One Parent. One Income. One Impossible Standard.

I believe that single working parents deserve more financial consideration and respect.

Parenting is hard.

Doing it alone, while working full-time, is something else entirely.

Whether by choice, circumstance, or court decision,... single parents, especially those with primary custody, carry a weight most people can't fully understand.

They don’t just play one role; they play all of them:

• Provider.

• Caregiver.

• Chauffeur.

• Disciplinarian.

• Comforter.

• Chef.

• Homework helper.

• Emotional support system.

And they do it all on limited time, limited energy, and often, limited resources.

Yet, when it comes to financial support, our system still seems to think the bare minimum is good enough.

Let me say it boldly: There should be additional financial consideration, structurally and socially, for single working mothers and/or fathers who have primary custody.

Raising children solo while maintaining a job (and trying to stay sane) is a full-time, life-altering commitment that deserves more than a token amount of support.

And this is not about child support!

Sure, there are court ordered child support payments in most custody arrangements. But let’s be honest, those payments often don’t reflect the real cost of raising kids today. And they certainly don’t compensate for the time lost from work, the career opportunities turned down, or the emotional and physical toll of doing it all alone.

The parent with primary custody isn’t just paying the bills. They are sacrificing:

• Work hours and flexibility

• Financial growth

• Self-care and mental health (because when the kids are asleep, the work isn't done, it just shifts gears)

• Social and professional opportunities

  
  

And in many cases, this wasn’t even the life they chose.

Divorce, death, abandonment, or unexpected circumstances can leave someone with full responsibility and no real safety net.

This is also not about handouts. It is about fairness.

When we talk about additional financial consideration, we're not talking about charity.

We’re talking about recognizing the true value of the work being done, just like any other full-time job would.

We do it for teachers, nurses, and military families.

We build policies and support systems around those roles because we understand their impact.

But somehow, single parents are expected to just “figure it out,” quietly and endlessly, without complaint or compensation.

And when they do struggle, society often shames them instead of supporting them.

We have to do better.

Single parents with primary custody are holding up the roof for their families. And often, they’re doing it with no help, no break, and very little recognition.

So no, the system isn’t fair. Not yet. And until it is, we need to speak up about it—loudly and often.

My final thought here - If you’ve never walked in the shoes of a single working parent, you might not see the cracks forming beneath their feet. But they’re there. And what these parents need isn’t judgment or pity.

It’s real, tangible support that reflects the incredible job they’re doing, day in and day out.

Because when one parent is carrying the entire load, we shouldn’t just admire their strength, we should back it up with real help.