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I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to be a single parent

Single parents are at a higher risk of social isolation, stress, and economic difficulties. Jelena regained the confidence to ensure a safer future for her daughter thanks to the activities with other parents and experts of the Novak Djokovic Foundation in Serbia.

Up until 2017, my life was nothing out of the ordinary and I had no doubt it was going to stay that way. Peaceful life in a small town, job that I loved, husband, our little girl and a lot of plans for the future.

Then, all of a sudden, my little girl lost her father and I lost the love of my life. At that moment I wasn’t prepared, I didn’t know if I could cope with everything that lay ahead and, I wasn't sure if I was strong enough to be a single parent.

Was it possible that I, Jelena, could be a mother, a father, an authority and a friend to my child all at the same time? I had a thousand questions in my head... I was desperately looking for a way out from that maze because I knew I had to find the strength to move on for the sake of my daughter.

A few months after, I heard that a program called ‘Support, not perfection’ was about to start in my daughter's kindergarten.

The program was designed for parents and I immediately thought that this is something that I needed.

The lectures I attended helped me a lot to realize that I am a strong and fearless mother.

The time I spent with the facilitators and other parents was priceless. They talked about our everyday challenges and doubts and presented them from a totally different perspective and showed me how we can easily overcome them.

I’ve learned so many useful things: how to approach my child in the right way, how we can help our children gain confidence and self-esteem by giving them a role and letting them decide on their own.

Having a chance to talk with experts and share experiences with other parents gave me the resources I needed to find my way- out from the maze, be sure I can count on other’s support and look forward to a brighter future of my daughter and myself.

Single parents are at a higher risk of social isolation, stress, and economic difficulties. Jelena regained the confidence to ensure a safer future for her daughter thanks to the activities with other parents and experts of the Novak Djokovic Foundation in Serbia.