Another difficult holiday, but it does not have to be. Being a single parent is especially hard when you are alone. The truth is, you are not alone. Emphasize what is important at this special time of the year and focus on that. Teach your children just what Easter truly means. If you choose to, take them to church. Most churches have special programs just for this important holiday.
On Easter morning, continue the same rituals that have always been a part of their lives. I had never shopped nor made up the Easter basket until I became a single parent. It has not gotten any easier as the years went on. It is lonely, but try not to think about it and focus on their joyful faces as they wake up in the morning and partake in their usual Easter morning fun. I try to focus on the real meaning of this day and I am filled with an inner peace.
Try to make it fun and be sure to keep a smile on your face. Let them know that things will not change in some ways now that you are without the other parent in the house. Have your Easter egg hunt, either at home or out somewhere. Hide the Easter baskets. Have just as special an Easter dinner as always complete with all the usual trimmings. Visit your loved ones. Make sure that the children see their other parent as well if this is part of the plan, as this is extremely important. By all means, cooperate in the plan making no matter how much of an inconvenience it is to you. You might have to think really hard on this and remember it is for the kids. Bite your tongue and swallow hard if you must, but cooperate.
Being a single parent has its downside, for sure, but there are ways to cope. With your thoughts focused on the most important reasons why you do what you do and who you do it for, it gets a whole lot easier. Have a blessed Easter.
Angel Lynn writes in weight loss, single parenting, and health.