Know Your Children's Parents

Guest Writer: MJ Smout

Being a single parent I found it important to become friends with the parents of my children’s friends.  No matter how hard a person tries, it is impossible to raise a child entirely alone.  Extended family can be a great help, but friends are also valuable.

Many times as my children grew up, there were events such as a ‘Father / daughter party’ or a ‘Father / son outing’.  These events have the potential to make a child feel left out if they don’t have a parent who can attend with them.  My children didn’t have to feel left out of these events because the fathers of their friends would invite them to go along just like a second son or daughter.  Because I was already acquainted with those other parents and felt comfortable that my children would be in good hands, it was easy to let them go.

 

It also made it easier to let my children stay overnight with a friend or go with them for an afternoon at the beach if I knew the parents and something about their standards.  The fathers of my children’s friends also came in handy to teach my children about things I couldn’t teach them, such as how to fix a car or change a tire.