Raising a kid is a challenging experience. It is even more challenging for a single mother. Today, we see a growing number of problems single moms face in society: financial struggles, lack of support, emotional battles, realizations and many more. The struggles of being a single mom can hit you pretty bad. So, what can you do to cope well enough with the problems single mothers face in society?

Pew Research on the U.S. moms shows that among married moms(68%), a sizable percent (24%) are single moms. The number of children living with a single parent is growing rapidly around the globe. Being a single parent can be quite stressful for both the parent and the kid. Beyond that, today’s parent is facing some unique parenting challenges: the rise of digital media, bullying, and high-stakes testing in early childhood. So in this article, we have listed some common problems single mothers face in society along with some suggestions to help you deal with them.

1. Work-Life Challenges

Parenting has never been easier. According to a Pew survey, Fifty-nine percent of full-time working mothers say they don’t have enough leisure time. It’s even harder to balance work and parenting for single working moms. A single mom is supposed to take care of the kids and provide for them all by herself. To be able to provide for the children she often has no choice but to put in extra working hours. Therefore, balancing the professional responsibilities and parenting is a major problem faced by single mothers.

Suggestions for Single Mothers:

Keep these suggestions in minds to balance your life as a single mom:

Ask for help.

Find flexible working hours.

make money as a SAHM ). Work from home (explore ways to).

Set boundaries and goals.

Resources for Single Mothers:

Maintaining childcare and a full-time day job is an uphill battle for working single moms. But there are also resources available for single moms.

Public Assistance Programs – The Office of Child Care supports struggling single moms with cheap or free education and after-school programs. Talk to the officials to go through your options. You will find more information on the Office of Childcare Website.

Head Start Programs – Try to find a Head Start program near you. Head Start and Early Head Start is a federal program specially designed for low-income families with kids under five. Kids as old as six weeks can enroll in the Early Head Start program. The program also offers health and social services to the families of participants.

Other Resources – There is also help at hand for working single moms in the form of books. Some are raising children alone by choice, some by circumstance. I would recommend “Choosing Single Motherhood” and “Single Mothers by Choice” for every single mom. These two books showcase all the problems single mothers face in society. You will also find encouragement, deep thoughts, and varying perspectives of single motherhood.

2. Guilt, Blame, and Responsibility

Most single mothers are utterly sick of the motherhood and guilt rhetoric —especially working single mothers. They often feel like they’re forever coming up short when it comes to doing enough for their kids. Not to mention their boss and extended family, and yes, of course, their community. As single mothers, they have to do all of these things alone, and it’s not always easy.

Suggestions for Single Mothers:

The good news is that with the right strategies you can overcome mom guilt and get the other difficult emotions under control.

Accept that parenting isn’t a competition and there is no right or wrong way to parent.

Limit your social media usage.

Learn to live in the moment.

Spend quality time with your kids.

Take time for yourself.

Connect with like-minded moms.

Resources for Single Mothers:

2-1-1 Helpline: There are so many problems single mothers face and often don’t know where to turn eventually they give up. There are a number of local assistance for single mothers to help them navigate those tough issues. For information about services in your area, you can dial 2-1-1. Simply explain to the operator what kind of help you need, and they will give you an easy, affordable way to get access to local resources.

Other Resources for Single Moms: There are also resources available that will help you get rid of negative feelings of guilt and worry and replace them with positive feelings of growth and hope. One book showed me how to confront my fears and flaws. It was “Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person” by celebrity author Shonda Rhimes. One of the best books I have ever read about life changes, attitude, and meaningful living!

3. Emotional Challenges

Being a single mom means that there is no one there to share good and bad experiences. She doesn’t have anyone to watch favorite movies with when she can’t find a babysitter. She keeps on juggling between professional and personal lives. As a result, the sense of loneliness and depression starts to creep in.

Suggestions for Single Mothers:

In these turbulent times, you have to be resilient. Focus on the positive side of solo parenting and-

Create a healthy and loving environment for your kid.

Be thankful that you are able to provide on your own.

Find others to serve as role models.

Teach them to play sports or dig for worms or whatever they like to do.

Remind yourself that no one is perfect and you are doing great because your kid is happy and thriving.

Resources for Single Mothers:

Community Organizations: Local community organizations for single parents can be especially helpful for sharing emotional experiences with other people in the same situation as you. You can also join local mom groups, craft or sporting clubs, and community organizations in your area.

Online Support Groups: Online support groups can help you connect with other single parents in your area. Websites like meetup.com and social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook can be helpful for connecting with other like-minded moms.

Other Resources: As a mother, you may feel exhausted on a regular basis. You probably don’t even know that you are suffering from baby blues or PPD. Postpartum Depression For Dummies is by far the most thorough, comprehensive, easy to understand and follow, helpful book available on the subject of PPD. You are the most powerful role model for your children. Find the strength and confidence in yourself to raise strong kids.

4. Financial Strain

Lack of financial support is a reality for many single moms. While it’s true that “money can’t buy happiness”, a lack of money can cause stress, anxiety and limited choices. Single moms are more likely to feel guilty of not providing enough for the kids. The situation aggravates when they are left waiting for child support that never arrives, or they have to pay attorneys to pursue what should be paid.

Suggestions for Single Mothers:

Here are the five keys to financial success for single moms:

Become frugal.

Determine what you owe.

Find money to pay down debt.

Budget your monthly expenses.

Save for the short- and long-term.

Assistance for Single Mothers:

Types of financial assistance available to single parents:

Scholarships

Grants

Federal Loans

Private Loans

WIC: WIC – Which stands for Women, Infants, and Children is a federal program for Pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5. To learn more about the program, check out the official USDA website.

TANF: TANF stands for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. It’s a federally-funded program to provide financial support for single mothers. To receive TANF, you have to participate in ASPIRE – a work training and education program run by Fedcap.

SNAP Program: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal aid program for struggling families. The program will give you access to the food and nutrition that you might not be able to afford. To see if you might be eligible for the SNAP program, dial the SNAP’s hotline number to talk to someone directly.

LIHEAP: The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps needy families in two ways: the energy bill and weatherization of home. Information about the LIHEAP program is available through the National Energy Assistance Referral hotline at 1-866-674-6327.

NSLP: The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential childcare institutions. Ask your child’s school about how to apply for this program.

Other Resources:

The problems single mothers face are unique, something only another single mom will truly understand. But who knows it better than Emma Johnson. In The Kickass Single Mom, Emma tells her true story of being a single mom who overcame being a broke, pregnant, and alone with a toddler to a successful mommy blogger.

These two books will show you how you can thrive financially as a single mom.

5. Limited Time and Fatigue

The hardest part of being a single mom is prioritizing time and focus on self-care. Most single working mothers feel exhausted trying to hold down jobs and ensure their children attend extra-curricular activities. The very act of taking care of a baby and work responsibilities can be draining on many levels — emotionally, cognitively, and psychologically.

Suggestions for Single Mothers:

First, understand that taking care of yourself is important. If you don’t take care of yourself, you cannot take care of others. So, how can you recharge your batteries? Take a quick look at these easy energy boosters for ideas!

Eat more red meat and keep protein-rich snacks while on the go – such as nuts, cheese, and crackers or an energy ball.

Drink tons of water to keep energy levels high and feel fresh from sunrise to sunset.

Drink a glass of herbal tea or lemon water in the morning, keep a bottle of water in the handbag or car and ensure you drink whenever you have a meal.

Spend less time on the phone.

Take small rest breaks during the day.

Find time for exercise by incorporating fitness into everyday routines, such as kids play-dates or taking the little ones to school.

Instead of lying down while the kids play in the rumpus room, take them for a long walk to the park instead.

Resources for Single Mothers:

One of the major problems single mothers face is the lack of free time. If you are a single mom with little kids, you will feel like you have so little time each day. Cooking takes out a lot of time each day. As a single mom, you need something very easy to make, taste great, and are pretty healthy too. The recipes in “The Successful Single Mom Cooks” book addresses all three of these things.

Smart, kind, and an amazing person, Michelle Obama is a role model for all moms trying to thrive in a challenging world. The memoir “Becoming” is a window into her life with lots of endearing, insightful, and honest memories. From the humble Chicago upbringing to the White House, her story is unique and thought-provoking.

Despite all of this, single moms often receive criticism in today’s society. Being a single mom takes lots of courage, practice taking deep breaths for a few minutes when you lose your patience. This is thus said that you need to work according to the changing time so that the ways of protecting the children could not hinder at any cost.