With almost 50% of marriages ending in divorce and with many more relationships between people who didn't marry, I don't think being a single parent is a big deal these days. In fact, odds are most people are a single parent at some time in their lives these days.

That said, most people remain involved in their children's lives and financially help in some way so although there isn't the two person household for the extras, I don't think it's a dire as some imply.

The people who I really admire are the sole parents. Those people who have lost a spouse, or whose ex no longer is involved in their child's lives or the deadbeat parents who walk away leaving the remaining parent with all the responsibility and financial burden. Those who are on 24x7, with zero support, no break every few weekends when the kids could have gone off to the absent parent, who run from school to work to activities on their own.

Single parenting is hard but being the sole parent must be incredibly exhausting.

There's a lady near us, who moved here from another country, who has no family on the Continent whose husband ran off with a younger woman and didn't want to pay child support so just disappeared. All the financial burden, zero support and in a strange country. Her youngest is off to Uni this year and her oldest is still living home but we've seen her struggle at times over the last 15 years. She's done an amazing job. Her children are the nicest young adults and so polite, kind and thoughtful.