Parenting is difficult, Ican tell. For I had parent myself from age seven. And no parent is perfect. We all make mistakes. I believe we are entitled to making mistakes if we learn from it and not too make the same mistake twice.

A parent’s responsibility is much more than just shelter, food, clothing and education. It requires all that and to teach your children values and principles which allow them to grow into responsible adults.

Never fight Infront of your kids or belittle the other parent. Don’t make the family finance’s the child’s problem , explain to why you can not afford certain things at the present moment. Explain that it will be best to buy something at a later stage instate of saying there is no money. For if you complain about money your child might feel that he or she is a burden to you. And later that feeling might turn into resentment of oneself and others that might lead to substance abuse. Remember a parent is always the first roll model, if you do not lead by example. Your child will go into the streets or entertainment vehicles for a roll model.

A child on drugs.

So many parents are faced with the struggle of a child been on drugs and cleaning out the family coffers to feed the habit. I know this much: no-one decided to be a drug user something had happened along the way. The system will look closely at peer pressure of teenager years. Peer pressure is a factor but do not look at the very first thing to blame. So you can feel comfortable as a parent that you had nothing to do with it. It is your child, who is under your roof so directly or indirectly you had something to do with it. Maybe one parent is or had used substance. Or the child was exposed to it by growing up in a bad neighborhood, or you had faild to choose friends from a young age for your child. So your child could keep good company or you had shower your child with money. And other factors could be involved.

I used to give my younger brother money. Because I never had any growing up. I later stopped doing it for I had realized that one of the factors for his substance abuse was the availability of the resource, money. I had to parent him, clothing, shelter, food and education. Soon the boy became my adult dependent with no direction. I was indirectly the problem but had not seen it at the time. And there were other factors as well. He was exposed to violence, for there were always fights in our household, absent parents, substance abuse. And sadly many of these kids become thieves, face imprisonment or become a danger to the family. And members of the house sometime have to leave in order to have peace of mind.

Another factor is an absent parent, explain to your child to why you are a single parent. Try your best to be there pychologically, physical and emotional for your children.