Single minded to success

Coming from backgrounds where being a single mum is rarely a lifestyle choice and more of a reality that is unfairly stigmatized. The lack of support for single mums in society has severe affects for society at large. This pain is conveyed by various artists, recently Ard Adz in the first verse of “Call Me Dirty”:

Last year having read a moving piece by Sian Anderson, “No right time: Harsh realities of being a mother in the music industry“, it became apparent this was not only an issue that prevalent in music. Having experienced the hardship of single motherhood, one thing I learnt is that your network is networth. This is why organisations such as “Single-minded Success” are so vital. Their mission is to empower single parents and create a network of like minded people so that families can flourish in spite of challenges and achieve. There event on Saturday 4th February (10am-2pm), “Redefining Success as a Single Mum” takes place in Citadines Holborn. For more information, click here.

Having reached out to Single Minded Success, there were 3 vital pieces of advice that really stuck with me in terms of coping with being a single mum:

1. Establish a routine – Add structure to your home life to ensure that you get precious me time when the kids are occupied or asleep
2. Be forward focused, don’t focus on obstacles of today. Instead choose to focus on where you see yourself in the future
3. Be open about your situation to your children and others around you 

When we fully embrace the highs and lows of being a single parent you find you no longer care about society’s stereotypes and what peers think of you and your single status. Any negativity you receive should be used as motivation to excel above the single parent stigma.

Also check them out on Facebook