Single Parents Struggling For Life

Page 10 Nurturing Times Single Parents Struggling For Life...

by Julia Tanner from www.isnare.com As lone parents, we may experience emotions such as loneliness and isolation. The frustration of being a single parent can create stress and anxiety levels that can be harmful to you and your loved ones, left unchecked this can lead towards emotional meltdown. Use this site to learn the art of survival, have your say or tell the rest of us your survival tips. Few of us actually want to be single moms or dads; given the choice I am sure you would much rather be in a deep, meaningful, caring relationship. And because of this, a lot of us, are where we are today. We are encouraged to believe from infancy that we will one day fall in love, get married have kids and live happily ever after. The reality is of course quite different, and many of us are left feeling cheated, hurt, and bitterly disappointed. Note: a solo voyage is never an easy one, your survival depends heavily on your ability to wave goodbye to what was. This is by no means an easy task, and many will be tempted to jump ship. I take this opportunity to wish these persons a lot of luck and every success in their old life. Those of you that decide to take that plunge may well fi nd yourselves stranded or treading water and will be picked up at the next port of call. Reports of an epidemic of cabin fever have prompted the captain to suggest all passengers walk the decks at least four times a week. There are many things that we take for granted, and our well being is one of them,

As a single parent it is imporatant to keep channels of communication open

the art of self preservation is all about taking control of our emotions, and deciding for ourselves what is best, and that means what’s best for you and your own; it is perhaps a tad selfi sh, but at this point in time it’s no bad thing. Taking on the role as a single parent also includes taking care of yourself, this may at fi rst seem easy but in practice it is not more do you get that complement, nod of approval or pat on the back. You now have no one to answer to and no one to answer you back. You now have to encourage your own confi dence and question your own doubts. This is by no means an easy task and is a constant battle of will, you may stand as one but within there are two battling the odds on shall I or shall I not, etc. Don’t be afraid to ask others their opinion on important issues, as a one sided argument will only ever give you the answer that you want to hear, and not necessarily the right one. Much of what we do in our everyday lives is only possible because we have mastered the art of certain social skills, like communicating; this like any of our skills is only available to us because it has been practiced, and if it has been practiced well, along comes confi dence to back it up, and together they make a winning team. However, one doesn’t work very well without the other. So unless the practice is kept up, sooner or later one, if not both, will simply disappear.

845 South Sherman Street • Spokane WA 99202 509-455-8722 • www.mlkspokane.org (opens in July 2008)

Our Family Services Department provides local families with a support structure and nurturing environment. Parents actively participate in programs that help provide the tools necessary for their children’s future success. Prevention programs target low-income, at-risk families who are striving to make fi nancial security, family stability, healthy relationships and educational success a reality for their children. Intervention programs seek to break the cycle of inter-generational poverty, oppression, abuse and/or neglect. Most families in these programs are mandated for services by the state Department of Child and Family Services. Our Child and Youth Services Department works with Spokane-area children and youth, and provides them with a safe, holistic environment where they can learn and grow. Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) is a half day, state funded preschool program designed to help low-income or at-risk children and their families prepare for and succeed in school and in life. Child Care Program provides childcare to children before or after ECEAP and before school for school age children. Fulfi llment Maturity Enrichment Program (FAME) is substance abuse prevention after school program for children who attend Grant, Sheridan, or Roosevelt elementary schools. Summer Youth Academy and Teen Leadership Program (SYA/TLP) is a structured nine-week summer program designed to build self-esteem, promote diversity, and cultural awareness. SYA/TLP also promotes literacy, off ers recreational activities, and community service projects. In 2007 over 2,000 individuals from more than 800 families participated in programs off ered by the Martin Luther King Jr. Family Outreach Center.

PARTNERS PARTNERS WITH FAMILIES WITH FAMILIES & CHILDREN: & CHILDREN: SPOKANE SPOKANE Where the children are seen and heard Where the children are seen and heard 613 S Washington • P.O. Box 248 • Spokane, WA 99210-0248 Phone 509-473-4829 • Fax 509-473-4840

Partners with Families and Children have been helping families since 1987 under various names and confi gurations. Throughout all this time some things have remained the same. We are here to help parents become the best parents they can be so that their families can be the best they can be. We offer several services: chemical dependency/mental health programs for both men and women, Family Team coordination, forensic interviewing and well-child exams. A theme that underpins all of our interventions is child centered treatment. Every step of the way we will ask, “What’s in the best interests of your child?” If the course of action is in the best interests of your children then it will be in your best interest as well. The decisions you made in the past were the best decisions that you could have made at the time. Now you can learn to make better choices for yourself and your children. We receive all of our referrals through the Department of Children and Family Services. You can expect to be involved in monthly family team meetings and treated with respect and dignity every step of the way. We want you to become the best parents that you can be. If this sounds like something you would want please contact your DCFS worker to discuss a possible referral to our program.