A Complete Guide for Single Moms: Everything You Need to Know About Raising Healthy, Happy Children on Your Own

by Janis Adams

Recent statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau show there are 9.9 million single mothers in the United States. This number is up from only 3.4 million in 1970, showing that single motherhood is more common than ever. For every mother recently finding herself single, or new moms learning how to raise their first child by themselves, there are countless things any mother will need to know. Single motherhood presents innumerable situations that are much harder to handle without the helping hands of a second parent nearby. But one of the best ways to prepare yourself for success as a single mother is to arm yourself with knowledge about what to expect with single parenting. A Complete Guide for Single Everything You Need to Know About Raising Healthy, Happy Children on Your Own is for every mother who is learning how to raise children on her own. Regardless of how you came to be a single mom whether it was through divorce, the end of a relationship, surrogacy, adoption, unplanned pregnancy, or by the death of a spouse this book will walk you through the information you need to know to help you and your child adjust to a new lifestyle. The book covers what to do when pregnant and single and how to rely on your family and friends for support and help. You will learn the basics of early childcare, including what a child needs in its first year, from breastfeeding and diapers, to clothing and travel. You will learn what to expect as your child grows, including the early years of school and the problematic teenage years. This book teaches you how to take care of yourself in addition to your children, which includes knowing how to find rest and work your way back into dating. You will learn how to prepare yourself for the sacrifices you will be forced to make and how to handle financial matters while raising a child alone. Even the difficult topics are covered, such as the first times you must discuss with your child why his or her father is not present. You will learn when you can fill in as a father figure, when you cannot, and what you can do to provide the male influence and support children need during those formative years. If your child s father is involved, this book will teach you how to work with him. You will learn how to raise a boy as a single mother and find positive role models for your children. We ve conducted multiple interviews with successful single mothers, as well as with experts in child care, to provide a comprehensive outlook on everything you can expect as a single parent on your own from the first few weeks of stress to the later years of toilet training, proper diet, allergies, health care, and learning to talk. From conception to graduation, the life of a single mother is a trying, challenging road to travel. With A Complete Guide for Single Moms in hand, you will have what you need to raise a healthy, happy family.

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Vicki Liston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now more than ever in our present society, it’s completely normal to see single parents taking on the task of raising children on their own. Whether by choice through adoption or surrogacy or by surprise via an unplanned pregnancy, divorce, or death of a partner, the goal remains to successfully nurture the child to adulthood. For those single moms out there that feel alone in their situation and unsure in how to do it all on their own, author Janis Adams has many of those answers in her new book.

“A Complete Guide for Single Moms: Everything You Need to Know About Raising Healthy, Happy Children on Your Own” is an all-inclusive collection of solutions, advice, and support for women finding themselves in the position of ‘mom’, no matter how they got there in the first place. Information is presented from all sides – adoption, divorce, death, etc – and gently guides the parent through a myriad of age groups, issues, gender specific considerations (ie. raising a son vs. a daughter), and much, much more. Most of the suggestions given are not only good common sense practices but applicable to any parent – male or female, single or couple. The book makes me think of “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” but with language and various nuances focused on the single mom specifically and gives you much more than just the pregnancy aspects of motherhood.

“A Complete Guide for Single Moms” is a wonderful read for any single mother – or any parent for that matter – struggling to balance life with their newfound role of ‘primary caregiver’. Adams never strays from a consistently high level of empathy and encouragement as she offers one good piece of advice after another. The book starts at a very basic level in order to encompass any and all potential questions so even those new moms that know absolutely nothing about being a parent will find answers and strength within the pages. More experienced moms may find some of the subject matter a little on the rudimentary side but there is still plenty of information that they may have previously not considered and will find to be rather thought provoking. I especially liked Adams’ insistence on mothers maintaining their own health and wellbeing; moms too often forget about themselves in an effort to be a ‘super mom’. This often-ignored advice ensures that you are at your best so you have your best to give. Well done!

Reviewed by Vicki Landes, author of “Europe for the Senses – A Photographic Journal”