Being a single parent is always challenging. In Singapore, where the cost of living is increasing and social support systems are limited, it can be even more challenging to navigate.
Here are some of the main stress factors that single parents in Singapore face daily.
Financial Stress
It is no secret that raising a family in Singapore is expensive, and single parents often struggle to make ends meet. This can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression as they worry about how they will provide for their children. Financial stress can also create added tension between co-parents if one parent feels like they are not receiving adequate financial support from the other parent.
Time Management Challenges
Single parents often have to juggle full-time jobs with parenting responsibilities, leaving little time for self-care or leisure activities. This can lead to exhaustion, frustration, and burnout as they try to balance their lives while managing multiple tasks simultaneously.
Lack of Support System
Parents can lean on each other for emotional support when needed in a two-parent household. When there is only one parent present, however, there is no one else to turn to when times get tough. This lack of support system can leave single parents feeling isolated and overwhelmed as they try to manage all the demands of being a parent without any backup or assistance from someone who understands their situation.
Social Pressure
The traditional nuclear family has long been seen as the ideal in Singaporean culture, so it’s not surprising that single parents often feel like outsiders or “less than” compared to other families with two involved and supportive parents.
This social pressure can lead to feelings of inferiority or insecurity which can be mentally and emotionally damaging for single parents who already feel like they don’t measure up to others around them.
Being a single parent in Singapore isn’t easy – especially when you’re constantly struggling with financial stress, time management challenges, lack of support, and social pressure! It’s important for single moms (and dads) out there to know that there are resources available if you need help navigating these issues – whether seeking out mental health services or tapping into community organizations that offer programs specifically tailored for single parents in Singapore. No one should have to go through this alone!
5 Community Support Groups for Single Parents in Singapore
Dads for Life: Singapore’s National Fathers Movement aims to encourage, mobilize, and involve fathers to become good influences in their children’s lives.
Visit Website: https://dadsforlife.sg/
Family Service Centres (FSC): Social services provided by FSCs are community-based and support low-income or vulnerable individuals and families. In addition to providing case management services, social workers at the FSCs coordinate holistic support for clients, so they can achieve stability, self-reliance, and social mobility.
Visit Website: https://www.msf.gov.sg/policies/Strong-and-Stable-Families/Supporting-Families/Pages/Family-Service-Centres.aspx
Asian Women’s Welfare Association (AWWA): AWWA provides a variety of services tailored specifically to the needs of single-parent families, such as counselling sessions for the entire family unit or individual members of the family; workshops on topics such as positive parenting; home visits; financial assistance; child care services; referrals to other relevant organizations; and much more!
Visit Website: https://www.awwa.org.sg/
Single Parent Support Group (SPSG): Single Parent Support Group, founded by a single mother wanting to help other single parents, is an invaluable resource of information, advice, and compassion.
Visit Website: https://singleparentsupport.wixsite.com/2013
HCSA Dayspring SPIN (Single Parents INformed, INvolved, INcluded): Dayspring SPIN aims to empower single parents who lack support to become resilient and self-reliant, increasing their capacity in caregiving and parenting, improving their psychological well-being, and increasing access to practical resources.
Visit Website: https://www.hcsaspin.sg/
Being a single parent is never easy, but it doesn’t have to be done alone. There are plenty of community support groups available in Singapore that can provide guidance, resources, companionship, and more! So whether you’re looking for counselling sessions or someone who understands what you’re going through – these organizations can help you get the support you need during this challenging time in your life!
