The Power of Single Parents
“A single parent is more than just a caretaker for us, they are the heartbeat that keeps the family alive.”
Did you know there are 13.6 million single parents and over 21 million kids that are raised by a single parent in the U.S? 80% of them are single mothers and the other 20% are single fathers. Being a single-parent is such a huge responsibility; they carry the roles of both a mom and a dad, often working long hours, paying bills, cooking meals, helping with homework — all while still trying to give their kids love and attention.
For many kids including ourselves, growing up in a single parent home can be both challenging and a lesson. It's about learning early how to help around the house, how to comfort your parents when they are stressed, and how to appreciate the little things they do for you. Somedays it can feel lonely or unfair, especially when you see that other families have it easier, but it could also build independence, maturity, and a deep appreciation for the parent who stayed for us and never gave up.
Single parents often make sacrifices that go unseen. They skip meals or that morning coffee they really need to make sure their kids have enough. They work extra shifts to afford basic necessities, and they stay up late worrying about how to make ends meet. Yet despite the struggles, they keep pushing forward motivated by love and the hope of giving their children a better life.
We want to feature our single-parents and also explore what it really means to grow up with one parent — the struggles and strength it builds and how it shapes the person you become. We've talked to students who've been raised by single parents to hear their stories, understand their challenges, and celebrate the resilience that comes with it.
We sat down with Alexis Reyes, a 12th grade student, to hear firsthand what life has been like growing up with only one parent. “Well, my father passed away in a construction accident which heavily impacted me and my family,” he shared. He explained that the loss affected him both academically, as an A and B student, “After that,” he said, “my grades went down to Fs and Cs. So now I'm trying to slowly get my grades better”. Alexis told us that this experience forced him to gain both ”independence and responsibility”. He described himself as independent because he tends to do things on his own and really asks for help,but also responsible because he holds himself accountable for his work. He also explained how much things changed financially. His dad had been the one who paid for rent, groceries, travel, and clothes: “Ever since he passed away,my mom had to take care of it,but my mom’s income compared to my dads is like nothing”.
Even through these struggles, Alexis says he has learned something important, just how much his mom truly loves him. “ever since my dad has passed,” he said, “my mom has been taking care of me more, spending time more and she just shows how much she cares and loves me even after so much”.
Another student that we interviewed was Albin Lopez. He told us about having to be the “man of the house” his whole life. He has an older sister who taught him “right from wrong;” however, he was never really taught how to be what he called a gentleman. Therefore, he had to learn all of this on his own. Many people find themselves in this situation, having to learn so much on their own. His mom and his older sister took the place of his “dad,” and he is really “grateful” for them. Because of them, he wants to “strive to be the best” that he can be, and to “never give up.” It might sound basic, but he owes everything to his mom. “She’s so resilient,” he told us.
The last student we interviewed was Alexander, and he told us his experience and his struggles about how he had to help his mother by working two jobs. He saw how his mom “kept going no matter what. She never looked back.” This is something Alexander knew the potential that his mom had. He said he would be more responsible with his kids in the future and “be there whenever they need anything to support them along the way.”
We also wanted to hear from parents about their perspective raising children on their own. We talked to one parent, Carlos, to know a little more about the struggles of raising a kid alone. Carlos told us how his daughter’s mom left for Guatemala. It was an emotional struggle for both of them. He would always try to explain to his daughter why her mother left her and tell her to “focus on school.” Although he might not have had the relationship his daughter had with her mom he would always “try his hardest to understand” her. He struggled to “balance work and trying to step up to be both parents” when he works all the time. His advice to everyone out there struggling is to always “support them so they won't feel alone and go down bad routes.”
Another parent we interviewed was Clara, and she shared her experience about becoming a single mother. She told us how her children’s dad left to live in Mexico with another woman, leaving her with most of the rent and expenses. She explained that it has been extremely difficult because she now has to pay for everything on her own: rent, food, clothes, shoes, and even phones for her kids, and the salary she earns is simply not enough. She describes the “stress” she feels everyday, worrying about making ends meet. She admitted that there are moments when she questions herself, wondering if she is “not a great mom” because sometimes she struggles to find the motivation. Still, she made it clear that she will "never leave” her children. They are, as she puts it, her “best motivation.” She knows she can't give them everything they want, but she believes that “the best thing we can have is to be together, the four of us.” Because of her kids, she continues to “strive to be the best” she can be doing everything possible to support them.
The last person we interviewed was Rosa. She explained the struggles to raise 4 kids alone. Rosa told us how the father of her kids would often “argue over small things,” and how this would lead to huge arguments throughout the house. They both came to the conclusion that it would be best to separate. It was difficult to explain to her kids why their father left so she "tried to become both parents.” She struggled to look for jobs and also take care of the younger kids all together. Despite having no money or help she would always “put her kids first no matter what.” She wants her kids to get a “good education” and to take advantage of being in school so they wouldn’t “struggle” like she did. “I will always be there for my kids and support them no matter what they do,” she said.
A single parent is more than just a caretaker for us, they are the heartbeat that keeps the family alive. They encourage us to continue and build a life from what others might see as broken pieces and expect them to crumble like dust. They also show how love can hold a family together even when life pulls it apart. Though their strengths are not always loud, they are always shown in silence. Family means trying to develop a strong relationship through effort and sacrifice, and one parent can be the reason that our life as a kid or a teen keeps going forward. So perhaps the real question is how they continue to give so much when they often have so little for themselves. We don't truly recognize the everyday miracles single parents always perform.
