Single Parent Families In Canada

I’m living the single parent experience. My experience came about through a long separation and eventually divorce. This of course is some of the ways in which single parenthood occurs.

Parenting is one of the hardest yet most rewarding jobs in the world. No one’s giving you any money for it but wouldn’t that be nice too. You’ll get lots of love and satisfaction though, as your kids get older.

There are myriads of books on the topic but living it or experiencing it is a whole different matter. Remember the saying that “it’s all in the doing”. That’s what I’m talking about. I sure would have liked them to come with a manual though. Life would be different I’m telling you.

Picture this as your manual; son likes to be fed every 4 hours and change his diaper every 3 hours as this will probably keep him from making a ruckus while you try to sleep. Be sure to get your nap when he’s resting or you will look like a hag from lack of sleep. Take lots of vitamins during the baby years ‘cause girl, you’re going to need it. If the daddy works outside the home, consider yourself as a lone parent now because he’ll need his beauty rest to get to work each day. He will not be getting up in the middle of the night to breast feed or change diapers. That’s your job along with cleaning the house, washing dishes, cooking, laundry and anything else there is to be done.

See now, if I’d read that, I would have reconsidered that whole parenting thing. Just kidding!! NOT.

When a single parent has money, it serves to significantly lessen the financial burdens which most single parents are enmeshed in on a daily basis. No doubt, worries about food, clothing and housing become secondary when money is not an issue.

A lone-parent, as classified in Canada, is a man or woman, who is single, separated, divorced, or widowed who cares for one or more children with no assistance from a spouse or common-law partner in the home.

Eighty percent of the 1.4 million lone-parent families enumerated in 2006 were headed by women.

From 2001 to 2006, the number of lone-father families increased more than twice as fast as the number of lone-mother families. One explanation for the faster gain among lone-parent families headed by men is that fewer mothers are granted sole custody following a divorce.

Statistics (StatsCan) Canada’s data for 2006 indicates that the median total income for lone parents (that’s what they call us) families in Canada was $33,000. 

Low income families spend more money on food, shelter and health care.  Higher income families spend more on clothing, transportation and recreation.

If someone spends 20% or more of their income on food, clothing and housing when compared to the average family they are considered low income in Canada.

The statistics for female headed households are really depressing and stressing.  To sum it all up, women suffer a great deal more as lone parents, essentially because of lower income earnings and a lack of access to child care. In reality they live in poverty.

As bleak as this report may seem, there are still countless women who are raising children alone while providing well for them. Yay, to you.

From the experience, so far I am learning patience(Lord know some days I'd like to beat those kids and run screaming like a banshee too because I’m so stressed out); how to budget; (how to stretch that last five dollars 'cause my wallet is so empty and where am I going to find 5 more to pay for that activity that they just came up with at school?); how to use coupons(why can't they ever have the ones you really need? I have to find some people to swap with.); how to pray better and more often(only the Lord can help me now and God knows I use his name a lot.) and finally but in no way the last, how to give thanks for what I have(it might not be much but it's what I have for now). Thank you Lord for all that you are in my life, I'm truly grateful and forever blessed. I am never alone. I truly give thanks for my family especially and friends. I am surrounded by love.

To the single parents out there, you are courageous and I send you love for all that you do.