Five Challenges Most the Single Mothers Face in India
Being a single mother in a society like India is not easy and it’s an everyday battle every single mother in India has to go through. Our society is very judgemental and if you are a single mother because of divorce then things become even worse. Financial issues, lack of a support system, a compromised lifestyle, and jibes of people, are some of the problems every single mother in India has to go through.
Raising a child alone in India can be very difficult in India especially if it’s after you went through a divorce or separation. Society will judge you at every single step and how much you try to ignore them, sometimes it will affect you in one way or another. The pain, the emotions, the dilemma, and the stress every single mother in India faces is not as simple as it sounds but as a mother, one has to face those challenges to give your child a comfortable and normal life. Here we will discuss about five challenges most single mothers face in India.
Financial Problems
Raising a child is not simple as it comes with many challenges and finance is one of them. If you are a single mother, things become even more difficult as you have to make a balance between your work and raising your child. If you have a husband then things can be better even if you are not working as you can focus entirely on raising your child but for a single mother, it’s quite challenging and difficult. As a single mother, you have to take care of everything by yourself and you have to manage the finances and at the same time, take care of your child. It’s very important to be financially independent as you can’t depend on others for every little thing if you are a single mother.
Lack of Support
If you are a single mother because your husband died early then things can be a bit easy as you get sympathy from society and relatives but if you are single because of divorce then things can be more difficult because society will start judging you. Every human being needs emotional support and a single mother in India struggles to find support and comfort during the difficult phase of her life. You are lucky if you have some close friends and family members who are there to support you no matter what. As a single mother, you have to be strong every time or at least show that you are strong because being vulnerable can be seen as a sign of weakness by others. A single mother will always be judged and labelled and all you can do is ignore them and concentrate on your work and raising your child in the best possible way.
Juggling Between Multiple Responsibilities
As a single mother, you have to play the role of both father and mother to your child. On the one hand, you have to look after the financial aspects of raising your, fulfilling his/her needs like a father, and on the other hand, you have to fulfill every duty a mother has to do. Taking care of multiple responsibilities is not simple but you have to balance everything because there is no other option available. Sometimes while taking care of finances, there may be times when you are not able to give proper time to your child and it may make you feel guilty. Plan everything carefully even if it’s a small thing and things will become a little bit simple for you.
Finding a Good Babysitter
Since you have to do a job or even if you are doing business there will be times when you have to be outside and leave your child at home. So having a good babysitter is a good option for taking care of your child when you are not at home, especially if your child is very young. But getting a good babysitter is not easy. Your child is the most important person in your life and you can’t leave your child at the hands of someone who is not efficient. Your babysitter has to be reliable along with being competent. A good recommendation always comes in handy and even if you leave your child in the hands of the babysitter, make sure that you take regular updates about everything.
Social Pressure of Getting Married
In Indian society, there will always be pressure of you getting married again as here people don’t look at single mothers with the respect they deserve. There is nothing wrong with being married again but it’s not an easy thing to do. You may be a single mother because your marriage did not work out or because your husband died and it’s not easy to get out of these situations easily. If you are a divorcee then you already had a bitter experience with marriage and next time you have to be extra cautious. Also, you have to make sure that the person will accept and love the child as his own because you can’t get married to someone who is not comfortable and accepting of your child. As a single mother in India, you have to keep listening to unsolicited advice anyway but don’t take a decision in haste because now it’s only about your future but your child’s future too.
