Single parenting is a process where a parent brings up a child alone without the help of other partner, these reasons can vary, it may be either the other partner passed away or the other partner left the relationship for any reason best known to them, also some children are conceived through surrogacy and it can lead to raise the child alone.

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Let me expatiate more on this, Surrogacy is an act where a woman agrees to give birth to the child on behalf of someone who is unable to have the child and after delivery, she will hand over the child to the person, this is common among men, some men prefer to have babies through this process because they do not want to get intimacy with any lady or should I say they lack commitment in a relationship

Single parenting is not a piece of cake at all, raising a child on your own can be too demanding, taking care of their needs alone without the other partner and also taking care of yourself as well can be stressful.

THE CONS OF SINGLE PARENTING
Making a new relationship is always difficult:- Yes, it is always difficult in the sense that most parents dedicate all their attention to the child and this act can lead to jealousy for the other partner which may lead to hatred for the child and hatred is the mastermind of maltreatment, so by this point, the parent may decide not to have any partner in other to take care of the child properly.

It may be hard to maintain discipline in the home:- Most children raised by a single parent are unruly, well I am not saying all but most of them are not disciplined at all, I do not apportion blame to the parent because to discipline a child it takes two partners to achieve a desirable result, a parent can still maintain discipline but can never be accurate like both partners will join hands and raise the children or children.

It is always stressful:- Being a single parent is so stressful because most times the parent will not be able to think straight anytime the child is not around him or her, the only thought will be on the child when they do not know the condition the child is.

It reduces their social life:- Not that you will not mingle with friends but this will always have a limit when you are a single parent, you will never leave your child and travel for days for parties or merriments, no matter how you have a maid to look after your child your mind will still be on the child because the maid is not the child's blood relation.

Loneliness:- Not having a partner to share your burdens with can be lonely and kill faster than coronavirus, loneliness tends to be part of the disadvantages, we all need someone to talk to at a point in our lives we can never deny it.

THE PROS OF SINGLE PARENTING
It gives a strong bond between the child and the parent:- The connection between the child raised alone will be much stronger with the parent, such a child does not keep secret from the parent.

It makes such parent stronger:- Single parent are always bold and confident because of the things they have been through, they build their home themselves and nothing can ever shake them off their stand.

They are independent:- Single parents are always independent, they take all responsibilities on themselves by taking care of the child, paying school fees, buying groceries, and providing all necessary needs without the help of the other partner.

HELPFUL WAYS TO EASE SINGLE PARENTING STRESS
Always set boundaries for your child:- what I mean by this statement is that always make sure they never disobey all your rules, time to play, time to read, time to go to bed, this is part of discipline and when they are used to this rules they will never violate them because there will be a punishment if the child disobeys or violate the rules.

As a single parent always make time with your child:- Always spend quality time with your child, as a single parent create a strong bond with your child and always guide and direct the child in a rightful path.

Always be a role model to your child:- The Best teacher a child can have is the parent, they learn easily, so anything you do as a parent your child is taking note of it and always recording in their brain, always check yourself because the child will emulate all your behavior and character at the long run.

Always keep positive friends:- The kind of friends you keep have an impact on your life and the life of your child, learn to be responsible and keep your mental health in check always.

Remove guilts:- Do not see your child/ren as the cause of the problem, show them, love, give your maximum attention to the child, and never take the guilt of not being with your partner on them.

Always make time for yourself:- As a single parent your well-being is also paramount, always take good care of yourself and look sharp at all times, do not feel depressed about taking responsibility for your child, wear a smiling face and I believe this will help.

Always instill fear in your child:- Let your child be disciplined, and teach them how to be respectful and talk to elderly ones, this is so important because it is part of raising a child, it is a process they always grow up with, the way you train your child as a single parent matters a lot. If your child does not have any atom of fear in them that means they do not regard you as a parent, this is not wickedness but discipline, the child must be able to know what is right from what is wrong and how to learn new things.

This is my response to this week prompt of #hivenaija week #09. If you are interested in this prompt you can click link