Wild Card- Single Mothers Raising Successful Sons

There are currently 22 million children being raised by single mothers, and indications suggest these numbers won’t decrease soon. Although single moms struggle and often need support, their children reap benefits that serve them well. According to research, single mothers are responsible for what their son will become. As a single mother, I can relate to the previous statement simply because of the choices I have made as a parent of a boy. At first I was worried about whether I could teach my son the right things due to not being a man, but the reality of it is parenting is not anchored to gender, parenting is trying your best and making what seems impossible happen, parenting isn’t male or female. Of course there are some things that can be taught better by each gender based off of experiences and education, but parenting has no set gender, sometimes you just are forced to deal with the cards that were dealt, even if it requires being a single mother to a little boy, or even a single father to a little girl.

As I thought about my own experience and research with being a single parent to a male, I discovered what other researchers have made clear, boys have an astonishing ability to grow up to be successful men, to establish a strong sense of ambition in their nature, and single mothers can nurture this by having strategic parenting habits, by planning and achieving goals that is necessary for their child to see. For example, as a mother I'm always sure to tell my three-year old why he got in trouble for something that was inappropriate, or a quote on quote "No, no.", I also make sure to tell him I love him afterwards. Another example is how seriously I take my education now that I have my child, I enrolled back into college 11 months after my son was born with the help of my parents and other family members who are a great support system to the both of us. I realize that my son seeing me work hard, graduate from college, as well as still making the obligation to him as his mother will benefit his work ethic, and character in the long run. I often see posts on social media about successful men on social media being honored and acknowledged for their success, almost every summary or article stated that each man was raised by a single mother.

Now I'm not saying that a male is most likely to be successful if he is raised by a single mother, but what I am saying is single mothers of boys, or even single mothers in general are stronger than we think we are. Some of us have different circumstances, but we are all the first to wake up in the morning and the last to go to sleep at night due to hard work and sacrifices. I am a firm believer that being a single mother, a caring single mother comes with more resilience and ambition as an individual for our children. No matter the gender of the parent, proper examples can still be set and right and wrongs can still be taught correctly. Should fathers be active in their son’s life no matter the situation? Yes, but regardless if one parent is present and the other one is, grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles, and aunts play a role and are a good support system when it comes to raising boys to become successful men as well. Though raising a child without the other biological parent present every day, or not present at all is hard, it still can be done and accomplished accordingly, and boys can still be raised as great men by a single mother.

The significance and meaning that a child is always watching. Sometimes while studying he will bring me a book, and I will stop what I'm doing to read to him. I call those moments "The best study breaks". :)