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Single Parents: Do You Have the Life Insurance You Need?

Single Parents: Do You Have the Life Insurance You Need?

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The Importance of Planning Ahead

As a single parent, you’re probably used to getting things done by yourself and provide for your family as best as you can. But what if something were to happen to you?  Who will provide for your kids?  In addition to having a Will, you should really have life insurance to be sure that your children will be financially provided for in your absence.

Life insurance is especially important for single parents, particularly if there is no back-up breadwinner for your children to rely on. The good news is you can usually get affordable life insurance through your employer if you have a full-time job.  If you don’t have that option you will need to do some research and find an insurance provider that works for you.  Take the time to scout out life insurance quotes on term life insurance, whole life insurance or a mix of both, if you haven’t already.

How Much Life Insurance should a Single Parent Have?

The amount of insurance you should buy is generally equal six to eight times your annual salary. There are a few factors that would determine how much you would have to pay for life insurance.  Some factors are your age, and whether you have any pre-existing conditions.  You also want to decide whether you want term life insurance or whole life insurance.   And you definitely want to shop around for the best prices.  Find a policy that works within your budget.  You should be able to find a policy whose monthly payments are manageable.

Are there Other Sources of Income I Could Pass to my Children?

As you consider purchasing single parent single parent life insurance to protect your children’s future, look into other potential sources of income that can be passed on to your children. This could include retirement plans, other savings and Social Security.  Doing these things could provide you with peace of mind should something unfortunate happen.

If you pass away before your kids are 19, they may be eligible to receive your Social Security benefit. Disabled children and elderly parents who depend on you for at least half their income may also receive “survivor benefits.” Questions on how much you can expect to receive on your Social Security benefit can be answered by visiting the Social Security Administration’s website.

Make a Plan for Your Children’s Future

Financial planning can be a difficult exercise for most people to wrap their minds around, but for the single parent it’s important to consider. It might be a good idea to visit with a financial planner if you aren’t confident about what type of savings plan you should have in place for your children. But as you have been able to provide for your children on your own in the past, protecting their future is just one more thing you can do as a strong single parent.

Have a Good Single Parent Plan

Have a Good Single Parent Plan

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Becoming a Single Mom or Dad

You may not have started with the plan of being a single mom, but the statistics don’t lie. Becoming a single parent is inevitable for many parents.

Ideally, raising a child involves a full time mother and father, since each bring different strengths and therefore a broader way of attending to the different needs of the child. But when it is no longer possible to keep the nuclear family intact, then it’s better to become a single parent than to sacrifice your emotional and/or physical health; and that of your child’s as well.

If you’re thinking about separating from your child’s other parent, now is the time to start planning for life as a single parent. Making such monumental decisions without a plan can be a disaster. Planning for your future as a single parent helps to ensure that your child will grow up to be an independent and responsible human being despite having only one full time parent.

Where to start

Make a commitment to be an effective single parent. Realize up front that there will be pressures with work and financial responsibilities that will seem overwhelming at the time. However, outside pressure is not an excuse to water down your commitment to raising your child in the healthiest, most loving way possible.

Make your Emotional Needs a High Priority

Experts agree, the best single parents are the ones who make their own emotional needs a high priority. This means maintaining a life that doesn’t completely revolve around your child and being a single mom or dad. Children thrive in an environment where they feel safe, loved, and cared for. If you haven’t taken responsibility and dealt with your own issues, you’ll be stuck in victim mode. To develop a healthy way of relating to the world, your Children need the strength and guidance that only a healthy parent can give them. Since there is a need for you to be strong and healthy for your child, dealing with your own issues first is a must. You don’t necessarily need to go to counseling, but it could definitely help.  Be sure that you have a group of friends or family to provide emotional support so that you don’t lean on your child for support.  Also know that many parents have been right where you are, and they’ve adjusted to their new life just fine.  And in time you will too.

Find your Inner Motivation

It is a must for single parents to find a way to motivate themselves to keep moving forward.  Some days will be tougher than others.  Finding your reason for getting up when you don’t want to; or plowing through a difficult situation will make all the difference.  Many adults become responsible single parents because they have motivated themselves to look for positive things that the situations brought them. Successful, effective single parenting typically follows once the single mom or dad is able to find his or her source of motivation in achieving goals that they’ve set not only for themselves but for the children as well.

Assess your Strengths and Weaknesses

For you to become an effective single parent, you really want to undergo lots of reflection and self-assessment to know what are your strengths and your weaknesses. If you know your strengths as a parent, your child will see that in you and they will believe that you can take care of them even if you are the only parent. It’s also important to address your weaknesses so you know areas in parenting that you should improve on. By know your own weaknesses as a parent, you can turn these into opportunities that will make single parenting more successful for you and for your child.

Choose to be a Single Parent Success

You may not have chosen this journey for yourself and your child, but here you are.  And you can choose to be a great success at being a single parent.  Just set your mind to it and let nothing stop you from being the best single mom or dad. Many single parents have gone down this path before you and succeeded in raising wonderfully adjusted kids.  Set you mind in the right place and let nothing stop you, and you too will be a very successful single parent.

Single Parent Dating Advice

Single Parent Dating Advice

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How Hard Can it Be?

Is it hard dating as a single parent?

Although dating at any age can be a challenge, often times it is more challenging for a single parent to get out there and meet new people. But dating as a single parent doesn’t have to be as difficult as it sounds. There are many small things that can be done to help you, as a single parent meet singles and maybe begin a relationship.

Don’t Become a Hermit

How do single moms get time to date?

Dating can be difficult for both the single parent and the child, but there are a few things to keep in mind when beginning dating. First and foremost, make time to take care of yourself.  Make taking care of yourself a top priority. People who take the time to properly care for themselves show that they also have the ability to take care of another person in a relationship. It is always easier to take care of someone else, after you have taken care of yourself.

Another thing to keep in mind is to make an attempt to get out of the house regularly and create a wider circle of friends.  Get some exercise by walking around your neighborhood daily.  You will start seeing the same people, and can develop new friends who are also your neighbors.  And maybe you will also meet other single parents that you can potentially swap babysitting duties with.  Also, by allowing the kids some time with friends or family, moms can free up an evening (or late afternoon) for a date. Getting out of the house increases your chances of meeting new people who could potentially be a great person to go on a date with. By getting out of the house you will also train your children to be fine with you not being the only person who can care for them.  Many single parents want to get out more but feel guilty about leaving their children with someone else.  Don’t fall into that trap.  It can be as unhealthy for the children as it is for you.



Try an Online Dating Site

What is the best dating site for single parents?

While some people have an aversion to online dating apps (and prefer church/neighborhood groups or friend referrals to find potential dates), many more people turn to online dating to meet people.

For single parents online dating apps can make it easier to find people who share similar interests. By meeting people at an online dating site, it allows you to narrow down the qualities that you find attractive in people from the comfort of your home. The most important thing to keep in mind is to be honest with your online dating profile. Your qualities will bring enough people to your profile; there isn’t a need to exaggerate them. Being yourself is always the best approach. Another thing to keep in mind when creating your profile is the profile picture. Always make sure to include two or three photos to prove that you are who you say that you are. It is also important to make sure that it is a clear high quality photo as many people may skip over blurry photos.

So what is the best dating site for single parents?  Well, the best site all depends on what you’re looking for.  If you want to get back into a serious relationship you might want to stick to the older/established sites like eharmony or match.com.  If you’re looking for something else; maybe just flirtatious chit chat after the little ones go to bed, you might want to try other sites.  It really depends on what you’re looking for and how much you want to spend if you decide on a paid dating site.

A word of caution.  When dating online be very careful about giving out any private information; or any information about your children.  While there are up front people (just like yourself) online; there are also those that are not what they seem.  At the very least do an online search on a potential date before you agree to meet up.

Take it Slow

Taking dating slow is the way to go.  If someone you just met (online or otherwise) seems too good to be true; or is rushing things in the relationship slow things down because this is a potential red flag.  As a single mom recognize that you might be vulnerable and an easier target for someone to take advantage of you.  If you start dating someone who you think is so perfect for you, then they will understand that the healthy thing to do is to take the relationship slow.  Letting new relationships progress at a slower pace will also help your children get used to this new person in your life before they have to accept him in their lives.

Don’t Get Discouraged

In this day and age it seems it’s getting harder and harder to meet quality people to date. And there are added health issues with meeting up with new people. Don’t be discouraged though. Take time to work on yourself and the relationships that you do have. And lean into your faith. The more content you are with yourself, the more attractive you will be to others.

Single Parent Tips for a Smooth Running House

Single Parent Tips for a Smooth Running House

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As a single parent, it’s often difficult keeping everything in your household running smoothly. Taking care of the kids, the house, the bills, while trying to have a tiny bit of a life of your own can be hard. And it’s not easy finding help as a single parent without spending large amounts of money.  One of the greatest challenges of being a single parent is: how do you fit it all in?  For the single parent time management is an essential tool.  It takes planning, dedication and commitment to take control of your time and resources so that you can get everything done when it has to be done. If takes some effort but it is well worth it, and it teaches your kids important life skills.

Being a single parent doesn’t mean you are at a disadvantage.  It’s only a disadvantage if you think of it as one.  In fact, some single parent households are more effective at child rearing and running a smooth house than some two-parent households.  Think of how many families you know where the mom and dad cancel each other out because of their opposite parenting styles. Their kids end up running the show, and running amok.  However, when it comes to things such as running errands, transporting the kids and such you need to understand your time constraints and make adjustments.  Now that you’re a single parent you’re the one responsible for all of it; but you can do it!

Here are some tips for making your single parent household run smoother:

Discipline

Teach your children boundaries and discipline from the time they are old enough to understand. This does not mean being overly strict; it means a lovingly structured environment. Teaching your children rules, responsibility and respect when they are young will make a big difference the older they get.  Many newly single parents become very lax about rules, responsibility and respect because they feel overwhelmed. Or they don’t want to be ‘the bad guy’.  Being a single parent is no excuse for failing to instill discipline in your children.  Children thrive in a structured environment and discipline will help them become well adjusted, productive adults.

Communicate

Talk to your children about rules and boundaries, and why they are important.  Let your kids know that you love them and that you discipline out of love for them.  Be positive.  Communicating a feeling of being overwhelmed or fearful of the future is damaging to children.  Use an adult friend to unload your concerns; and remember to keep communication with your children on age appropriate levels.  Keep the lines of communication open with your children.  This can be hard as your kids become teens, but keep letting them know that you’re there for them.  And keep giving them opportunities to talk and confide in you.

Be Diligent

Once you develop your ‘smooth running house’ plan, stick with it.  If the children are responsible for chores, or checking in with you when they get home from school make sure they are given a consequence if they break a rule.  If you are diligent about maintaining the rules and boundaries of the house, the children will soon master the skill of discipline and you will be on your way to a smooth running single parent household.  The REAL ACCOMPLISHMENT is that you will have well adjusted children who grow into adults that have some great life skills; that you instilled in them.

There are many successful single parent families out there; and your family can be one of them.

Single Parent Dating Sites – Are You Being Safe?

Single Parent Dating Sites – Are You Being Safe?

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How Popular are Single Parent Dating Sites?

Dating and the single parent.  Online dating remains one of the most frequently used services on the internet.  While online dating is nothing new, the increase in divorce rates has made single parent dating sites pop up like mushrooms.  And for good reason.  The appeal of using a single parent dating site rather than a more general site like Match.com or e harmony are numerous.  One major reason is that the first level weeding process has already been taken care of and you will already have something in common with the other single parents on the site; kids.  This makes single parent dating sites very popular with single moms and dads.

Why are Single Parents Flocking to Online Dating Sites?

Being a single parent is harder than most people think.  Most newly divorced parents quickly become overwhelmed by the time and energy it takes to raise children as a single parent.  Not to mention the cost.  Hiring a sitter is a luxury that is just not in most single parents’ budgets.

Why don’t single parents date on the weekends that their ex has the kids and they don’t have to worry about a sitter?  The answer is that many single parents are subjected to a cruel joke.  Percentage-wise most single dads are the non-custodial parent and most single moms are the custodial parent.  So this means that when single mom has the weekend off, all the single dads are home taking care of their kids.  And when single dad has his free weekends, all the single moms are home with the kids.

A single mom once joked that she was going to take a second job delivering pizza on the weekends when she didn’t have her kids.  Judging from all the pizza nights her kids had at their dad’s house, she figured delivering pizzas was a sure fire way to meet the single dads in her area!

Are There Dangers with Dating Online as a Single Parent?

Single parents can quickly find themselves isolated and lonely; not a good place to be.  Staying connected to your old friends who are married becomes harder and harder because they just don’t understand what you’re going through.  Connecting with someone who can relate sounds more and more enticing.  Joining a single parent online dating site becomes the solution that more and more single parents choose.  But be aware, being an isolated, lonely single parent has its blind spots and hazards.

Realize that your guard may be down when you interact on single parent dating sites and be careful not to accidentally give away too much information early on which could be dangerous to you and/or your children.

Naturally single parents will want to talk a lot about their kids so it’s extra important to safeguard them from anyone who would do them harm.  And just like on the singles dating sites, some people are not who they present themselves to be.

Being a lonely single parent puts you at a greater risk of being deceived into a close connection and giving up personal details before you know who you’re really dealing with.  In the wrong hands your personal information can put you and your children in harm’s way.

This all may sound discouraging, but before you completely give up trying to connect with other single parents online, there are some things you can do to make it a safer experience.

Single Parent Online Dating Safety Tips

Tip 1 – Don’t create bad karma.  When creating an online profile be honest.  Don’t do things like use your best photo from years gone by that doesn’t even resemble you today.  If you’re 30 pounds heavier, or balding, your ‘white lies’ will come back to haunt you if you connect with someone online worth meeting.  And worse, karma has a way of returning to you what you send out into the universe.  If you don’t want to be deceived online don’t deceive others online.

Tip 2 – As a single parent you need to be sure to maintain the privacy of your kids.  It’s very easy as a single parent to get comfortable and start talking about your children using their real names.  You might later mention their school, and maybe you later talk about your work hours.  The sad fact is that predators are out there online.  Take steps to be sure you don’t put your children in any potential danger by identifying them by name or mentioning the schools they attend.

Tip 3 – Understand that if you spend much of your time online talking about your ex-spouse and what he/she did to you; you’re not over that relationship.  This means you are a high risk candidate for having an unhealthy rebound relationship.  This also means that if you’ve healed and are ready to move forward, you don’t want to get involved with someone who hasn’t let go of their ex-spouse yet.  By avoiding those types you’ll save yourself and your kids a world of pain.

The bottom line is single parent dating sites aren’t the perfect solution but they can be a real benefit for single parents.  Single parent dating sites are about the only viable way a single parent can connect with other single parents after the kids are off to bed without hiring a sitter and cruising the bar scene (which is probably even more dangerous!)  If you understand your vulnerabilities and take precautions, you can feel safe connecting with other single parents online after the children are tucked in bed for the night.  And who knows, you just might find someone special.

Study Sheds Light on Single Parent Stress

Study Sheds Light on Single Parent Stress

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Self-esteem plays a key part in a single mother’s happiness, but makes little difference to the life satisfaction of single fathers, new research shows.

Research by an academic at Western Australia’s Edith Cowan University, Bronwyn Harman, into the life satisfaction of different family formations, showed that single parents believed they were still viewed negatively by society, even though they accounted for 17 per cent of families in Australia.

Dr Harman interviewed scores of single parents, and then rated their life satisfaction based on their resilience, self-esteem and social support. She found that while all three factors contributed to the happiness of single mothers, self-esteem ”had no impact” on the life satisfaction of single fathers.

”Single mothers can have lots of social support, but unless they have that internal self-belief, they don’t believe what they’re being told,” Dr Harman said.

”With dads, they just believe what they’re told – ‘you’re doing a good job’.” Dr Harman found little difference in the ”relatively low level” of life satisfaction among both single fathers and single mothers. ”When you combine the negative stereotypes with the day-to-day struggle of being a single parent, it would generally not be a very happy place to be,” she said.

All single parents said they were stigmatized by society. ”Single mothers said partnered mothers were threatened by them, viewing them as potential husband stealers,” Dr Harman said.

”Single fathers said society viewed them as a ‘failure’, ‘with suspicion’, and ‘rejected’. There is an incorrect but pervasive view that only mothers know how to parent.”

Single dads told of spending tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees for access to their child, being regularly excluded from special occasions involving their child, and being cut out of the communication loop by their child’s school.

Single mothers reported finding daily life a struggle, with no one to share the burden of illness and tiredness, or their parenting successes.

Dr Harman said a lack of social support for single parents contributed to their low levels of life satisfaction.

”Being a parent with a partner is hard enough,” she said. ”You can’t imagine what it would be like juggling and struggling all by yourself with no one to fall back on.” Justine Proctor became a single mother five years ago when her husband – from whom she was separated – died.

”There are not a lot of good things about being a single parent,” she said.

Now her son, Luke Harford, is on the cusp of adolescence, Ms Proctor feels keenly the lack of a partner. ”My son is just at the age where he does need a father figure around, a good male role model,” she said.

Ms Proctor said her ”saving grace” was the Single with Children support group.

She said the best thing about her family set-up was her bond with Luke. ”I’m hoping the bond is going to last through the teenage years,” she said.