single mothers
Raising kids alone
Single mothers are women raising children without a partner.
The term covers those who are divorced, widowed, or never married, though it often carries assumptions about the latter—particularly in political rhetoric about welfare or family values.
As a single mother, she worked two jobs to make ends meet.
The singular form functions as both noun and adjective: a single mother of three, single-mother households.
Suffering from difficult circumstances
- struggleLabored effort against resistance
- financial strainDifficulty meeting monetary obligations
- jugglingSequential toss-and-catch performance
- sacrificeGiving up something precious
overwhelm · work-life balance · exhaustion · time management · isolation · loneliness · legal battles · custody battles
Collective of connected people
- childcare assistanceHelp raising young ones
- government programsState-sponsored services for citizens
- food assistancePrograms providing meals to needy
- housing vouchersGovernment rent payment assistance
child support · alimony · support groups · church · nonprofits · WIC · Head Start · friends
Freedom from external control
- self-sufficiencyIndependence from outside aid
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
- self-relianceDepending on oneself alone
- agencyPower to act
choice · freedom · self-determination · career advancement · education · financial literacy · homeownership · entrepreneurship
Sustained resolve despite obstacles
- adaptabilityAbility to adjust readily
- resourcefulnessAbility to solve problems creatively
- determinationFirmness of purpose
- gritDetermination or abrasive particles
tenacity · survival · courage · problem-solving · multitasking · bootstrapping · making ends meet · creativity
Unjust differential treatment
- prejudicePreformed unfavorable opinion
- stereotypesOversimplified beliefs about groups
- judgmentReasoned decision-making capacity
- shamePainful awareness of failure
misconception · labeling · marginalization · disapproval · bias · alienation · blame · social exclusion
hardship
Suffering from difficult circumstances
- struggleLabored effort against resistance
- financial strainDifficulty meeting monetary obligations
- jugglingSequential toss-and-catch performance
sacrifice · overwhelm · work-life balance · exhaustion · time management · isolation · loneliness · legal battles · custody battles · co-parenting
community
Collective of connected people
- childcare assistanceHelp raising young ones
- government programsState-sponsored services for citizens
- food assistancePrograms providing meals to needy
housing vouchers · child support · alimony · support groups · church · nonprofits · WIC · Head Start · friends · coworkers
independence
Freedom from external control
- self-sufficiencyIndependence from outside aid
- autonomyIndependent decision-making capacity
- self-relianceDepending on oneself alone
agency · choice · freedom · self-determination · career advancement · education · financial literacy · homeownership · entrepreneurship · role modeling
perseverance
Sustained resolve despite obstacles
- adaptabilityAbility to adjust readily
- resourcefulnessAbility to solve problems creatively
- determinationFirmness of purpose
grit · tenacity · survival · courage · problem-solving · multitasking · bootstrapping · making ends meet · creativity · prioritizing
discrimination
Unjust differential treatment
- prejudicePreformed unfavorable opinion
- stereotypesOversimplified beliefs about groups
- judgmentReasoned decision-making capacity
shame · misconception · labeling · marginalization · disapproval · bias · alienation · blame · social exclusion · pity
- mothersmothers, birth mothers, biological mothers, adoptive mothers, teen mothers
- women's laborworking women, women workers, female workforce, women in STEM, women in leadership
- urban women's issuesworking mothers, urban safety, women's health, female empowerment, street harassment
- motherhoodmom, mama, mum, mommy, motherhood
- feminismfeminism, feminist theory, gender equality, women's rights, feminist novels
- Vulnerable Groupshomeless youth, orphans, refugees, disabled people, elderly poor
mother, single, singular, singles, singleness, singularly, singularity, single-handed, single parent