I believe I grew up with normal childhood, but there is no defined answer for what is normal when you’re a kid. You rely on your parents for love and support as any child does. Like many children in today's generation, I grew up with a single parent, which is becoming more and more common, but also suffers a negative societal view.

It wasn’t until I got into my twenties that I realized why there is so much pressure on single parents. I basically followed my mom from job to job most of my life as an only child. I moved from Quincy, Massachusetts to South Carolina, then from South Carolina back to Massachusetts. I grew up spending most of my time with nannies and babysitters, while my mom worked full time in a well-paying job in healthcare. Her work supported her and myself, including my education in private schools and college.

I struggled finding myself as a kid, relying on my nannies and teachers for guidance. I saw my mother working day and night and wondered what I was missing in life without having a father. I thought maybe if I had a dad, she could work less. I will admit I was hard on her often saying, “you're never here, why can’t you be home?”

Today I wouldn’t ever ask her that question again. I have seen what it takes to care for a child in today’s economy and most single parents struggle, especially if they work low-income jobs. I still question, though, what I am missing by not having a constant male influence in my life. From a psychological standpoint, I noticed as a kid I would act out in class to get attention, which is likely from the lack of attention in my home. As I got into grade school I had calmed down and worked on strengthening my relationship with my mother and gained the utmost respect for her. I grew to admire her work ethic, strong feminist traits and sense of humor. I owe my mother the world for the amount of love and effort she has put into raising me.

I would say that from having a single parent, I learned to be more self-sufficient, comfortable, and enjoy time alone. I wrote this article because in my daily life at work or out and about I see kids screaming and yelling at their parents, even swearing, and the parents yell back at them. The child could just be having a bad day, but I get upset when I see this because they do not see the value of all their parents do for them. Having a single mother also taught me that I would not have kids unless I can support them either by myself or with a partner. I do believe having a strong male role model is important for a child, but it is really all about being sufficiently cared for and loved by your parent or guardian. Be grateful for your family.