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New Horizons:  Sponsor a Family for 2012

New Horizons for Single Parent Families1 in 4 children in America are being raised in a Single Parent Family.  In fact, the US leads the world in the percentage of Single Parent Families that make up it's population.  The US however, is considered the least robust in programs and opportunities for these families.  Single Parent Advocate is dedicated to developing new resources where needed, and creating a better way of utilizing existing resources where possible as well toward that end.  We are faced with double the enrollment requests for our program for the 2nd year in a row, and we need your help.  Please sponsor a family for $20.00, $50.00, $75.00, or $100.00 per month - or make a one time donation if you can. No matter how you help, please know that we are working hard everyday to speak to the change that is needed so that parents and children are afforded opportunity, peace, hope, and help.

Common Struggles for Single Parent Families

Resource Management: This can be anything from finances to childcare to food.  Stretching the dollar to cover normal daily needs–and dare I say desires/wants-of self & family.  If finances are not the challenge, single parents must make the most of time to pay the attention required to meet children’s needs (like school, activities, quality communication, and care) the demands of employer(s), and expectations of extended family, while still making room for recreation and rest.

There is often more month than money or time in a single parent household.  When a single parent comes home from work and starts their “second job” of cooking, cleaning, homework, bill paying, project making, and grocery shopping – they have completed a solid 12-14 hour day.  Normally, social connectedness, and self-care suffer tremendously. Self Care – if you do not take care of yourself with proper nutrition, rest, exercise and spiritual food – you cannot possibly be balanced enough to take care of others and make sound and healthy decisions alongside having sound and healthy reactions to life’s more challenging moments.  A single parent must remember to ASK FOR HELP.  There is no replacement for investigating and learning the community resources and unapologetically putting them in place as an active part of their home.  This can be like recreation centers, libraries, coupon groups, babysitting exchanges, the church, and so on.

Social Networking:  Because time and money is stretched, it is difficult to build a support network, but it is a MUST.   Many single parents have mentioned that they struggle with loneliness and isolation.  Often, the dynamics of dating are so challenging that people choose to stick to themselves. Many adults do not want to date a full time single parent and share attention with the children or bother to try and “blend” a family.  This type of rejection is often met with heartache and brings about low self-esteem.  I believe a sound solution is to surround oneself with other FAMILIES.  You are not a single – you are a FAMILY.  Our first priority as a family is to its members.  Our activities as “grown ups” like dating, girls/guys night out, trips to the salon, etc can be supported by the circle of families to which we belong.  In turn, we can offer the same.

Making up for the missing Parts: Many single parents try to play both parent roles.  If there are any moms like me, the lack of interest in baiting a fishhook or tying knots with the boy scouts must be met a neutral role model of the opposite parent that is trustworthy and consistent who will commit to this type of relationship on an ongoing and long term basis.

Additionally, it is very difficult to balance the demands of work fully when your child needs you at school or at home.  Overtime crushes more than the clock for a single parent– it crushes our ability to give our hearts in full connection with our child–and then crushes them.  A single parent needs a network – this can be with neighbors, school, church, family – whatever circle is safe, consistent, and reflective of good & sound ethics that support the parent and the children and is at the ready for life’s unexpected moments.

Guilt /Shame/Self Worth: Many single parents feel guilty and some even ashamed of having to ask more of their children than in terms of sacrifice and household operations.  Often, “letting a kid be a kid” is a rare privilege.  Single parents carry guilt about this at times, or overcompensate with tough love, which can be good–or build walls, depending on how it is approached and presented.   Making choices about what we can do and cannot do as it relates to time and money adds to the guilt that parents carry regarding their situation.  However, single parents MUST build each other up.  They MUST commit to a positive and productive perspective for their kid’s sakes.

Anxiety/Fear: Single parents are often faced with making the quality of interactions make up for the lack of quantity interactions.  Most single parents, however, find themselves in what I call “survival mode” emotionally, financially, or physically.   They are in a stance of fight or flight rather than in a place where decisions can be made based on patient, thoughtful, well strategized, and intentional efforts.  Hearts that filled with grief, guilt, shame, anxiety and fear are however leading homes and families all across America.  It is VERY IMPORTANT that we recognize this and develop healthy alternative habits.  AWARENESS is step one – ACKNOWLEGEMENT of this reality and a plan to replace unhealthy perspectives with positive and productive perspectives and reactions is a commitment we must make and apply starting today.

Every family is different, just like every child and every community is also unique.  The things single parents face are somewhat universal in some cases, but very different as well.  Single Parent Advocate is offering a resource directory for single parents of public, private, and non-profit helps to make families stronger and help them stretch their time and money so that kids and parents can know one another outside of their “to do’s” and their needs.  This will someday also include medical and counseling resources.

We are bulding a social platform that will allow FAMILIES to connect and build safe local groups that are supported by online connectedness and independent affiliate organizations.  We will work to provide events as well that can be sponsored by communities and business to make playtime fun and affordable.

We are developing partnerships that will provide single parent families with additional awareness and resources.  So that those who want to help, can help – and so that those who need help, can be helped.

Single Parent Advocate is501c3 organization.

Thank you and Happy New Year!!

 

Single Parent Advocate is a non-profit organization committed to educating, equipping and empowering single parents with resources, practical assistance, emotional encouragement and social networking to better their lives, and those of their children. We are truly blessed to have a growing base of volunteers who selflessly and passionately possess the desire to help single parent families in need.

We are a new non-profit that reaches out to help single parents, their children, and their support organizations.  On this website you will find links to resources that provide strong and suitable aid for families that are government, non-profit, and faith based solutions.

There is a Get Advice section where we have contributing counselors who post articles on parenting, and other authors to help us all keep a positive perspective on the issues that affect our families daily.  We are working to help single parents extend a positive, productive, and hopeful legacy to their children.

You will also see that we are building a community in the Get Connected section.  There, Single Parent Advocate is working through this communtiy to connect Single Parent Organizations, single parents, non-profits, and businesses that can be life lifting connections.  Basically,  we are working to connect those who want to help, with those who need help.

1 in 4 children in the United States today is being raised in a single parent home.  Most of them face struggle of some kind, whether it has been the loss of a loved one, abandonment, unemployment, illness, or work/life balance issues.  We may not be able to make all of those things better - BUT - together, we can build a community and a foundation that is a bridge to a better way, so sign up on the GET INVOLVED section today to participate in our community!  You can also sponsor, or provide discounts to these families.

And, if you, yourself, are needing a little help, please go to the GET HELP Tab and sign up today.  We will work with you as much as possible to bridge the gap in your life.

We are adding more solutions daily, and are committed to making single parenthood better, together with you.  Join us in our effort to overcome and to love when love is not what you have recieved, to help others as you help yourself, and in so doing, leave a legacy for our children that is positive and productive.


 

 

 

 



 

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