Research shows how single moms are doing quite well at raising kids all on their own

Outdated societal norms have long insisted that children need both a mother and father for proper development. Somehow, the aspect of a single mother raising children on her own has always been subject to social stigma. A study conducted by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology shared on ScienceDaily found that children raised by single mothers had no differences from those raised by heterosexual two-parent families. The only difference they found was that mothers who were single by choice had a stronger social support network.

Mathilde Brewaeys from the Centre of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria highlighted the crucial role of social support for choice-driven single mothers. Most other assumptions about kids growing up without a father arise out of scenarios where the parents have divorced. Brewaeys explained, "The assumption that growing up in a family without a father is not good for the child is based mainly on research into children whose parents are divorced and who thus have experienced parental conflict."

In addition, there is also a stark difference between mothers who become single as a result of divorce and mothers who choose to be single. One is intentional and the other is not. Brewaeys conducted the study by comparing 69 mothers who were single by choice and 59 mothers from heterosexual two-parent families, all of whom had a child between the ages of 1.5 and 6 years. She examined the relationship between the parent and child, the mothers' social support network and the kids' well-being.

Brewaeys found there were no major differences in kids raised in both family types. Single mothers differed as they had more social support and also wanted more. This social support could come in many forms, such as family, friends, neighbors or even a nanny. It led her to conclude how important it was for single mothers to have social support. The behavior of the kids was also relatively the same between both types of families. The study concluded that there was no difference between children raised by single mothers and those in heterosexual two-parent families.

One could even say that single mothers form a special bond with their children, seeing as how they are the only parents. A few months back, Avery—who goes by @adorableaves on TikTok—showcased letters between her mother and from a journal that was over a decade old. Her mother, Billie Sue, creatively helped her daughters express their emotions by getting them journals. The first letter contains Avery's annoyance with her sibling and how she found it difficult to be around her.

Sue calmly diffuses the situation, asking her to be respectful and saying that she liked it when the two sisters got along. In another letter, Avery expressed how she wished her parents had not gotten divorced and how they should all be one happy family. Her mom replied, "I have often wished we were together too because I can understand how hard it is to have your mom and dad in different places. Just know that we both love you so much. You truly are the best parts of both of us."