A recent study shows that people with children are happier than people without. Older and married parents are the happiest.
Does this apply to single parents? I know it applies for me. There are days when I daydream about not being responsible for anyone but myself but the flip side of that is how empty my days would be without Hailey.
While I don’t think people who don’t have children lead empty lives, I do think they miss out on a lot. I wouldn’t trade on home made Mothers Day card for a year of alone time.
Yes, parenting, especially single parenting is hard work, but it is also so full of joy that I feel sometimes my heart can’t hold it.
From the day you hold that tiny little person, life is different. I guess if you never had a child you wouldn’t know what you were missing but for me, all those little things that make up a life with my child make me happy.
Remember when they couldn’t pronounce certain words? Hailey struggled with the letter R, my nephew called roast beef, post reef, and Ivy calls strawberries spazberries. How can all that cuteness not make you happy.
No matter how bad my day is, or how stressed I am, seeing my daughters face brings a smile to mine. It’s hard to be unhappy around a small child, they are so full of wonder and curiosity.
I think it would be harder to just be a single person instead of a single mother. There is a reward for everything I do, even if it’s just a hug from my daughter.
As a single mother my daughter is the reason I do everything. I make better choices, I take better care of myself, I have new experiences simply because I’m doing things with a child.
I believe that parents are happier, and single parents, well, there is something to be said for being the one your child runs to, and the recipient of all those hugs.