Being a parent is hard enough when there is another person to share the work with.  Children are demanding, required a lot of time, attention, and love, and they are also costly.  Imagine what it is like to carry that burden on your own as a single parent.  Many parents do it.

More and more households are being run by a single parent.  There are so many reasons for a household to be run by a single parent from one of the parents being absent from the beginning, to divorce, to death, or just simply a woman choosing to have a child on her own (ie adoption or artificial insemination).  All of these factors has lead to an increase in the number of single parent households in most western countries.  Here in the United States 1.5 million babies were born in 2004 to single parent households, it is estimated that at this time 31% of children are raised by a single parent.  In Australia 14% of households are run by a single parent.  In the United Kingdom and Canada the number of single parent households is estimated at about 25%.  Just to name a few examples.

A majority of single parent households are headed by women, about 86% on average in the United States.  Unfortunately, all to often (close to 50% in the US) these households are also supported by incomes that are considered below the poverty line.  The struggles for a single parent are often plenty and go much deeper than just being the only parent for their children.

Here are a few tips for those parents who find themselves as a single parent.

• Plan ahead and be smart about the financial burden a child places on you.  The average child will cost about $184,000 to raise through age 17.  Be sure you are smart up front with the purchases you make for your child, try to plan ahead by saving when and what you can.  If you find yourself already in financial hardship consider applying for assistance from programs like WIC (Women, Infants and Children), or other programs that will provide support and assistance to you and your children.  Check with your local government or your doctor to see what programs are available in your area.

• Due what you can to ensure your own financial future.  Continue to, or if you haven’t started already start to, invest in your retirement.  Many employers offer 401k programs (or something similar) that can be a very easy way to put at least a little bit of money away.  Also plan properly for your own insurance needs as you age, such as health, long term care, and life insurance.  Remember you need to take care of yourself and plan for yourself just as much as for your kids.

• Plan for the unthinkable.  You will want to plan for what will happen to your child in the event of your death.  Be sure to take the time to write up a will designating who will take legal guardianship of your child and what is to happen with whatever financial assets you have.  Not only have a written will in place but discuss it with someone you trust, like the person who you are naming legal guardian of your child.  It is terrible to have to think about things like this, but it is also very important, especially if you are the only parent in your child’s life.

• Line up support.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help and assistance from friends and family.  Plan a babysitter for a night each week so you can have some time to yourself.  It is very easy as a parent to negligent yourself, especially if there isn’t another parent there helping out every day.

Are you a single parent?  What did you or do you find most challenging?  What helped you the most and what words of wisdom do you have for other single parents out there?