Ask Dr. Tim: I hate it when I yell at my daughter but sometimes I just seem to explode.

Q

I am a 40-year-old single mom and I have an energetic 4-year-old daughter. My daughter’s father lives in another state and is pretty much a deadbeat. He is of little help both financially and emotionally. There are so many times that I get exhausted with my combined work and parenting. I hate it when I yell at my daughter but sometimes I just seem to explode. I never thought life could be this hard. I realize that I am pretty stubborn and find it hard to except help at times.

Tired

A

Dear Tired:

You have just provided a perfect description of what so many single parents experience. They love their children and they are exhausted. As many tribal cultures know, it takes a “village” to raise a child. Your self-confessed stubbornness will suit you well in many areas of life. Parenting is likely not one of them. What ever it takes…find yourself a “village”. That means healthy relatives. It means healthy friends or neighbors. Even going to the park with your daughter and connecting with some other healthy parents can be a big help. That will not solve all your problems but it may certainly help.

Dr. Tim