Single Mom Responds To Criticism That She Chose To 'Struggle' Alone In Parenthood
She argued that she should not shoulder all of the responsibility for what happened in her life.
pixelheadphoto digitalskillet / Shutterstock Single moms definitely do not have it easy. They’re responsible for caring for their children and themselves with little to no help.
One single mom who is all too aware of this struggle addressed some naysayers who thought she had brought single parenthood upon herself.
A single mom addressed the criticism she received over the ‘struggle’ she faced.
TikTok content creator Arnell Armon is known for her beauty videos. However, she recently shared something much more serious.
“So recently, there’s been a lot of discourse about me being a single mother,” she said in a video where she sat down in front of the camera with a casual outfit and minimal makeup.
Armon went on to detail her specific experiences. “To me personally, I have felt like a single mother since during my pregnancy,” she stated. “But, officially, I became a single mother ten days after I gave birth. My child’s father, I would say, abruptly ended the relationship and didn’t give me an actual reason.”
Armon explained that after the split, she had a lot of trouble with her child’s father. “So much of what he did after the fact was what made me think, like, yo, are you trying to make my life hard? Are you trying to ruin my life?” she stated.
According to Armon, she has faced a lot of criticism for having a baby with someone she didn’t know for very long. However, Armon suggested taking some of this blame off her and placing it where it was meant to be.
Photo: SDI Productions / Canva Pro
“Y’all [are] forgetting how some of these men actually are,” she said. “How a lot of them are manipulative. How a lot of them will intentionally get women pregnant, and trap them, and switch up on them.”
In a follow-up video, Armon addressed the criticism she has received even further. “One thing I’ve seen a couple [of] people talking about [is] I chose to struggle, motherhood, stop complaining.”
Armon admitted that, at times, life did feel like a struggle, but it was worth it to create a loving environment for her son and give him the life he deserves.
Instead of spending time criticizing single moms, there are plenty of ways to support them.
Armon was being attacked by people she didn’t even know who were making judgments about her life and her choices. This was not only unfair; it was downright cruel.
According to Romper, 15.7 million children in the United States live with a single mom. That’s a lot of children and a lot of moms who understand Armon and her son’s plight all too well.
Romper suggested showing respect for single mothers as one of the best ways to support them. “If you want to help out your single mom friend or daughter or sister or whoever, show her kids how much you respect her,” the outlet noted. “How much you like her. How fun she is, how worthy.”
Romper also recommended taking tangible steps to help out. Something like doing a friend or family member’s laundry can make a big difference, as can giving a gift certificate when you’re able.
Perhaps the most important piece of advice Romper had was to “see her.” “I cannot say this enough,” Romper wrote. “Pay attention to your single mom friend or daughter or sister or whatever. Make sure she doesn’t slide away without you noticing.”
It’s easy to look at someone’s life and criticize them. However, that is wildly unfair.
You never know exactly what someone is going through. Instead of trying to make a single mom’s life more difficult, why not try to make it easier?
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer for YourTango who covers entertainment, news, and human interest topics.