I truly believe that my kids are more independent, capable and have more general life skills than they would if they didn’t come from a single parent family. I realize that is a fairly bold statement, but I think my kids have had to learn to do more daily living things than they would have in another family situation. And this, I think, is a good thing.
It’s not to say that they wouldn’t have eventually learned how to sort and do laundry, cook, clean up, do grocery shopping, ride the bus, etc. I was raised in the country by a two-parent, traditional-looking family and I eventually learned how to do all those things—I was on my own as a young adult, but I did learn them. My kids, however, as older teenagers, are already quite capable of taking a shopping list, a calculator and the grocery money and going off to take care of the grocery shopping.
I simply do not have the time to do things for my kids that they can do themselves. They’ve had to learn how to do a load of laundry, wash out a bath tub, or other household things. They’ve also had to learn how to tell me when their shoes are getting worn out or they need a new coat. Not that I don’t care or I don’t want to keep them shod and clothed (I do!) but as a single mom of three I do need a little prompting some times. I think that they have benefited by learning all sorts of things about how to manage daily things and what it takes to keep a household humming.
I know that when my eldest daughter heads off to college in less than a year, I will not have to worry about her knowing how to cook for herself, do her shopping, make a doctor’s or dentists appointment, or figure out how to get around in a new town and a new school. The life skills and resiliency my kids have gained from being raised in a single parent home will benefit them for a lifetime!
Also: Building a Confident Child After Divorce
Fun Things to Do With Your Kids at Night as a Single Parent