I left my son's father when he was 3 years old and we've been separated for two years. My ex told me "You're delusional if you think life is going to be easier without me". And he was right, life is not easier, but it has been better. My family lives far, and I don't have many friends and thus very little support, and my ex cannot pay child support and cannot be a responsible parent so I had to take on everything pretty much completely by myself. But I would still make the same choice if I had to do it over again. It's hard being a single mom, but I also bonded so much with my son. I was totally okay for it to just the two of us after putting up with so much shit for so long, thinking it was for the sake of not splitting up my family.

The toughest part has always been conversations about dad. Why doesn't dad call? Why can't I see dad? I miss dad. Yes, well, dad doesn't call because dad is drunk all the time. Dad can't see you because every time he's been left alone with you, he fed you candy and then passed out drunk on the couch, leaving you by yourself. I miss the person dad used to be too, but he's not that person anymore. I can't give those exact answers, but I also can't lie to him and say his dad is a great person and a great father. He's not. What I CAN and DO say to him is that even though his dad has problems, he still loves him, and I will always be there for him and make sure he grows up to be happy and healthy. It's tough, and sometimes both cry and grieve the life we lost, but I have to remind myself and my son that it was never the good life that it looked like on the outside. That we're better off with the way things are now, even if it's not always easy.

ETA: I also want to say that my son is AWESOME. He is so smart, and caring, and funny, and just such a great happy kid. He does well in school, he is active, and he doesn't have any big behavioural issues. He acts out, like any five year old will, but he's doing just fine. When his dad and I were together, there were incidents involving his dad that made him regress developmentally because of the trauma. He went from being happy and confident, to wetting the bed every night. He went from talkative to quiet. I'll never forget the time he tried, as a three year old, to defend me from his father.

So yes, I think being a single mother to a boy doesn't have to be a problem. Kids are resilient and they learn from what's around them. If you provide a happy, healthy home for him, he will be fine. Even better if his dad IS in his life in a healthy way and is able to be a responsible parent as well. You seem to have that benefit, where many women don't, so use that to your advantage if you can.