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

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.