For most people, becoming a single parent was not their choice.

There is no single best way to

cope for all people and in all situations. Every family is different. It is also important to note not
all coping strategies are helpful for everyone in every situation. Coping will depend on the
personality of the single parent. Here are some proposed coping strategies that may help enhance
the child-rearing practices of solo parents.

Solo parents should first of all accept the reality that life must go on and they must rear their
child all by themselves perhaps they must always remember that God will deal with it,
Accepting the reality of raising a family alone cannot be postponed/

Next, solo parents are in deep emotions most of the time. Encourage appropriate expression of
emotions and help solo parents work through their feelings.

Happiness is more than a mood, it's a decision. Solo parents must find ways to be happy. Often
happiness grows out of investing themselves. Have at least once a week for them to go shopping,
some quality time with their friends and act as if they were not burnout and stressed out. Solo
parents also need to establish boundaries for themselves, learning to set aside time for their
children and for themselves.

Solo parents are not being asked to run out of their personal problems. They must realize times
of adversities is fleeting, it will then pass so they must not cope with it through using drugs,
alcohol, overeating or oversleeping. These can have a harmful affect on their well-being.
Acquiring an unhealthy coping behaviors were discourage during a bad situation like viewing
life as unfair and seeing themselves as victims. These coping behaviors would just complicate
things instead of fixing the broken pieces of the vase.

Solo parents must cultivate a positive mental attitude they must be optimistic and appreciate their
selves love their selves. They must acknowledge and admit feelings, and do something for
themselves like visiting the parlor, eat their favorite foods, do their hobbies like cooking or
having some burst of poetry by writing what they felt at the moment. That would be good for
kneading out aggressive feelings.

No matter how awful things are, children will always be the solo parent’s savior thru the bad
days. Whatever it takes, single parents must spend quantity time as well as quality time with their
children. Perhaps many parents would agree that just by seeing their child happy all their frets
will be blown away by the wind.

Solo parents can seek social support and spiritual support. They must see to it that the person that
they will consult to has background on counseling or social support leadership. Reliance on
prayer and deep faith in God is also a good way to cope with the situation that they are having.
God is the expert of everything. Solo parents must do their part and God will be the one to take
care of their worries. Christ loves each of us; He can be especially close in times of family
conflict or crisis if we will allow Him to be in our lives.