Being a solo mother without the involvement of a partner: an exploration of parenting experiences and support needs

An increasingly common family type, often referred to as ‘solo mothers’, ‘single mothers by choice’ or ‘choice mothers’, comprises women who intentionally become mothers without the involvement of a partner. Although solo mothers are often described as self-determined, motivated and well prepared for parenting, with both economic and social resources, little is known about their parenting experiences and emotional and practical support needs. This cross-sectional exploratory study used an online survey to examine sources of emotional and practical parenting support, ease of asking for help and parenting confidence. A total of 139 participants responded between July 2021 and February 2022. The most used sources of support were family networks and friendship groups of non-solo mothers. Paid childcare was also frequently used, with many solo mothers accessing it at least a few times per week. While most participants felt confident in their parenting, many occasionally struggled to ask for help and required additional practical, emotional and/or financial support. Positive correlations were found between feeling supported and parenting confidence (r = 0.405, p < 0.001) and between ease of asking for help and feeling supported (r = 0.458, p < 0.001). Greater efforts are needed to ensure solo mothers have equitable access to tailored emotional and practical support resources.