As a counsellor supporting single parents, my goal is to help other lone parents feel better about themselves. I want people to know that struggling with lone parenting doesn’t mean you're a bad parent. It’s just hard.

Alongside my work as a counsellor for solo parents, I’m also a single mum myself. So while everyone's experience is different, I get how hard parenting alone day in, day out, can be.  I thought I’d share some of the hardest aspects of single parenting for me. You might recognise some of these struggles, and maybe you have your own to add. I feel like this could easily become a part two… and three… and four!

The Hardest Parts of Single Parenting

• It’s all on my shoulders. There’s no one to take over, so there’s often an overwhelming sense of responsibility.

• It’s solely up to me to decide how we spend each day as a family. Do you ever feel stuck for inspiration and wish someone else would come up with ideas for once? I know I do!

• The financial strain is all on me. Wherever money comes from, it’s ultimately my responsibility to make the numbers add up — and for many lone parents that mental load of financial pressure never really switches off.

• Sensory overwhelm and overstimulation. There is often just too much noise, and when you’re parenting alone, walking away isn’t really an option.

• Constant interruption — and the guilt that comes with feeling frustrated when you hear “Mummy!” for the twentieth time in an hour.

• Not being able to "divide and conquer." It’s literally impossible to split oneself in two, but it would be seriously helpful! I hear about two-parent families where one parent takes one child swimming while the other goes to a birthday party. When you’re solo parenting, that just isn’t possible. Where one goes, we all go.

• Isolation. Even when you do connect with someone at a playdate, it’s rarely an uninterrupted adult conversation. Often you’re constantly interrupted, or your mind feels too frazzled to access all the things you’ve been longing to talk about.

• I can’t just pop out quickly on my own. Forgetting something at the supermarket, needing to post a letter — those small, mundane tasks feel much bigger when you’re the only adult.

• There isn’t much slack in the system. When one person gets sick, we all get sick and the house turns to rack and ruin. It becomes very clear how fragile the solo parenting ecosystem can be.

• The mental and physical load is exhausting. Trying to stay on top of everything often feels impossible. Forgetting mittens, missing party invitations, getting the date of the nativity wrong — all things I’ve done.

• Not being able to share the lovely moments. The funny comments, the sweet memories — not having another adult to turn to and say “remember when…?” can feel pretty lonely.

Parenting alone is genuinely tough. It can feel relentless. No doubt about it. And if you feel this way, please believe me when I say you're not the only one and feeling this way doesn't mean you're doing a bad job or letting down your kids.

Now onto...

The Best Things About Single Parenting

Because there are good things too — and they matter.

• The closeness I have with my children. Whether this would look the same in a two-parent family, I don’t know. What I do know is that our bond feels strong and meaningful.

• Not having anyone criticize or contradict my parenting. Making decisions alone can sometimes feel heavy, but it can also feel freeing.

• A growing sense of pride. My children are thriving, and that is in large part down to me. I’m learning to accept the compliment when someone says I’m doing a good job — and I gently encourage you to do the same.

Whether you're finding it hard to identify with any positive aspects of solo parenting or you're just feeling overwhelmed, I'm here for you. Please book in a free 15 mins intro call and we can take that first step together in you feeling more supported and less alone.