If you grew up in a single parent household, around what age did you realize your parent’s struggle?

[Anonymous]

I was abused my my single mother in various ways so I can say I understood at age 12 but I resented her so I never thought about it. She was physically, verbally and emotionally abusive towards me and that was after getting separated from my father who was also emotionally and sometimes physically abusive. They would sit and discuss beating us up and say things like “they should be scared of us” and my dad’s mother always told them to hit us. My dad’s sister always beat us up when we were little and nobody ever said anything to her - they just allowed her to do it. Also my uncle (mum’s brother) molested me since I was nine years old until around 16 and they did nothing about it when they found out. He would come to my house often and find ways to inappropriately touch me and I used to hate it and try to escape his clutches and was too ashamed to tell anyone. My sister told my mum when I was 18 but they did nothing. Everyone said not to talk about it because it was shameful. The first 19 years of my life were extremely turbulent.

[Brainsbeforebeauty]

Ours became single parent household when I was in the 7th grade, but that's not as bad as other alternatives prole have to live with/deal with growing up, and I learned that at too young an age, and also learned about all kinds of struggles at that same young age

[art84]

I had a friend who came from a single parent home. Her mother didn't have a car or driver's license and had to rely on the bus for transportation or finding someone to drive her to work, etc. Her mom worked as a cafateria lady and made minimal wage and struggled supporting her two children. Her mom would always complain about no money to buy her daughter clothes and son but she did get child support from her ex husband. Plus they lived in an apartment so I guess all their money went to rent and whatever else. I do feel bad for my friend cause her mom had to pull double duty as a single parent.

[DJB72]

I was fortunate enough to have both my parents until my dad died when I was about 27.

Thanks to covid restrictions here my wife and I are forced to be staying in different houses at the moment so my son is effectively in a single parent situation at the moment. As soon as I'm able to I'll bring them both home but until the pandemic eases up again it's difficult to spend time with them.

[Blerdsmith19]

At age 11, my mom punched me and beat me over the head with a metal fire poker for not finishing my breakfast, which was a stale energy bar a few weeks old. She was so mad at herself for not having enough money to provide me a real breakfast that she took her anger out on me. Not just providing me a real breakfast, but not having enough to barely afford the roof over our head. She scratched my head open and I was bleeding all over my shirt. A grandparent of mine prevented me from going to school, despite my mom's orders, to help clean my wounds.

There's many more stories similar to this, and no matter how many times mom tells me those moments were meant to "toughen me up into being a man because there's no father to do that for me" and "stop being so sensitive because boys aren't supposed to be sensitive," that was the moment when I realized my mom's struggles.

[hkgranados]

I only knew from a young age because my mom made it clear. Although she and my dad were/are married, my dad was emotional and physically absent. He came home from work after an 8 hour shift and went to bed. So, she’s pretty much been in her own all my life.

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

I would say I saw it with my own eyes age 10 and up
dealing with all my dads immaturity and verbal abuse
my dads steel mill job terminated Sept 29, 1982 then
my grand-dad (his dad) passed away Sept 3, 1983
then we lived on extended benefits then when that
ran out we lived on welfare with food stamps and
Medicaid ( Medical Assistance) Yes life been a
challenge

[Jjpayne]

My dad did not do much so... As far as I was concerned she was a single parent. I was a handful and around 11 or 12 I suppose I started to mature enough to see what she had done for me.

Which was a lot and she preserved and never gave up. I think I got my perseverance from her 😅

[Mehzmeh]

My father never struggled. He always worked hard. Because that's how he was raised. He had 4 house's. And, was a lawyer until he gor disbarred because he went to jail. And got out and got paid more to be a paralegal. Lol. And I, askes him why he worked so hard. He said because, that's how he was raised. He always had money. He was never broke. And all our bills got paid on time or beforw they were due.

[KingDio]

when I was 3-4 when we were moving from house to house and only could get things I needed not what I wanted , lots of canned food , same meal day in and day out and coming home to look after myself while mum worked her ass off

[Anonymous]

I didn’t come from a single parent household but my dad was mentally ill and I saw that from a very young age, unfortunately it was the unhappy ‘norm’ until I moved out and build my own life independently away from it.

[SuzuBrooke]

You don't want to know what happened in my childhood lol. Which is a good thing.

[allin3]

Pretty young. I was the oldest child and I remember my mom wouldn't eat until we were all done and I would try to make her eat. I was maybe 9.

[tjbyrd39]

Pretty young because my mom but not only go finish drywall but work at a gas station at night. Plus she expect the fuck out of you can talk back and let you know how much of a struggle it was

[Blaine999]

My parents never lived together and my father went to prison when I was a kid.

[msc545]

I didn't come from a single parent household, thankfully.

[Trooper205]

I'm sure there was struggle with my Mom, but I have to say, either there weren't many times, or She was very good at hiding it. My Mom is a PRO.

[Avgbrisbaneguy]

I saw it from a young age after my dad died when I was 6 months old

[Ellie-V]

I knew in kindergarten 😂 so 5/6

[Agape93]

Didn’t grow up in one

[mimi051998]

I didn't come from a single parent household.

[_no_one_]

I was around 9 years old

[Avicenna]

8 or 9. I think. Definitely by age 9

[collie22]

i'm still living at my Dad's

[pizzalovershouse]

can't say my daddied when i was a baby

[alance99]

didn't grew up in one

[Jamie05rhs]

Single parents aren't the only ones who struggle.