This Woman Confidently Chose to Be a Single Mom, But Her Cousin Believes It’s Too Unrealistic

All single mothers deserve to be recognized as solid foundations of society. It’s incredible how they carry all the responsibilities of a parent even when they are forced to do so. The path of a single mom isn’t typically initially chosen, but certain factors can push you to be one. It’s not a piece of cake — nurturing a child alone can be terribly exhausting. You’ll be physically and emotionally drained, primarily when you are not as privileged as everyone else. Being a single mother takes courage, determination, and patience. You also have to be financially wise and emotionally tough because you aren’t only living for yourself but for the future of your beloved child.

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Women who voluntarily choose the single mom life are those confident enough to provide for more than one person. A Redditor’s cousin announced this epiphany to the whole family. However, unlike their family members, Nexplanon_throw_away couldn’t genuinely cheer for her. He believes it’s too unrealistic and based it on the fact that he grew up as a son of a single mother. But what makes him skeptical is that he knows his cousin isn’t good at making financial decisions. OP mentioned that she does not budget her money well and struggles to grow her savings.

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“I felt like she wasn’t putting enough thought into her decision, and I warned her that having a kid is a huge financial and emotional decision that she can’t take back. She accused me of not thinking she would be a good mother, and I told her that I thought she would be a great mother (she really would be/is) but that kids are expensive and that she should really take a good long look at her budget before jumping into having a kid,” OP explained. He really wanted to see the two possible outcomes of her decision, but the cousin did not take it well. Nexplanon_throw_away let the issue go and allowed her to live her life.

His cousin gave birth and pushed through with her plans, but OP kept noticing red flags. “Noticing that almost everything she bought was for a 0-3-month-old, I went to a thrift store and got her a bunch of baby clothes for a whole range of ages. When I gave her the clothing and told her I was able to get so much (a couple boxes full) because I got them from a thrift store, she called me disgusting and said that her baby wouldn’t be wearing gross thrift store clothing,” he shared. Again, he chose to let his cousin have her way because he thought it was due to hormones. The first four months of having a baby were quite good for his cousin until financial issues happened.

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“Lo and behold, about four months after her baby was born, she basically ran out of money and came to me asking for help to pay rent. I told her she would have to find a time for me to teach her how to budget in return, and I gave her the money. She never found time to learn how to budget,” OP wrote. The cousin kept asking for money until he couldn’t take it anymore. Nexplanon_throw_away wanted to teach her a lesson, so he rejected the favor only to anger his cousin. Relatives also sent angry text messages after being informed about their feud. OP might have been persecuted by his family, but Redditors validated his decisions.

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“NTA. OP, do not give this woman another penny. Never. She made a choice because she knew you would bail her out. She spends money without a care because she knows you’ll bail her out. Never give her another penny. If any family members get mad at you, tell them how many times you’ve bailed her out, and tell them it is their turn,” crystallz2000 commented. Indeed, the cousin’s confidence was rooted in the fact that she knew anyone in the family would do anything for her. But as a mother, she has to learn that the essence of being a single mom is covering all the responsibilities independently. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help, but learning how to fend for the family is vital.

“NTA and I am constantly amazed at how entitled some people are. And all the people making the angry calls about you not flushing your money down the toilet for your irresponsible cousin are welcome to pay her bills,” Drayden71 wrote. The entitled cousin seriously needs to know her place, and she should even be thankful that she has a cousin calling her out when she’s being too much. Lots of points were made in the comment section, where the majority agreed with Nexplanon_throw_away. Whether you’re a single mom or a concerned Redditor, write your opinion below OP’s post. The discussion thread is truly engaging, and realizations about parenting will suddenly hit you.

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