Single Parenthood Isn’t a Problem—It’s a Reality

Today, I found myself thinking about how often single parenthood is misunderstood. It’s not a plague. It is not a moral failure or a tragedy. It is not something to be pitied. It is real. It is life. And it is lived every single day by people who are doing their absolute best to raise happy, resilient children often with less help and more judgment than anyone realizes.

I think about how easily society places labels on single parents “broken homes,” “missing pieces,” “what went wrong.” But when I really look at it, I see something else entirely. I see strength. I see love that refuses to quit. I see people showing up as parents, providers, role models, protectors even when they’re exhausted and unseen.

There is not one story that leads to single parenthood. Some arrive here after loss, a divorce, a separation, a death. Others arrive here because of illness, abandonment, or a difficult choice someone else made for them. And yes, some choose this path. They chose to raise a child on their own. And that decision, that courage, deserves respect too.

What stands out to me is this: most single parents did not plan to go at it alone. Life simply demanded it of them and they rose to the occasion. That is not weakness. That is resilience. That is love in motion. I wish the world would stop treating single parenthood like something broken. These families are not broken they are built. Built on sacrifice, patience, creativity, and a kind of love that stretches far beyond what anyone can see from the outside.

The real problem is not single parenthood. It is the lack of support around them. Affordable childcare, flexible workplaces, affordable housing these are the things that make parenting hard, not the absence of a partner. If we are honest, what single parents need most is not sympathy or scrutiny. It is understanding. It is community. It is systems that reflect the reality of how families actually live and love today.

Single parenthood is not something that needs to be “fixed.” It is something that deserves to be respected. Behind every single-parent household is a story of loss, yes, but also of strength, of showing up even when it is hard. of love that keeps giving, even when it feels like there is nothing left to give.

And maybe that is what I wanted to remind myself of today. Single parenthood is not a plague.

It is a kind of courage and it deserves to be honored.