord knows I was not prepared for the funny truths of becoming a single parent. This journey has definitely been a funny one.
Check out my story: How Single Motherhood Changed My Life
Single parenting is not a job for the faint. With the stresses of providing for your child alone, maintaining your work performance, nurturing your relationships, and trying to stay healthy. This meme is a testament to it.
Single parenting is hard. It has its joys and it also has its frustrations. But at the end of the day, if you can’t laugh at your joys and pains, then you will have a really hard time as a single parent.
Being a single parent is not a life full of struggles, but a journey for the strong. – Meg Lowrey
Below I share the 10 funny truths I’ve experienced as a single parent and I know you’ve probably experienced it too.
- 1 10 Funny Truths About Being A Single Parent
- 1.0.1 You tend to not have any privacy.
- 1.0.2 Your child adopts all your behavior traits.
- 1.0.3 You are the only person to get their snacks.
- 1.0.4
- 1.0.5 Good luck with being on time, ever.
- 1.0.6 What is yours is theirs.
- 1.0.7 People will ask you to watch kids.
- 1.0.8 God has a sense of humor with having the child exhibit behaviors you despised in the other parent.
- 1.0.9 God has equipped you with what you need.
- 1.0.10 Your child(ren) actually thinks the world of you.
- 1.0.11 You will have days but you will never truly regret choosing your child’s life over circumstances.
- 1.1 All in all,
- 1.2 Chyna Nicole
- 1.3 Related
10 Funny Truths About Being A Single Parent
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You tend to not have any privacy.
No privacy at all! Can’t even sneak a bowl of ice cream or use the bathroom in peace. You are certainly their world. But it’s not all bad. I remember wanting to have some private time or having a zoom meeting. Avah would always come in and check on me every ten minutes like I was always up to something. Now as she’s getting older, I can finally have 15 minutes in the bathroom before she checks again.
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Your child adopts all your behavior traits.
This one slapped me in the face and turn around and slapped me on the back of my head. One day, your child(ren) usually doesn’t fall too far from the tree. They have innate traits from you that make you look yourself in the mirror. Like this, my attention is either full fledge or extremely poor. Avah exhibits some of those same traits and I become frustrated. There is also other learned behavior that our children learn from us, both good and bad. I’m just glad that she has taken on my trait of caring for others and loving God.
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You are the only person to get their snacks.
I don’t know how many times I’ve walked around yelling, ” I am not your maid, not your personal assistant, and not your servant. I am your mom!” Frustrated with all her demands, I reflect and realize that I am all these and more. I am the one that help you clean where you can’t. I support her when she needs help completing her homework. Not only am I a servant of God, but also I am called to serve my children as they grow. Maybe retrieving a little snack isn’t that bad. I’m the official snack-getter to you!
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Good luck with being on time, ever.
Sometimes I just provide people with a disclaimer right off the back that being on time is a crime at this point. I wasn’t that great to begin with regarding time management. But wow… putting a kid in the mix did not make it better. I often felt bad about my lack of punctuality, but now I have no shame. I am still working on being better but it is definitely a work in progress when your 4-year-old is as fast as a sloth.
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What is yours is theirs.
I can’t even have my own cup of water. She has to taste it even though she already knows what it is. Understand that when becoming a parent, the freedom you had to have your own space is limited. That is why I encourage you to be intentional about identifying boundaries and strategies to help your child (ren) understand that certain things are not to be messed with. If I come home and see another journal or book of mine scribbled in with art, I am going to scream following praising my baby for being creative.
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People will ask you to watch kids.
This is the funniest truth of all. Luckily my friends and family understand that I don’t like kids that much. I mean… I have a child and I can entertain kids for a short period of time. But one thing everyone knows is that my patience is too thin. Single parents are already overwhelmed with their own situation and child(ren), why would we be so inclined to add anything else to the equation? Don’t get me wrong. I will babysit sparingly. But do not look to me as a consistent source. Hell…I’m looking for childcare myself.
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God has a sense of humor with having the child exhibit behaviors you despised in the other parent.
This one will be short and sweet because I’m still bitter. Just kidding. When my daughter was first born, I was so excited as a single parent, ready to take on this new challenge. She came out looking exactly like her father. Strike one. Then she was stubborn at a young age, rebelling against my goals of breastfeeding. Strike two. And since then, miss thang has wanted to have the last word. Strike three. Her father’s personality was all over this situation. Well maybe some of me in there too. It’s so funny how things turn out as a single parent to help you address, heal, and overcome things that may have triggered you. God works in ways that we do not fully understand.
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God has equipped you with what you need.
Man, I do not know how many times I had to encourage myself and speak over myself that I have what it takes to be an amazing single parent. God wouldn’t give you a burden that is too much to bear. But He will give a load too heavy that forces you to trust and rely on others and Him to help you grow through it. He have given you the tools, gifts, and provided provision to help bring you closer to the path He has destined for you, single parent or not.
May he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen. ~Hebrew 13:21~
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Your child(ren) actually thinks the world of you.
This is a funny but so relevant truth every single parent has to realize. We can often be so caught of in everything we are falling short on that we don’t realize that I children doesn’t even see us in this way. For a lot of out children, they just desire love, attention, affection, and affirmation. All the other things we work ourselves tirelessly about are just secondary. When you are frustrated with single parenting, ask yourself these questions:
- Am I providing love to my child(ren)?
- In what ways am I showing affection to my child(ren) right now?
- Am I paying attention to them or my to-do list?
- What is one thing I said today that affirmed my child(ren) and their great qualities?
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You will have days but you will never truly regret choosing your child’s life over circumstances.
Lord knows I have days where I wished I wouldn’t have gone through with the pregnancy. But He also knows that I have a heart after His own heart. Having a child is a precious gift from God (Psalm 123:7). We should not take this lightly. Life will not be easy for us a single parent even if we are Christian. But what makes us different is where we put our hope in (Psalm 71:5). Hope in a brighter future (Jeremiah 29:11) and a God who sees us (Genesis 16:13) and won’t forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6) on this journey of single parenthood.
All in all,
Through all the funny truth, I have come to the conclusion that I am honored to take on the responsibility of parenting the next generation and instilling the things of God. Even as a single parent, we can make such a great impact on our children and the world. Just think about all the famous, successful people who were raised by a single parent.
There are some downsides to this type of family structure. But it does not have to determine the future of our children and us as a parent. I hope these funny truths have made you laugh but also give you perspective on how single parenting is not all that bad.
Next Steps
Some of us are not at a place to really address our needs spiritually, emotionally, and relationally as a single parent. At times, we may need someone who is neutral that can help us walk through our limiting beliefs and behaviors that are keeping us from feeling as confident as we want to. This is when I come in.
I would encourage you to browse my coaching page. You can also schedule a complimentary breakthrough chat with me to learn how Made New Coaching can help you with your confidence needs. Not ready for 1:1? You can always join the Confident Christian Single Moms FB Group for special insights, community, and encouragement to resources below:
I like that you mention that single parenting is not a job for the faint. With the stresses of providing for your child alone, maintaining your work performance, nurturing your relationships, and trying to stay healthy. My sister is a single parent and she seems happy about the situation. For me being happy depend on how you perceive things as they are.
It’s all about perception. And it sounds like your sister has the right perspective. Thanks for sharing.