If you’re a teenager or young mother who previously lived with parents or carers, you now have to also get used to doing housework, cooking, paying the bills and other household tasks. You are now faced with the responsibility of doing the job of two parents whilst also going through adolescence. See our Top 10 Tips for Parenting Alone article.

Do take time for yourselves and acknowledge and examine your own feelings. Do not be totally focused on your children. Try to stay connected with friends and activities you enjoy, or go on short breaks/holidays with other lone parents. For more information on low cost short breaks and holidays see our articles on Day Trips on a Budget and Single Parent Friendly Holidays.

Don’t be disheartened; life does not need to feel so strange and daunting because you have embarked into the unknown (parenthood). Just view it as a new experience as everything else has been in your life – you just need to get used to it.

We’ve had to get used to so many things before in life, for example, beginning full-time school, starting a new job where we had to learn new skills, doing exams, each of which has its degree of uncertainty. There are many things you can do easily now that you once thought were impossible.

Ask for help, share with others if you are unsure on any aspect of your life. Look out for lone parent groups and mentoring programmes offered in your area; they can provide a wealth of support for you and your children.

Keep smiling! Although it may be the hardest job in the world, encompassing all aspects of life, it is also the most enjoyable and loving thing: to be a parent.