How to deal with social pressure on single parents

Being a single parent can be a circumstance that generates different fears that revolve around factors such as parenting, filling the role of an absent parent, or the social, economic, or psychological impact that this fact has on society. From the different spheres of human development, there are evident effects that may involve only one of the aforementioned or several together.

This is how the dynamics that arise around fulfilling the role of head of household demand physical, emotional, and social efforts, which in many cases are naturalized or omitted. A situation that can become a risk factor for physical and mental health, when a balance is not achieved in the execution of activities specific to that role.

To identify those factors that influence social pressure when being a single father, Dr. Jaime Roa, a psychologist at the Colmédica Medical Centers, shares how to deal with it and the recommendations to do it in the best way.

Social effects of being a single father

The social implications associated with assuming a role of complete responsibility towards children and other dependents, conceive an isolation from other environments of participation and social connection. Since, said responsibility implies a full-time occupation in the orientation, guidance, accompaniment, and support of the different needs of those who depend on the father or mother.

Likewise, it is important to understand that, from the constitutional imaginings, the family itself has a model of conformation (father, mother, and children), which leads to facing different social scenarios and prejudices of a social nature, as to why or how the said role is executed.

A process that in turn generates interference in the process of personal self-realization, modifying actions in the parents’ life project around the coverage of the children’s basic needs. Psychological effects that turn out to be determined in several of the behaviors that parents have in the different spheres where they interact in their daily lives.

Psychological effects of being a single father

According to Dr. Roa, the responsibility, overload and different efforts made by the father or mother who is the head of the household can trigger certain emotional traits in people who fulfill this role. 

Effects that are generally associated with their performance and compliance in the different areas of human development, in which there is often no differential approach for who must assume this task.

Likewise, it is important to mention that, in the absence of tools and adequate guidelines for the management, control, and self-management of emotions and situations of tension and stress, difficulties or alterations in conduct, behavior, and interpersonal relationships can be triggered, which are represented in poor eating practices, inadequate sleep hygiene, irritability, and anxiety.

How to deal with the social pressure of being a single parent

For Dr. Roa, the father or mother who is the head of the household must enhance their processes of self-identification, autonomy, and self-esteem, to generate self-confidence, trust, and recognition. In this way, it contributes to the projection of real objectives and goals regarding personal, family, social, and relational development.

Likewise, teamwork (parent-child) strengthens the different skills for the development of this role, through assertive communication, adequate management of emotions, high levels of trust, and development of the life project.

generate actions that lead us to achieve personal and household goals,” emphasizes Dr. Roa.

Having clarity in the life project and strengthening coping strategies that allow overcoming physical, economic, mental, emotional, and social obstacles, generate empowerment of the being and allow an integrality to assume the different roles.

Recommendations for balancing the role as a father and head of household 

As the WHO emphasizes, “ health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Therefore, it is important to adopt actions that involve comprehensive health care, which include all proposals for prevention, maintenance, and care against risk factors.

This is how achieving a balance between the responsibilities that arise in daily activities (chores, housework, work, among others), along with those that allow spaces for relaxation, free time, and personal satisfaction, should be the objective. Below, we share some recommendations that can help you achieve this:

• It is advisable to define personal and family objectives, giving priority to what is urgent and allowing for their fulfillment.
• Project new challenges around changing routines and dynamics that break the pattern of monotony.
• Collaborative work is essential, generated through assertive communication, the establishment of roles, limits, hierarchies, and functions according to the stage of physical, mental,l and social development of each of the family members.
• Permanent feedback, through active listening, planning team strategies, providing spaces for dialogue that strengthen communication channels, giving way to an adequate process in physical, mental, emotional, and relational development.
• Strengthen support networks that allow daily activities to be streamlined, reducing the burden of responsibilities that the role of head of household demands.

Remember that in your role as the head of the household, you must maintain emotional and physical balance for the role you have as your child’s educator and guide. Therefore, creating the appropriate channels of communication with both family members and health professionals when necessary will be crucial for the self-management of emotions and strengthening self-esteem.