What is your definition of a single parent?

A co-worker and I got into a debate about this yesterday and it's been bugging me.





What do YOU consider a single parent?What is your definition of a single parent?
I LOVE this question. I find that alot of the people that claim single parenthood, are not single parents in the sense of the word that I use it as. I mean technically they are, but not really. I have a friend who had a baby and lived with her mom for a year until she met a man and than moved in with him and they now have 4 kids (including her first). She says that she was a single mom and knows what it is like.





To me, I am a single mom. I have no child support (and take no government help), I have no family around to help out, I have no ex that takes the kids part time, and I don't get out without my kids to met men or friends (although I am working on the friends thing with my kids in tow, but most mom's are married and their men are left out if we are friends, so that doesn't always work out).





But in reality... I guess that if you only half 1/2 custody you are single parenting still. Or if you have a boyfriend that adores your kids and is around all the time, you are still technically a single mom, or if you live with your parents, or if you have people to watch your kids so you can get alone time and actually date (what is that again? lol). Or if you only parent a year before marrying that great man (compared to my 9 single parenting) than technically you are a single mom. That is all single parenthood, but to me... I don't feel it qualifies or is in the same category as me. Maybe I should be called the singlest single mom, lol. Get my own category for aloneness (not loneliness.. they are different)





NOT saying I am a better person. I am just saying that I don't think that it is really a single parent when you have a boyfriend or man around all the time and about to get married, child support coming in, an ex that takes the kids whenever you want a break, and family support, and tons of friends. That IS being a single parent of course, but that is such a different type of life than my single motherhood experience.What is your definition of a single parent?
lol YA asnwers wanted to put this is the lesbian category thats pretty funny!


I consider a single parent exactly what it sounds to be a parent who is raises a child in their own! A parent who has fullcustody and is supporting/raising the child!


Even if the father sees the child every other weekend or whatever I still consider that mom to be a single parent because she has the child MOST of the time and when she does she is a single parent. If that makes sense!
In a conversation, I would use the term for a person who has a child/children, who's neither married nor in a relationship.





It doesn't matter if he/she is getting help from relatives, he/she is still single parent to me, because he/she is not in a relationship (married or not).





Having a boy/girlfriend or husband/wife who's not the child/children's other biological parent, automatically cancel out the ';single'; status.
Somebody who is parenting alone.


One parent in one home.





In the case of a divorce, it could depend in large part on the actions of the noncustodial parent-


a non-custodial parent who remains close and plays an active role in parenting their child, would make the custodial parent not quite so 'single',


and a non-custodial parent who is uninvolved in daily life (think the 'one month in the summer, a weekend here and there types- at best) would certainly help the custodial parent win the title of successful single parent.





I've known children of divorce who where in no way the product of a 'single parent', they were simply the product of parents who divorced but remained active participants in parenting together. Sadly, I've also come across more of the 'other' type- where the non-custodial parent just gets on with their 'pre-child' life, leaving child and (most often but not always) mother in the dust.





Then- the person who chose to be a single parent. Chose from day one to do it alone.





Sometimes I feel like a single parent, because my husband works long hours, and travels incessantly, but at the end of the day (unless he's on a trip) he does always come home. Coming home, then, might be the key factor??!
I call an unmarried parent a ';single'; parent, a divorced parent a ';divorced'; parent, and married parents ';a two-parent home';. If two people are single but living together and have a child that's both of theirs I'd probably call it ';unmarried parents'; because ';single'; implies one person only.





I don't count helpful boyfriends who aren't the child's father at all. They aren't the parent.
A single parent can be any of the following in my book:





A parent who lives with their parents for financial and/or emotional support.





A parent who lives with a spouse or life-mate who is not the child's biological parent nor acts in a parental capacity.





A parent who lives alone raising their kid(s) alone.











A single parent is not the following in my book:





One half of a married couple, where the other half is gone a lot due to work.





A stay at home parent.





A remarried parent whose spouse or life-mate is actively involved in the raising a child from a previous relationship.





A divorced parent whose ex is nearby and involved in the child's life and upbringing.








Why? A single parent, to me, is someone who ultimately is solely responsible for the day to day parenting decisions regardless of support. Married couples, ultimately, share this responsibility regardless of actual time spent with kids. Divorced or unmarried couples with both parents actively involved ultimately share this responsibility. Remarried couples whose new spouses have taken on the roll of parent, have decided to ultimately share this responsibility.








FYI to me:


Marriage = spiritual union


Divorce = spiritual separation
A friend of mine who is a single parent calls herself a 'sole' parent and I always believed it was because she is solely raising her 2 kids alone.


Recently she told me she doesn't like to be referred to as a single parent as she thinks this means she is a parent looking for a partner.


She wants to be known as sole parent as she is devoted to raising her kids, not looking for a man.


I actually felt a little guilty, never really thought about that...I have always just said 'single' parent.


I always believed if you are raising a child without the other parent/partner then you are (whatever word people prefer to use) a single or sole parent.
I define a 'single parent' as a person who has child(ren) and is no longer romantically involved with the other parent. (Meaning the mother %26amp; father are no longer together but share the responsiblity of the child(ren).)





OR





It could be 1 parent that takes care of everythng the child(ren) need without help from the other parent.








I think it's a phrase that could mean either of those. It's a double-definition phrase.
A single parent, to me, is one who is raising a child or children without the other parent having a daily, close contact type of relationship with the child.





As much as some moms would like to ';be the martyr'; and say she is a single parent just because her husband doesn't get up with the baby at night, or wash the dishes, if the other parent is living in the same house with the family, she is NOT a single parent. And anyone who really IS a single parent has the right to be offended by a person calling themselves a signle parent simply because she feels neglected. Being a real single parent would suck big time.
I consider a single parent to be one that takes full time responsibility (both financially and emotionally) of the child without assistance (physical and/or financial) from the other ';parent.'; I put parent in quotes because of those individuals who do not take an active interest in their child and, therefore, are more sperm/egg donor than parent.





As to why YA wanted to put this in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered category --- gremlins?
A single parent to me is someone who has sole responsibly for their child/children. someone who raises them by themselves is responsible for all the bills and running of the house etc.





And I take my hat off to every single one of them - those that work and those who stay at home and struggle on benefits -I know I would struggle and I think the majority of them do a marvellous job and aren't told often enough - so well done all you single parents out there!
A parent who is doing the work of 2 without ANY help from a significant other. A mother raising a child alone, a father raising a child alone. A person who is married and feels like a single parent because their spouse works a lot is definitely not a single parent. I'm sure they get help eventually. I am my sons mother and father. I don't get child support or any kind of support, physical, emotional etc, from his bio dad. I'm a single parent. My friend who has 2 kids and her husband works sometimes 10 hours a day and only does a few chores after getting home is not a single parent, even though she may be doing a lot of work.
I am not married but the dad of my 2 yr old son and i have been together for almost 6 years but in the eyes of the law, I am a single mother and i totally feel like that cause i am my son's caretaker everyday expect on sundays for 4-6 hours when his dad lets me have a day to myself with my daughter. I am on medicaid for my children because they even deem me as a single parent. We do not have the same last name, we do not have a bank account together, etc so i am a single mother by all means! I, also have a 10 yr old daughter! I think if you are not married then you are a single mother and if you are strictly raising them on your own. Kudos to the single parents, it is hard work but it will be worth it in the end!
A single parent to me is this:





A man or woman with a child who is one parent in one household.





I would possibly say a single parent is a man or woman with no support of the other biological parent. But then I’d be generalizing because there are SO MANY factors that can change all that. Some do receive child support and also have visitation.





My husband's ex, is considered a ';single mother';. She lives with her mother and pays not rent. She has no job so she's not contributing. She has a boyfriend who gives her money, we pay her child support, she gets help from the state and discounted insurance. So to say she's the ';sole person raising the child'; I'd have to VERY much disagree with that. She's just simply single in terms of her relationship. Because my husband most certainly helps contribute, moreso than she does actually.





So really, single is just a relationship/marital status.
A single parent is someone who is raising the child on their own.





I would consider the one with less custody a single parent too.





I would consider someone a single parent until they either get married/engaged and someone is living with them and taking some the responsibilities of a parent over.
To me, its anyone who takes responsibility for creating a child, and not JUST financially.





I am a single mom (to be). His father will NEVER have the right to call himself a single dad. He has not supported us in any way, has ';hid'; from his responsibility, has not tried to help me get ANYTHING ready for his son, supposedly the only family he has now.





I don't think that guys OR girls who just send a check every month should call them self a single ';parent'; as they do no parenting....





So, someone who accepts the responsiblity of a child, in more than just financial ways.
A man or woman who has more than 50% of the care of the child and they are not in a relationship as they are parenting the child singly.








Yahoo wanted this in the LGBT Category as most women (and men) are so put off by the childs other parent acting like a complete @sshole that they consider turning to their own gender.
I would just go with the simple dictionary definition and say it's a parent who is not married, for whatever reason.





That said, I would not choose to use that term (even though it might technically apply) for a person who is living with and in a long-term relationship with someone who is raising the child along with them (married or not).
I wonder the same thing. In most people's eyes I guess I am a single parent because I have never been married. I technically am, I guess, in the government's view, as well. However, I am with my child's father. We planned to create our baby and we still live together and raise her together. Other single moms have no help whatsoever, physically or financially, from the child's father. I admire those who can maintain in that situation and still be a good mommy. It's hard enough with help!





*Oh, and, Happy Holidays to Johnny! How cute!
I don't really have a definition of a single parent. But i love these reality shows and these women are on them claiming to be a single parent. Where is your kid while you are on this show for 2-3 months? So my opinion is that if you can leave your child for lengthy time then you are not a single parent. In most cases i think people define it as because they don't live with the father of the children.
That questions has borthered me too. I mean is a single parent one who is in a relationship with someone but is the only one who has a job and takes care of the kids needs and wants or is it someoen who is not in a relationship and does it on their own too? Personnaly i think it can be either, i am not married so in other words to me i am a single mommy!
this is a good question. very deep. let me think.. all you want is a definition?





A single parent is a parent who raises their child/children on their own. Some one who is not in a serious relationship with anyone. Someone who, on their own, handles everything that has to do with their children.
I think a single parent is simply a parent who isn't married. They can live with their partner or without, receive support or not, be part of a couple or not.





When giving birth, even if engaged and co-habitating, they consider you a sinlge parent if not married.
If they are the only parent living in the house with the children or the non-custodial parent who is not remarried or living with their s/o. I wouldn't think have a bf/gf would change the single parent status unless the bf/gf is a live-in.
if both parents do not live under the same roof as the child, then that parent the child lives with would be considered a single parent, unless that parent is married to some1. atleast this is wat comes to mind. i know the guide lines vary from state to state to legally claim bein a single parent
I would consider it a person who does all of the parenting, money making, supporting, by themself. My mom and dad divorced, but my mom was not a single parent because my dad still saw me a lot and he helped support me financially.
A single parent can be many things:


-mother or father who does not live with the other parent of the child


-mother or father who doesn't live with any partner who helps take care of children, whether or not the children are theirs


-mother or father who has a spouse or live-in partner but they are absent frequently or not involved in child-rearing.
A single parent is a person who is not married.


If you have been married and are divorced, you are a divorced parent.


If you had a spouse die, you are a widow or widower.
a single parent is one who brings a child/children up without a partener, they do all that is neccessary for their kids on their own,


by the way, i found this question in the general section
One person doing it all on their own. Or, a single person who also has a child. Either/ Or





I've never been a single parent but I sure felt like it the year my husband was deployed to Iraq.
I think a single parent is someone who is no longer in a relationship with their child's other parent and is raising the child alone.