Challenges of being a single mother

Struggling to give their children the best they can with the little that is provided to them are single parents often it’s the mother. There’s a popular saying in the motivational field that, “When Life gives you lemons, turn them into lemonade.” That’s a good prescription for overcoming a setback, but there are times when Life gives you lemons that have gone stale and moldy and turned brown. Its pretty hard to make a glass of lemonade from stuff like that.

Issues at hand.

Poverty is the position single mothers often find themselves in. They can be stuck in a situation that seems impossible to turn around. Statistics show that single mothers are often financially less secure. They work long hours at low paying jobs. And live in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Parenting is an enormous challenge in those circumstances. its even more of a challenge if you have a teenage child who is depressed.

Single moms Struggling financially. 

Unfortunately, the seeds of teenage despair find fertile ground in the home of a single parent. Children in single parent homes are at special risk for depression according to a report by the Rochester Institute of Technology. The stresses and strains of living in a single  household can take their toll on children, especially teens. A Swedish study also found that serious psychiatric problems, including depression. And thoughts of suicide, were more frequent in children living with one parent.

Depression & struggling real concerns for teens mental health.

One reason can be that their moms are depressed too. A recent study from the Urban Institute found that mothers with incomes below the federal poverty level were more likely to experience severe depression. While higher income mothers reported only mild or moderate symptoms.

Caring for depressed teen alone with no stable income.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why a single mother living in poverty would be depressed, of course. Wondering how you’re going to pay the bills every month makes it hard to turn lemons into lemonade. The result of depression in single mothers is that they do a poor job of parenting. Especially in the critical teen years.

Struggling to make it work.

For this reason, children of single mothers living in poverty are at greater risk to become depressed. Because of their situation, however, they are less likely to get treatment. Mothers are often too tired. Too busy. Often unfamiliar with the available treatment options for their youth. Or so depressed themselves to handle the situation correctly. Added to that is the natural tendency of teenagers to shut adults out. Especially parents. Out of their lives. Which keeps them from telling their mothers just how bad they feel. The children develop chronic depression, which can lead to poor academic performance. Drug or alcohol abuse and health problems. This just continues the vicious cycle of depression and poverty into the next generation.

Keep being positive

It’s important no matter what your situation in life to keep a positive attitude. Negative mind-set is not the solution.  However, its time we recognize that single mothers face enormous problems. And one of them is how to handle depression in their teenage children. These problems will not be solved by telling them to “turn lemons into lemonade.” We need more education about teenage depression. in order to combat this scourge in the lives of single mothers.