Teaching Through Example: Managing Your Mental Health as a Single Parent

6 | NOV | 25 By: Kyla Thompson, MA, NCC, LMHC

Being a single parent can feel like living in a constant balancing act; between providing stability, nurturing your children, and trying to hold space for your own emotions. It’s a role that demands strength, but it also requires softness, especially toward yourself.

When you’re the one holding everything together, it’s easy to forget that your mental and emotional health sets the tone for your home. The way you respond to stress, take breaks, and express your emotions becomes a model for how your children will one day do the same.

You Are Their First Example of Emotional Wellness

Children learn emotional regulation not from what we say, but from what we do. When they see you taking deep breaths instead of snapping in frustration, journaling after a hard day, or taking time to rest when you’re overwhelmed, they’re watching emotional self-care in real time. They begin to understand that taking care of their feelings isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s strength. By managing your own mental health, you’re teaching them to honor theirs.

Practical Ways to Care for Yourself (and Show Them How)

Here are a few small, consistent practices that can make a big difference:

1. Name your feelings out loud. Saying, “I’m feeling frustrated right now, so I’m going to take a few deep breaths,” helps your child connect emotions to healthy coping strategies.

   
   

2. Build mini moments of connection. Even five minutes of undistracted time—talking, laughing, or simply sitting together—can restore your sense of presence and calm.

   
   

3. Set realistic expectations. You don’t have to be perfect. Teaching your children that it’s okay to ask for help or need a break is one of the most powerful lessons in self-awareness they can learn.

   
   

4. Create a calm-down space for everyone. Whether it’s a corner with pillows, art supplies, or calming scents, designate a shared space that signals, “This is where we breathe and reset.”

   
   

The Ripple Effect of Self-Awareness

When you take time to check in with your emotions, your children notice. They begin to understand that feelings are not things to hide; they’re messages to listen to. Over time, they start to practice the same awareness and compassion toward themselves.

Remember: Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish, it’s leadership. You’re showing your children what emotional resilience looks like in motion. And that’s one of the greatest gifts you can give them.

Reconnection ritual:

“Name and Notice” Exercise

Try this simple 5-minute mindfulness practice with your child:

1. Pause together. Sit or stand somewhere comfortable and take one deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. (To make it fun, try an audible exhale by exhaling through your mouth with a "shhhh" sound)

   
   

2. Name what you notice. Ask your child to share one thing they see, one thing they hear, and one thing they feel in their body. Do the same yourself.

   
   

3. Share a feeling word. Each of you names how you’re feeling in that moment (e.g., calm, tired, excited, nervous).

   
   

4. Take one more deep breath together. End by saying something like, “We can always take a moment to notice how we feel.”

   
   

This small ritual builds self-awareness, emotional language, and connection, all while reminding your child that it’s okay to pause and care for themselves.