Just like a kite, single parents must know when to pull back or release the thread so their children can fly as high as their capabilities can take them.
According to Dr. Joyce Piap-Go, a doctor of education in clinical Christian counseling of the Asia Graduate School of Theology, single-parent families should not feel inferior compared to complete family households as solo parents are also giving the best they can for their children.
These were insights shared during Malayan Insurance Co. Inc.’s webinar last June 25 entitled: {We}Men of the Household hosted by its We Women program. The webinar was a post Father’s Day celebration for women who bravely assumed the role of breadwinners, traditionally the ‘Man of the House,’ for various reasons.
Two ladies shared their life experiences during the event.
Mitch lost her husband to an aneurysm, forcing her to assume the roles of both father and mother in the early stages of their two young children’s lives.
Meanwhile, “Dr. Lara” became the breadwinner for her three siblings at the early age of 16 having lost their parents in a house fire.
Dra. Joyce Go pointed out that their lives were stories of strength that demonstrated going to the divine source of strength which is praying to God and digging deep into their inner strength.
“You will never be a perfect mother, no one will be a perfect mother. As long as you are a good enough mother then that is good enough. No need to beat ourselves up, just do whatever you can, do the best that you can, that’s already good enough,” Dra. Joyce shared.
She added that negative self-talk has no place in such difficult set-ups as it burdens a person emotionally and behaviorally.
Combating stress is encouraged, like getting enough sleep since lack of sleep increases anxiety levels by 30 percent, as well as exercising at least 30 minutes a day because it produces serotonin and happy hormones. Identifying stressors also helps as it allows one to find a solution or work around it.
Practicing deep breathing also helps one to think clearer and better. One also has to set boundaries for oneself and make sure to find time to relax.
“We should not harm ourselves. We shouldn’t limit our dreams, we should continue to dream big dreams and allow our children to experience that it is okay to continue on dreaming because we will be able to see through this,” Dra. Go added.
Furthermore, Atty. Ivan Luigi A. Tuazon, from Malayan Insurance’s own Legal team, shared how the government is working to help solo parents in the country.
Under Republic Act (RA) 8972 or the Solo Parent Act, benefits are offered by the government such as leave credits, flexible work schedules, educational assistance for children, and financial support for qualified solo parents.
A solo parent identification card can be given by the local government units or municipalities. Single parents who are interested to apply will need to submit a barangay certification stating the proof of residency for the last six months, a solo parent application form from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), a birth certificate, and the assessment of social worker.
The qualifications to be considered as a solo parent by the government includes: rape victims, solo parent due to death of a spouse, the spouse is detained, a spouse is physically incapacitated, legally separated, annulled, abandoned, unmarried, and is a foster parent.
Meanwhile, the child or children of the solo parent must be living with the solo parent, is dependent on their support, must be unmarried and unemployed, and must be below 18 years old to qualify for government aid.
As in the case of “Dr. Lara”, it was clarified “…any family member who assumes the responsibility of being the head of the family can avail of the benefits of a solo parent.” Additionally, “…the disappearance of the head of the family should be for one year,” Tuazon explained.
For all the uncertainties solo parents shoulder, it is also important that they have ample coverage from risks as other lives are dependent on them.
Malayan Insurance’s Simply The Easiest Live Assistant (Stela) Solutions can help solo parents specially with the needs in their homes as it offers a 24/7 concierge service for single moms or all moms in general.
Stela Solutions are specially made for women of various life stages. For instance, Stela Home offers comprehensive home damage protection, Stela Family provides comprehensive personal accident insurance as well as maternity hospital benefits, among others, while the Stela Biz products offer help to one’s business by insuring the physical store as well as employees.
For the full roster of Stela Solutions products, visit https://wewomen-malayan.com/stela-solutions-2/.
Meanwhile, a good opportunity for solo parents to earn more funds for their families is to become a sales agent of Malayan Insurance, the Philippines’ leading non-life insurance provider for 49 years.
Malayan Insurance is a member of the Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC).
