How To Be a Happier -- and More Successful -- Single Parent
Are you a single parent struggling with how to make it all work? Dr. Romance offers three tips to happier single parenting.
1. Be a Grownup.
I know you’ve probably had a tough time, but you’re a parent, and your child’s wellbeing comes first. If you weren’t in charge of your life before you became a single parent, now is the time to take charge and make good decisions. If you don’t know how to do that, get counseling. If you have anger and resentment left from a divorce, work through it. You and your child deserve the best life you can make for both of you.
2. Get Connected.
Single parenting is a lot easier if you’re surrounded with friends and family, and other single parents with similar needs and schedules. You can exchange child care to get some time off, share advice, socialize together with your children, share carpooling, and support. You can trade baby clothes, furniture, ideas, parenting tips, recommendations for health care professionals, schools and teachers. It will save you money, and be the beginning of a lifelong connection with the other parents, and lasting friendships among your children.
3. Learn from past mistakes.
If your past relationship failed, don’t rush into a new one. Instead, focus on you and your child(ren) until things are stable, and do some analysis of what went wrong and what you need to learn about relationships. Any new relationship you get into affects both you and your children.
Tina B. Tessina, Ph.D. is a licensed psychotherapist in S. California since 1978 with over 30 years experience in counseling individuals and couples and author of 13 books in 17 languages, including It Ends With You: Grow Up and Out of Dysfunction; The Unofficial Guide to Dating Again; Money, Sex and Kids: Stop Fighting About the Three Things That Can Ruin Your Marriage, The Commuter Marriage, and her newest, Love Styles: How to Celebrate Your Differences. She writes the “Dr. Romance” blog, and the “Happiness Tips from Tina” email newsletter.
Dr. Tessina, is CRO (Chief Romance Officer) for LoveForever.com, a website designed to strengthen relationships and guide couples through the various stages of their relationship with personalized tips, courses, and online couples counseling. Online, she’s known as “Dr. Romance” Dr. Tessina appears frequently on radio, and such TV shows as “Oprah”, “Larry King Live” and ABC News.