Just One Parent
If you grew up raised only by one parent, you know exactly how hard things were. Sure, you might still have had a fulfilling childhood, but you can't help but wonder what it'd have been like if you, like the rest of your friends and classmates, had both parents to support you through adolescence. Whether it's learning to be independent earlier or feeling awkward during school events, these 20 struggles will feel all too familiar.
1. Having to Explain Your Family Situation
It might not be so hard to explain now that you're an adult, but when you were young, something as simple as telling classmates you only live with one parent felt exhausting. You couldn't deal with the constant questions they'd ask! And since kids usually can't take a hint, you had to constantly explain it over and over.
2. Seeing Your Parent Work All the Time
Being raised by a single parent often meant watching them juggle a full-time job on top of household responsibilities while caring for you and other siblings. Seeing the exhaustion on their face every day probably even made you feel extremely guilty.
3. Feeling Awkward on Mother's Day or Father's Day
Whenever Mother's Day or Father's Day came around, you always felt awkward—especially when people would ask you what you had planned for your parent that day. While everyone else excitedly shared their gift ideas, you sometimes wished they would just stop asking.
4. Learning to Be Independent Earlier
Because you only had one parent available, you might have taken on certain responsibilities long before your friends did. You may have taught yourself how to cook simple meals, got your license as soon as you turned 16, or kept track of your homework without supervision.
5. Having to Wait for Your Parent to Be Available
Again, because you only had one parent available, you often had to wait for them to be available. Need help with a school project, a ride to your friend's house, or even just someone to confirm with the school office that you were sick? Most of the time, you had no choice but to just suck it up.
6. Watching Your Friends Go on Expensive Vacations
While you were struggling financially at home, your friends flaunted their fancy family vacations. Hearing them discuss their annual trips to Disney World or weeklong beach vacations would always make you feel a bit bitter, even though you knew it wasn't their fault, and they deserved those happy experiences.
7. Being Asked to Help Around the House More Often
Chores were a normal part of childhood, sure, but you likely had more responsibilities than other kids your age. Between washing dishes and helping with groceries, you were your single parent's right-hand assistant. Occasionally, it felt unfair when other kids could head to the playground while you still had stuff to do at home.
8. Not Always Having Someone to Attend School Events
Whether it was a school play or a sports game, or even graduation, you didn't always have your parent in the crowd watching you. After all, it wasn't like they could always get time off work! You knew their absence didn't mean they weren't proud of you, but it still hurt not seeing their face when everyone else's parents were in attendance.
9. Feeling Guilty About Asking for Things
Wanted a new toy or money for a school field trip? Other kids might have been able to ask their parents with no hesitation, but you were always thinking twice before bringing up anything to do with money. Even when your parent reassured you that things were fine, you couldn't help worrying about the expense.
10. Having Less Flexibility with Transportation
Before you knew how to drive, it was a nightmare getting to places you needed to go. In fact, you probably always had to rely on your friends' parents. You might have even missed an occasional event simply because there wasn't anyone who could take you there or pick you back up afterward.
11. Dealing with Assumptions About Your Family
Once the word was out that you were raised by a single parent, the rumors started. Your classmates might have automatically assumed awful things about you and your family, even when they didn't know the details. Having to correct these ideas was exhausting, so most of the time you just pretended to not hear the gossip.
12. Having Your Parent Double as Your Emergency Contact
You knew your parent wasn't always available, but you often had no choice but to put them as your emergency contact. You probably even worried about bothering them at work, especially if you knew they had a demanding schedule.
13. Feeling Different During Family-Oriented School Projects
Those family-oriented assignments you had at school? Nothing was more awkward than those. Uncomfortable as it was, getting through them wasn't the hard part—you might have had to explain why your project looked different from everyone else's afterward. Good grief.
14. Spending More Time with Babysitters or Relatives
Depending on your parent's work schedule, you may have spent many afternoons away from home. You probably slept over at a grandparent's house or stayed in an after-school program longer than others! And though these arrangements were sometimes enjoyable, there were days when you would've preferred to go straight to your own bed.
15. Having to Accept More Last-Minute Changes
Having only one parent, you were used to plans changing unexpectedly. They might work overtime, take a different shift at work, or have an unexpected appointment right when they promised they'd take you somewhere. As disappointing as it was, you gradually knew how to adjust your expectations.
16. Feeling Protective of Your Parent
Seeing how much effort your parent put into raising you made you particularly sensitive to how other people talked about them or treated them. The second someone threw out some criticism, you were right in their face, defending your parent. Even harmless comments bothered you!
17. Getting Used to Smaller Family Celebrations
Birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions weren't as big or festive as others had them. Instead of large gatherings, you likely only celebrated with just your parent and your siblings. As cozy and intimate as they were, you still got envious hearing about your classmates' elaborate family traditions.
18. Having Fewer People to Ask for Permission
When you wanted to stay out later or head to a friend's place for a sleepover? Well, if your parent said no, that was that. There was no trying to convince another parent; you only had one. Trying to negotiate getting permission meant you were often led to dead ends.
19. Wondering What Having Two Parents Would Be Like
Even if you loved your childhood, you still wondered what it'd be like if you grew up with both parents. You've seen your friends' families, the shows, the movies, and it all made you think about how different your adolescence would've looked if another parent lived with you. Most of the time, it was just plain curiosity.
20. Wishing Your Parent Had More Time for Themselves
As you got older, you understood what it was like to be an adult. And getting to experience what your parent was probably going through when raising you likely made you wish they had more time for themselves. Being an adult is hard, and you'd trade anything for them to just have an entire year off.
