Alright, you’ve beat yourself up, settled in with a pint of ice cream, or filled your journal with all your parenting mistakes and all the reasons you are single and unlovable–now it is time to take stock of all your good points–all those things you are doing well and all the fabulous and wonderful things you do as a vibrant and successful single parent…
I know it is much easier to find fault with ourselves. Plus, we’ve got a whole world out there telling us that we have failed and that single parent families are contributing to the downfall of humanity (I’m being a bit dramatic, I know, but haven’t we all been there at one time or another?) Many of us have had teachers and strangers tell us that our child is sucking her thumb, writing his “r’s” backward or having trouble with spelling probably because he or she comes from a “broken home.” Many of us can list all our “bad” points in 30 seconds or less.
BUT, how about taking inventory of all of our good points? Maybe we make a mean tuna casserole or let our child have breakfast for dinner one night a week, perhaps we kept our cool when our child through the temper tantrum at the grocery store last night after work, or maybe we manage to keep a roof over our family’s head and dinner on the table. There are so many great things we are doing that many of us take for granted–choosing instead to focus on where we think we are falling short or “failing.” That can be the easiest place to go when times are tough or life seems to be overwhelming. Instead, how about making a concerted effort to take stock of what you are doing well? Write down an inventory of all your good points–and if you can’t think of anything, just ask your child–she can probably think of dozens!
Also: Boost Your Single Parent Confidence