Whether you’re a single mom by choice or by circumstance, it’s normal to feel exhausted and stressed by your responsibilities. Reader Mantombi Makhubele shares her experience and advice.
Mantombi (40) works in the travel industry and is a single mom to Chloe, 18 and Shanti, 16.
‘I’ve been divorced for 15 years and my daughters’ father doesn’t feature in their lives. I was raised by a single mom after my dad died, so it doesn’t seem unusual. I’ve learned to take things one day at a time.
There is constant financial pressure, as teenagers can be quite demanding, but as a family we have learnt to negotiate and prioritise what is important. For example, I will buy one pair of new shoes – and the girls will share them.
When they were younger, I found it difficult to make all the decisions on my own. But my sister and mother have always been involved and supportive – and I made friends with the other single moms in the neighbourhood when my girls were younger.’
Read more: 5 tips for parents to deal with personality clashes
Image: Supplied.