Parenting & the Single Mom: By Jennifer Maggioনমুনা

Mom, don’t give up.

The school uniforms aren’t washed. The house is a disaster. Dinner hasn’t been cooked. Homework hasn’t been started. The baby is crying, and you just want to go to bed and cry. We have all had moments when our teenager has rolled their eyes for the hundredth time, or the baby simply won’t settle. How close have you come to just throwing in the towel and calling it quits? I can’t tell you how many of those moments I have had. I can tell you that in those moments, it is important to lean on God and acknowledge His unwavering strength that holds us during every parenting season. Nothing lasts forever, mom. Before you know it, there will not be any homework to help with, and the house won’t have toys scattered from room to room. Soon, that teenager will be an adult who recognizes all your sacrifices. Mom, one of the best pieces of advice I can give is don’t give up.

Step 5 to parenting as a single mom: Stay the course!

Moms, I know it is hard. I know the days are long, and sometimes thanks are few. I know that there seems to be little rest for weary souls, but don’t stop praying, pressing, and persevering. Don’t stop believing in the word of God and His promises over your children's lives. Don’t stop implanting wisdom, truth, and wise counsel into those precious souls. The Lord will mount you on wings like eagles. He will restore, in due time, all that seemed lost, so stay the course. I have been parenting for almost three decades. It has ebbed and flowed. Seasons have looked different. Sometimes, it was harder in some seasons than others. Your children will one day stand and call you blessed. It may not seem that way today. There may be no evidence of it at this juncture. There will come a day and time when your children will have a revelation that mom has stayed the course. You are planting seeds. Don’t give up, even when you can’t see the fruit of your labor in this season. Be a woman of high integrity. Be a woman of good cheer. Be a woman filled with convictions and boundaries. Love them. Laugh with them. Enjoy them. The joy of the Lord is your strength, and it will allow you to endure.

Points to Ponder:

• Is this current season a more difficult season than in one's past? Why or why not? How can you enjoy your children more in this season? What does that look like for your family?
• For more information on the four C’s of parenting, read Kids and the Single Mom by Jennifer Maggio.
• Join Single Mom University at no charge to learn more about effective single parenting. Simply visit www.SingleMomUniversity.com and fill out a scholarship application and mention YouVersion.