In Rock Star Mom, Cassandra finds herself in the same situation her mother experienced when she was raising her children – part-time single motherhood. There are a multiple differences, however, between Dad and Nat and their approaches to fatherhood when they are home. That doesn’t mean that both women don’t face a multitude of challenges. The following are some of the common challenges of single parenting.
Parenting Struggles
Single parents face many struggles
There’s no one to ask for help: When you’re a single parent, there’s no one to hand the parenting duties off to when you’re tired or sick. The only person you can rely on is you.
The decisions are all on you: While Cassie has the luxury of being able to discuss serious situations with Nat, many decisions fall strictly on her to make in the moment. Perhaps it’s a discipline issue, or a permission slip needs signed for school and it’s due the next day. Whatever it is, she alone must rely on her instincts to decide what to do.
Work-life balance is out of whack: Today, there are jobs with flexible hours and remote work options. This was not the case until recently, forcing single parents to decide between taking time off to be with a child or a paycheck.
Discipline: Children sometimes act out to get their parents’ attention. This makes discipline a challenge.
“…children left on their own with no proper guidance may develop defiant behavior, which inhibits disciplinary measures from a single parent,” Marriage.com explains.
Remind you of Cassie and Vanessa’s high school years?
Emotional Struggles
Single parents can lose a sense of identity
Doubting your parenting skills: Single parents often doubt whether they are doing a good job. After all, there’s no partner to provide feedback.
“A sense of loneliness and depression can easily set in when they don’t have a close partner with whom they can share the bad and the good times,” George Washington University says.
Accepting you don’t have the family you wanted: Part of moving forward is accepting that the family dynamic is not what you dreamed it would be. In Sexual Awakening, Cassie often pointed out that she didn’t want to end up like her mother. She repeats this sentiment in Rock Star Mom, yet marrying a rock star comes with sacrifices, not having a full-time husband being the biggest sacrifice.
You lose your self identity: With all the responsibilities that fall on single parents, it’s easy to forget who you are as an individual. This also can happen when people are judgmental and do not understand your situation.
Here’s the 4-1-1
This blog is a companion piece to Rock Star Mom available in eBook, paperback and hardcover. The fourth installment in the Rock Star’s Wife series follows Cassie through her unglamorous daily life in the Chicago suburbs, as she struggles to balance raising a family with the pursuit of her long-held aspirations. Buy now.
To listen to the songs mentioned in The Rock Star’s Wife series, follow The Rock Star’s Wife on Spotify.
For more information on the licenses mentioned on this page, visit https://creativecommons.org/about/cclicenses/.
Comments are closed