Whether by choice or the result of an unpredictable predicament, heading a two-person family is probably not what you anticipated as a youngster looking toward the future. Perhaps you envisioned having a conventional family of your own, but that plan was stumped by illness, separation, divorce, or death of a partner. Or, maybe, you found yourself of an age where the traditional family scenario was no longer obtainable. Whatever the circumstances, single parenting has its challenges.

In Parent and Child, author Kathleen M. Waddington offers practical advice for single...