As a single parent, one has many roles to fulfill, and sometimes, it works out just fine but, other times, not so much. 

Redditors shared their experiences of what it’s like to be raised by a single mom and here are some of the best responses. 

1. “I was raised by a single mom, and so naturally I didn’t have a good masculine role model in my life, so I had to do a lot of learning on my own.” – Anonymous

2. “I had to teach myself how to shave. That’s about it. She taught me how to be a good person, and half of that stuck. She raised me with confidence and high regard for myself. I defined myself on my own as what I wanted to be; who I wanted to be. I didn’t miss my father at all, really.” – ManicLord 

3. “I was raised by a single mother, who was in school for her masters throughout most of my younger years. Conveniently, we shared the same home with both my grandmother and great-grandmother. So, with three generations of strong Italian women raising me, I’d like to think I have a unique perspective on certain things. Certainly not a detriment.” – Anonymous

4. “Honestly, I respect my mother for everything she has done for me. But the reality is that we grew apart after she had to start spending 12 hours a day at work to make sure money was there.” – ImLewd 

5. “My mom is/was fucking awesome. We didn’t have much money, but I never felt like my life was lacking for anything. She was very involved with women’s/PoC groups, so from a young age, I had a lot of exposure to it. As an adult, it’s helped me sympathize a lot more with those causes. If you’re raised well as a general person, you should be capable of becoming the man/woman you envision yourself to one day be.” – soitcause 

6. “My mother was utterly incompetent and never should have gotten custody of us kids. She tried to be loving, but at the same time was just utterly clueless about how to…live. I mean she had trouble providing basic necessities like food and housing.” – crankypants15 

7. “Being raised by a single mother allowed me to see things from her perspective. It made me treat women with respect and live a good honest life. I’ve actually said if I’m ever stupidly rich I’d open up a place where single mothers could get help with food, or daycare and other needs free or charge because I know how much my mom would have loved that.” – Arcturus_

8. “I was raised by a single mother via adoption. I turned out perfectly fine. I’m actually glad that I didn’t have to live through parents fighting, splitting up, and passing me back and fourth like a trading card.” – mecca450

9. “She wasn’t a mom, more of a provider. Worked two jobs all of her life. Most of the toys I had were from other people like my aunt’s ex bf who treated me like a son by taking me to the park, zoo, getting me video games, etc. I don’t need a father anymore but I do get feels when ever I see a father spend time with his kid out in public. Also, that child support money would have been nice.” – TheVelvetWall 

10. “My mother over the last 26 years has proven she is made of pressurized fucking magma and diamonds. She’s never faltered in my eyes and I am so lucky to have had her as an example.” – Anonymous

11. “My mom taught me the value of hard work, right and wrong, and how to treat people with respect. All the things my dad was supposed to teach me she did and she did it in spades.” – Anonymous

12. “My brother and I were raised by my mother. I don’t see that being raised by my mother did us any harm. I was never particularly interested in sports but my brother was and he just got on with it. I never really had a problem learning to be a dad because I don’t see there’s a massive difference between being a dad and being a parent.” – splenetic

13. “I was raised by my mom; no dad. It was hard. Just hard as fuck honestly. Boys need a dad, no question. I didn’t know anything about sports. Didn’t know anything about cars or music. Didn’t know about tools or camping or fishing. Didn’t know how to shave. Didn’t know how to ask a girl out. Didn’t know how to talk to other guys or about what… I didn’t know a single thing about being a boy. Now I’m an adult and have figured all that stuff out.” – Anonymous

14. “My mom was always working long hours and I rarely spent quality bonding time with her. This went on for so long that when she finally could afford to work less, the damage was already done. This lack of bonding time with my remaining parent caused me to be socially awkward as I did not know how to act or how to dress.” – Shadowfly321

15. “My mother worked long evening hours, and I would often sleep at the babysitter’s home with her children. My mother would get off work at about 5am and pick me up. Then we would spend the morning together cleaning and playing music until I had to go to school at 8am. I didn’t see my mother a lot as a young child, but I always loved waking up and spending time with her before the bus came.” – Vivid_Sparks

16. “It’s hard growing up having no male figure to look up to. And mom’s busy with work to put food on the table and to afford the school cost. That’s understandable. You mature too fast because you have to take on the responsibility that your father left. But still grateful for all the blessings.” – ShitThisIsIt

17. “When you grew up in a low income household with a single mother it makes you appreciate everything you have. I love my mom more than anything on this planet.” – jakesnader 

18. “My brother and I grew up poor, but I had no idea until I was older. My mother went to school to become a registered nurse all the while I never recall feeling neglected or unloved. I’m very thankful for her hard work, I have no idea how she did it. Growing up I was very protective of her, and still am.” – ColonelMustardInThe

19. “My mom did what she could for my brother and I, and always made sure we had food to eat, roof over our head, helped us with homework, etc. Never felt like I missed out on life without having a father (he passed away when I was 2).” – donutcronut

20. “While my mum worked three jobs, so she wasn’t around a whole lot, we still managed to bond very well. There were a few times where it would have been useful to have a male in the house (i.e. learning how to shave), but my mum did a fantastic job raising me, and I’m grateful for all that she did for me and my sister.” – The_Max_Power_Way

Do you have similar experiences to share with us? Let us know in the comments section.