Pride can be an important element of self-esteem for a single parent. For those of us who may feel horrible when we are first going through a separation or divorce, or who find ourselves completely overwhelmed at the death of a spouse, getting to a place where we feel proud of our role and efforts as a single parent can take some time and work. There is such a thing as too much pride, however, and sometimes our pride can cross over from healthy self-esteem and self-awareness to conceit, arrogance, and an unwillingness to allow others to help us or get close to our families.
I really do have a great deal of appreciation for pride. I know that in my own journey as a single parent, when I finally reached a place where I felt good and proud about who I was and all the things that were my single parent family, my overall quality of life improved and I stopped trying to constantly improve myself and my life. HOWEVER, I also can wrestle with being so independent and so determined to take care of my own family in my own way that I can close off others’ help, ideas and support. Too much pride can also keep us from really seeing and hearing our children and being in touch with what is best for them.
There are times when we have to put our pride aside so that we can see a situation through new eyes. As single parents, we might be clinging to a close-minded way of looking at things or be using our pride as a shield or defense to keep others from getting close and possibly hurting us again. Look at the way pride interacts and represents itself in your life to determine if you are prideful in a helpful or damaging way as a single parent.