Dear Single Parents,

In 1984, Ronald Reagan declared March 21 as National Single Parent Day. He wrote in the proclamation, “I call on the people of the United States to recognize the contributions single parents are making, sometimes under great hardships, to the lives of their children.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 12 million single-parent families in the U.S. This number may sound staggering, but as a pediatrician, I am not surprised. I have seen countless single parents walk into my practice with their children, and I can tell you, they deserve recognition for their efforts, and they deserve encouragement.

Single parents deserve recognition for their efforts, and they deserve encouragement.

So single parents, I want to thank you for the work you’re doing to raise a great child.

When I wrote Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters and then Strong Mothers, Strong Sons, I received many questions from single parents: “As a single mother, can I still raise a strong daughter? What if I am a single dad, can I still raise a strong son?”

My answer to that is, absolutely. So often single parents put pressure on themselves to be both mom AND dad. Believing you can be…