1.) The decision making ends with you

When you are a single parent, all the decisions lie in your hands.  This can be a double edged sword at times, especially when it comes to discipline, but most of the time it’s a blessing.  Arguments with a partner regarding how to parent your child, and things like where and how you choose to educate them for example, are not an issue.  It’s liberating. There is an enormous amount of pride associated with knowing that you have raised a child on your own and made every decision in regards to each and every aspect of their life.  It’s an incredible achievement, a big responsibility and one to be extremely proud of.

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2.) You become more organized

When coming back home from work or wherever, you have to think of food, toiletries or that text book your son asked for.  Something as simple as forgetting to buy milk becomes a prolonged ordeal which involves putting the children into the car, driving to the shops and dragging them through a supermarket filled with strategically placed lollies or toys where tantrums or arguments are almost certain to ensue.  Through experience your organizational skills and ability to think 10 steps ahead and juggle become so finely tuned you feel like you could run the world.

3.) You grow as a person

Partnered or otherwise, being a parent is the most difficult job you will undertake.  Children are incredibly demanding and they take an enormous amount of energy to raise. But you learn fairly fast there is no-one  to fall back on financially, emotionally or to bounce parenting ideas or achievements off, therefore your level of responsibility forces you to grow fast, find answers, solutions and be resourceful. Your level of growth is swift and steep, and you become a better person and single parent because of it.

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In conclusion, being a parent is hard – period, being a single one presents quite a few more challenges.  Regardless or not of whether you are doing this alone or partnered, the rewards are returned to you ten-fold. It's not an easy job but if and when you succeed to raise the son/daughter, trust me, you will have a huge smile on your face. "I did a great job!"