Reveille Counseling                     (407) 333-0404 

Two years ago, on the day we usually honor our Dads, my oldest daughter sent me a text that simply said, "Happy Father's Day". Just to be clear, I am a Mom. At that time I was a single mom, carrying the weight and responsibility of both parental roles. It was such a sweet and simple way for her to recognize my efforts as a parent, and yet it touched me in such a profound way . You see, I was keenly aware of how hard I was working as a parent, and yet I thought all my children could see were my failures. Often being a single parent is accompanied by feelings of shame and guilt, because we feel less than perfect. How can we possibly be enough as just a Mom or just a Dad?

Some of the other challenges I often hear voiced by single parents include:

1. Having no one to give you a break/Self-care

2. Financial hardships

3. Finding good role models of the opposite sex

4. Dating

5. Balancing work and family time

6. Loss of identity

Being a parent is hard, and solo parenting can be downright exhausting and overwhelming! The important thing to remember is that although you may feel alone, you are not. In 2011, there were over 13 million single parents in the United States. One way to overcome the challenges listed above (and others) is to learn from each other, and explore new solutions together. For this reason, I will be starting a Single Parents Support group in mid to late January for both Moms and Dads. Whether you chose to be a single parent or were chosen by your circumstances, everyone faces similar problems and all are welcome. Scheduled to begin Tuesday, January 24th at 6:00 pm and will continue weekly for 6 weeks.

Melanie Mason, MS, RMFTI

Registration is needed to reserve your seat.

407-917-0322 or melaniemasontherapy@gmail.com.