As single parents, we often do things alone—particularly family things. Unless we have an incredibly involved co-parents, or we are lucky enough to be involved with someone who is happy to attend activities and do “family things” with us, many of us generally attend school and sports activities, performances, games, etc. on our own. For our children, and us, we get used to being a very loud one-parent cheering section…
When you start to feel sorry for yourself or your child, try to remember that having one parent in the stands is much better than having no parent in the stands. Of course, sometimes we will share the pom pons with the child’s other parent or they may be grandparents, friends, or other relatives who can come along to show support, but for those of us who often find ourselves the solo parent representative—that really is alright. In fact, as mentioned earlier, our children will appreciate having someone in their corner even if they might wish that they could have two parents in support.
I used to get a little bummed when I was the lone parent on the sidelines or sitting at band concerts, performances, school meetings, competitions, etc. I would feel like somehow my kids were getting cheated because they didn’t have a “team” of people there to root them on. It took a few years for me to get good and comfortable attending events as a single parent. I cannot always attend everything, but I do manage to make it to most and over the years, I have most often been the only parent there in my children’s cheering section. The more comfortable I have become, the more I am able to see how much it matters to my kids and I can let go of the resentment and just feel great that I can share so much with them. A one-parent cheering section can be pretty loud, pretty encouraging, and let a child know that he or she is loved and appreciated.
Also: Some Events Have a Lasting Effect