| Single moms are often viewed as underprivileged, | | | | have personal time to pursue other activities. |
| overworked, underemployed and generally, | | | | Single moms often feel alienated from traditional |
| disadvantaged. This is often the scenario but certainly | | | | families and feel as though they are not welcome to |
| not true in the case of every single mother. While | | | | participate in organizations geared toward traditional |
| there is a large segment of single moms who did not | | | | families. Finding a support group can give them the |
| plan their pregnancy, it is becoming more acceptable in | | | | confidence and comradery often found from those |
| our society to plan a single parent family. Adoption and | | | | types of organizations. |
| even artificial insemination are becoming more | | | | Moms who divorce often experience self-doubt, fear |
| common for single women, with many adoption | | | | and confusion over how to deal with their new role. In |
| agencies relaxing their view on single parenting and | | | | addition to their own emotional turmoil, they must deal |
| artificial insemination more readily available and | | | | with the emotional effects of the divorce on their |
| affordable. | | | | children. Children deal with feelings of abandonment |
| Single mothers do have busy lives; there is no doubt | | | | and fear that neither parent really wants them. They |
| about that. Often there is no one to share the | | | | often fear that they are the cause of the divorce and |
| responsibility of making sure that the children get off to | | | | are anxious at having to split their time between two |
| school in the morning. They also have to juggle their | | | | parents. Single mothers often need support in dealing |
| schedules to get the kids to after school lessons and | | | | with these issues with their children. These groups |
| activities or getting them to doctor and dentist | | | | offer advice on dealing with these issues and provide |
| appointments. They bear the sole responsibility for | | | | resources for affordable counseling. |
| making sure the household is run efficiently. When | | | | Newly divorcees often experience feelings of |
| there is no father, they also bear the responsibility for | | | | resentment at the loss of their old lifestyle. The lack of |
| the children's emotional well-being having to shoulder | | | | free time, reduction in finances and the additional |
| the burden of fulfilling the male role also. | | | | workloads that single moms must adjust to are often |
| Support groups have sprung up nationwide for single | | | | daunting. Support groups can make the transition to the |
| moms. These groups offer sound advice on raising | | | | life of single parenthood much easier and much more |
| children, handling finances, emotional issues, even dating. | | | | comfortable, both for the single moms and for the |
| Many local support groups offer baby-sitting co-ops, | | | | children. |
| sharing resources so that all members are able to | | | | |