The Bereaved Lone Parent

One of a series of leaflets published by The Compassionate Friends There are many reasons why we may be a lone parent. Bereavement, divorce, personal choice or other circumstances can all lead to someone living as a single parent. Whatever the circumstances, grieving for a child without a partner can bring its own difficulties, and can be very lonely and isolating. The lone parent Coping with the loss of our child without a partner to support us through this most traumatic of times is very hard. No matter how supportive friends or family might be, in many respects we must struggle with both the emotions and the practical aspects of loss by ourselves. If we now have no surviving children, we may also question our identity. Can we still call ourselves a parent? Of course we can, but it might take some time before we can feel comfortable with that feeling. If lone parenting has been caused by divorce or separation, we may feel guilty or experience regrets about the way life has turned out. We may even feel that the separation played a part in the death of our child. Or it may be that the death of a child will lead to contact with our ex-partner, even if there has been no contact for a long time. This may stir up complex emotions at an already very emotional time. The Bereaved Lone Parent