Recent statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau show there are 9.9 million single mothers in the United States. This number is up from only 3.4 million in 1970, showing that single motherhood is more common than ever. For every mother recently finding herself single, or new moms learning how to raise their first child by themselves, there are countless things any mother will need to know. Single motherhood presents innumerable situations that are much harder to handle without the helping hands of a second parent nearby. But one of the best ways to prepare yourself for success as a single mother is to arm yourself with knowledge about what to expect with single parenting. A Complete Guide for Single Moms: Everything You Need to Know About Raising Healthy, Happy Children on Your Own is for every mother who is learning how to raise children on her own. Regardless of how you came to be a single mom whether it was through divorce, the end of a relationship, surrogacy, adoption, unplanned pregnancy, or by the death of a spouse this book will walk you through the information you need to know to help you and your child adjust to a new lifestyle. The book covers what to do when pregnant and single and how to rely on your family and friends for support and help. You will learn the basics of early childcare, including what a child needs in its first year, from breastfeeding and nappies, to clothing and travel. You will learn what to expect as your child grows, including the early years of school and the problematic teenage years. This book teaches you how to take care of yourself in addition to your children, which includes knowing how to find rest and work your way back into dating. You will learn how to prepare yourself for the sacrifices you will be forced to make and how to handle financial matters while raising a child alone. Even the difficult topics are covered, such as the first times you must discuss with your child why his or her father is not present. You will learn when you can fill in as a father figure, when you cannot, and what you can do to provide the male influence and support children need during those formative years. If your child s father is involved, this book will teach you how to work with him. You will learn how to raise a boy as a single mother and find positive role models for your children. We have conducted multiple interviews with successful single mothers, as well as with experts in child care, to provide a comprehensive outlook on everything you can expect as a single parent on your own from the first few weeks of stress to the later years of toilet training, proper diet, allergies, health care, and learning to talk. From conception to graduation, the life of a single mother is a trying, challenging road to travel. With this guide in hand, you will have what you need to raise a healthy, happy family.

The first handbook for the paoidly growing number of American women choosing single motherhood, written by the director of the national organization, Single Mothers by Choice.

No matter how you became a single mom, you share the same challenges and fears all single moms have. You may feel stretched to the limit. You may suspect your children need more than you're able to give. How are you going to do this on your own? With humor, Scripture, and sage advice, Pam Farrel (child of a single mother) and PeggySue Wells (single parent of 7 children) show you how to - be decisive - create a nurturing home - be proactive - date wisely - pray for your child - embrace your happily-ever-after - and more You are capable of parenting your children with courage, confidence, and clarity. This loving, practical guide shows you how.

When Emma Johnson's marriage ended she found herself broke, pregnant, and alone with a toddler. Searching for the advice she needed to navigate her new life as a single professional woman and parent, she discovered there was very little sage wisdom available. In response, Johnson launched the popular blog Wealthysinglemommy.com to speak to other women who, like herself, wanted to not just survive but thrive as single moms. Now, in this complete guide to single motherhood, Johnson guides women in confronting the naysayers in their lives (and in their own minds) to build a thriving career, achieve financial security, and to reignite their romantic life—all while being a kickass parent to their kids. The Kickass Single Mom shows readers how to: • Build a new life that is entirely on their own terms. • Find the time to devote to health, hobbies, friendships, faith, community and travel. • Be a joyful, present and fun mom, and proud role model to your kids. Full of practical advice and inspiration from Emma's life, as well as other successful single moms, this is a must-have resource for any single mom.

As a single mother to a growing son, you take on many roles: coach, chef, cheerleader, buddy, housekeeper, teacher, disciplinarian, and nurturer. The Single Mother’s Guide to Raising Remarkable Boys helps you juggle all these roles with aplomb. You’ll also learn how to help your son: Succeed at school Excel on the sports field Find an appropriate male role model Socialize and combat peer pressure Deal with sex, drugs, and video games Complete with resources and recommended strategies for every stage of a boy’s life, The Single Mother’s Guide to Raising Remarkable Boys helps you go it alone—and raise a happy, healthy, well-adjusted young man!

The comprehensive guide for single women interested in proactively becoming a mother--includes the essential tools needed to decide whether to take this step, information on how best to follow through, and insight about answering the child's questions and needs over time. Choosing Single Motherhood, written by a longtime journalist and Choice Mother (a woman who chooses to conceive or adopt without a life partner), will become the indispensable tool for women looking for both support and insight. Based on extensive up-to-date research, advice from child experts and family therapists, as well as interviews with more than one hundred single women, this book explores common questions and concerns of women facing this decision, including: - Can I afford to do this? - Should I wait longer to see if life turns a new corner? - How do Choice Mothers handle the stress of solo parenting? - What the research says about growing up in a single-parent household - How to answer a child's "daddy" questions - The facts about adoption, anonymous donor insemination, and finding a known donor - How the children of pioneering Choice Mothers feel about their lives Written in a lively style that never sugarcoats or sweeps problems under the rug, Choosing Single Motherhood covers the topic clearly, concisely, and with a great deal of heart.

A supportive survival guide for women who want a “REALationship”—not a rebound! With the wit and warmth of a girlfriend, divorced mother Kerri Zane shares her own story of bouncing back from the painful breakup of her marriage—and explains her philosophy about caring for yourself both inside and out before you make the leap into the next romantic liaison. Using solid statistics, tangible facts, proven healing mechanisms, and first person stories of wisdom, she provides a beacon to show how to become a more confident and loving whole woman, ready for the challenge of finding “the REAL One” and forming an authentic and renewable REALationship.

A short and sassy guide to navigating the first phases of your journey as a single mom. These 21 tips shot from the hip and hard-won wisdom of a veteran single mom cover such important topics as building a community, teaching your kids to cook, managing finances, getting a dating life, and generally staying sane while keeping your sense of humor in tact along the way.

Raising a child alone whether you are a father or mother can be the most trying experience in anyone s life. Learning to handle all the many duties that two people would normally deal with and adjusting to the overwhelming demands of a child on a daily basis is a trying experience. Yet, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated in 2006 that over 12.9 million single parents raise their children alone. While a small percentage of that was single fathers (2.5 million), the hard reality of raising a child alone remains the same for either parent. Through hours of meticulous research and interviews, this book was compiled to show exactly how a single father can raise a child alone to be happy and healthy without the help of a second parent. You will learn, as a single father, how to reassure your children and maintain the feeling of a family. You will learn how to help them feel better regardless of whether you are a single father through death or divorce. You will learn how to treat your children and how to communicate with them. The basics of discipline and rules will be outlined for a single-parent household, along with tips on how you can have fun with your children the right and healthy way. You will learn the differences between having daughters versus sons as a father, and how to handle the myriad issues that the mother would normally handle. Dozens of hours of interviews with experts in child psychology and child raising were conducted, and have been included in this book to provide a complete outline of what you can expect throughout raising your children. You will learn how to turn your house into a home, divvying up space, having pets, and how to handle chores. You will learn how to find reliable child care and how to juggle your time among your work, your children, and yourself. You will learn how to deal with school and ensure that your children get the attention they need to succeed. The basics of cooking and health care for children and how to handle their emotional issues as they grow older will all be outlined for you. For every father alone for the first time or unsure of how to raise a child alone, this book will provide the detailed instruction you need to be the best possible single father.

Yes you can raise godly kids! Break out of single parent dysfunction junction and have the family of your dreams. Your children are destined to be more than "kids-gone-wrong" society statistics. They have infinite potential to rise far above loneliness, rejection, dejection, depression, stigmatized traits, and disadvantage. Single-parented children can make sound choices, respect others, resist negative pressure, and create an uptrend of doing the right thing. It starts with your determination to say "no" to the status quo and your resolve to give new and significant meaning to the term "family." You will learn how to: Pull your family out of the dysfunctional swamp and into whole living. Avoid 'morale' decay and raise your child's value quotient. Free your child to be a child, resurrect his or her hopes and dreams. Reduce the impact of negative influence. Lead your children to Christ and keep them walking with Him. Identify vulnerabilities and deal with the tough stuff kids are into. As a single mom currently raising her son, author Shae Cooke experiences the parent and child struggle-as well as the possibilities-every day. With wit, humor, and honest transparency, The Single Parent's Guide to Raising Godly Children offers practical, realistic, and proactive suggestions and resources to help relieve the analysis paralysis, worry, and guilt so often associated with the task of solo child-rearing, ultimately freeing the family into whole living. The Single Parent's Guide to Raising Godly Children is the first book in The Single Parent's Guide Series.