When Mum is Dad too

Remembering the single Mother on Father’s Day

Being a single mother, I understand the implications of an absentee father on Father’s Day. Do you celebrate? Do you not? Do you celebrate the other strong men in your child’s life? Some would even argue whether the absence of a father is relevant at all.

The reality is, everyone has a father and the absence of them on Father’s Day likely goes noticed. No matter the reason for the absence, the child is not at fault as to why their father is not there and, it is important that they understand that they did not cause their father to leave.

Whether your child has a part time father or one they have never met, it is normal for your child to ask questions about them. Whilst it can be difficult to put your own feelings aside, there can be much gained by acknowledging the day, keeping conversations about their father positive and having an open discussion.

Parenting a child is hard, parenting a child alone is really hard and no one teaches you how to be a single mum. In fact, the world often sits and watch. As a single mum, you often find yourself relying on a network of people around you to offer support and, as the old African proverb says, “it takes a village to raise a child”. This proverb is not suggesting that that the village is responsible for raising your child just that a village interacting with your child providing a safe environment where they feel loved and cared for, certainly plays a valuable role in a child’s upbringing.

So, here’s to celebrating the strong people in your child’s life, the father figures official or unofficial!

If you require legal advice in relation to family issues and relationship breakdowns please email: katie.anderson@family-law.co.uk

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