Single Parenting
Single parents and their children constitute a rapidly increasing population. In the past single parenting was seen as a broken system, these units today provide a viable alternative to nuclear families (Kleist, 1999, p. 1). In looking at the characteristics of single parents raising healthy children, I will describe some of the challenges unique to single parenting, and review positive parenting techniques shown to be effective.
Social Development has not prepared individuals to be single parents. Single mothers and single fathers need to establish strong support networks, personal friendships, and positive parenting skills. They need to learn how to synchronize the demands of work, home-care, and supervision of children (Benson, 1993). They need to enforce limits, rules, and boundaries consistently, and to transmit responsibility and values, in order to raise responsible, self-controlled, and healthy children (Cloud, and Townsend, 1998). They need to find ways to improve and maintain their self-esteem. Many single parents learn to live on reduced incomes, find acceptable ways to deal with non-custodial parent, and redefine their relationships with their children. These are but a few of the challenges facing single parents (Benson, 1993).
Raising healthy children has more to do with the emotional well being of its members then on family composition (Heath, 1999). So then, how do single parents foster emotional well being amongst its members, while maintaining a full schedule of work, education, day care, deadlines, finances? It may be difficult and exhausting at times, but it is possible, and the rewards are many (Heath, 1999, p. 429).
According to Heath, some of the areas affecting positive outcomes are family stability, self-esteem, and positive parenting (p 429). Our job as parents is to transmit values and the tools necessary for our children to be healthy adults being able to function in the world responsibly and with self-control (Cloud, and Townsend, 1998).
Family Stability
Children need to feel safe. They shouldn’t have to worry about their needs being met. They need structure and routine in order to feel safe and know what to expect. Family conflicts need to be resolved in productive ways. Home should be a balance of function, security, and serenity. Family stability is fostered through family values and family t...
... middle of paper ...
...rk: It is obtainable though. Through special effort, the development of family systems were member feel a sense of well being and through positive parenting practices, single parent families can have strong families in which children can thrive.
Works Cited:
Bensen, P. L., & Roehlkepartain, E. (1993). Single Parent Families. MN: Search Institute.
Cloud, H., & Townsend, J. (1998). Boundaries with kids. Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House.
Craig, C. J., & Baucum, D. (2002). Human development. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
De’ath, E. (2000, Sept.). Parenting matters—what works in parent education. The British Journal of Educational Psychology, 70(3), 462-463.
DeFrancis, B. (1994). The Art of Discipline. Never hit a child. Retrieved June 9, 2002 from the World Wide Web: http://www.neverhitachild.org/artodis1/
Heath, T. (1999, July). Single mothers, single fathers. Journal of Family Issues, 20(4), 429-430.
Kleist, D. M. (1999, Oct.). Single-parent families: A difference that makes a difference? Family Journal, 7(4), 373-378.
Parenting 101. (2002). Child Parenting. Retrieved June 7, 2002 from About.com on the World Wide Web: http://www.childparenting.about.com/
The idea of this article is to help out all the single mothers that raise healthy and strong children. She fights against these stereotypes and studies that say that single mothers are bad and raise bad children. All families are different, which Roiphe explains too, and so many outside factors come into play when raising a bad child and a good child. These studies do not show those, and she sheds light onto them. She compares and contrasts the conservative and liberal views to divide the readers in which one they stand, so then they can understand her whole
Archives are filled with articles focused on the outcomes of children raised in single parent homes versus children raised in the nuclear family setting. The subject is highlighted in mass volumes throughout various internet blog forums, newspaper articles, and popular magazines detailing the statistical data and reputed points of view on the outcomes of the subject. Countless bloggers provide substantial personal testimonies highlighting both ends in the debate, while giving readers an inside-look at this situation from all different walks of life. Developing this issue into a broader context, we as the readers have to consider the magnitude of the issue and ask ourselves, “In concern with the betterment of my family, which lifestyle could I possibly adopt to ensure that my children are adequately socialized and prepped for life outside the parental structure?” However, this is not a question that requires a prognosis from a prominent sociologist; in fact, children raised in single parent families are just as capable at success as children raised in the traditional family setting.
However, as generations have moved into the 21th century there has been a major switch in the family unit. There is no considerable amount of family which can be defined as single parents home on the rise as the normal family or nuclear unit. “Whether a single-parent household is formed following divorce, separation, widowhood, or an out-of-wedlock birth, it is clear that the single-parent household has become a new family form in contemporary society”(Anderson,S,A,2010). Single parent’s household may not be the biological parent. Single parent’s household included mother, father, grandparents, foster or adopted parent, and a sibling. Each family unit is very unique and diverse which can amount to the vast differences between the families. However, there are many aspects that each single family household may have similarities. As a single parent can be more prone to stress and the children are often at a disadvantage when it comes to their mental and emotional health. Men and women who are a single parent family often struggle more than a two parents household because everything is rely on one parent. While single parents can different backgrounds which have lead to the single parent situations such as divorce, death, or other unique arrangements that can result in a change of family dynamics. This paper it will examine the similarities and the differences in families when single parents result from divorce, death and never married
McLoyd, V. C., & Wilson, L. (1992). Telling them like it is: The role of economic and environmental factors in single mothers? discussions with their children. American Journal of Community Psychology, 20, 419-444.
Mancini, Richard E. Everything You Need To Know About: Living With A Single Parent. New York: Rosen, 1992. Print.
In the trajectory of humanity, single parenting has become a concept internationally accepted by most modern cultures. What exactly causes single parenthood? Well there are many factors in which could result in a single parent household. Death of a partner, divorce, and unintended pregnancy are just some of the causes of single parenthood. Based on this worldwide acknowledgement and understanding, single parenthood is usually aided by monetary help from the government or unions. Although financial help is available, the psychological effects a child goes through could never be fixed by any type of cash value. These psychological traumas and mental changes could affect the parent raising the child as well. Even with some financial help, single parents sometimes struggle to make ends meet. A study featured in Time magazine informed Americans that middle to lower class single parents will work 40+ hour weeks at minimum wage to provide for their child. If the parent is so busy at work, who's watching the child? Sometimes, the single parent might still have connection with their own families. Grandma and grandpa have to raise the child since the parent is hard at labor to provide for their offspring. Occasionally, some of our elderly folk do not have the competence to watch over a child. It might even be that the child is too energetic and could wear out the seniors. The child will then resort to the television, street, friends, etc to learn and grow. These influences might be negative for the child especially if they're not coming from the mother or father. An investigation of single parenting leads to the affirmation that raising a child by yourself is very difficult and must be approached very leniently and effectively.
Single parenting numbers increase each year. In America there is almost fourteen million single parents raising about thirty-two million children, twenty six percent are under twenty one years of age. Eighty-two percent of single parents are mothers and about eighteen percent are fathers (“Single Parent Statistics-Average Single Parent Statistics”).There are a lot of stereo types about single parents, most of which are untrue, but some can be true also. Single parenting is becoming more common in this generation, and it’s not just because of one reason. There are many reasons these days that there are single parents.
Single parent homes are becoming more common as time goes on. With this growing number, the traditional nuclear family seems to be less relevant. Welna reports that “[t]he portion of children living with a single parent has jumped over a generation from 1 out of 20 to about 1 out of 5 children” (1999, p. xii). Within a few decades, single parenting became very common among the modern society. This is a large shift and changes civilization. However, this difference it isn’t expressed very much. Television doesn’t show a lot of representation for
Worobey, A. R. and J.L. (1988) Single Motherhood and Children’s Health, Journal of Health and Social Behavior
... social issue is being addressed, we are finding more ways of how to deal with the problems that single-parent families face. The parents might go through a lot providing for their children, but we cannot forget the efforts of the children that are making it without two parents and becoming strong, independent, self-sufficient individuals.
Everyone has a family, rather it is with your biological relatives or long-time friends. A lot of people have been raised in different types of households rather it is with a grandparent or a foster parent. Everyone has their own individual story of their particular support system. In most cases, people have been raised with both parents, which is ideal in this society. As years gone by, a lot of changes have occurred within raising a family, whether it be getting raised by a LGBT couple or being raised by a sibling. The most common change that has occurred is single-parenting. A lot of children are being raised by either just their mother or father. In most cases, the mother is the single parent. Being a single parent can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. In this essay, I will explain the ups and downs that come with being a single-parent.
It has been said, children from two-parent families are better off. The setting is also a factor to take into consideration. The increase in single- parent homes has had an extensive and negative effect on children’s development. 50% of marriages end in divorce. We have young people with young minds having children, they can hardly take care of themselves at the age of 21, yet they have decided to bring four children into this world to be raised by one parent. In some communities, majority of the children are being raised by a single parent. Statistics have shown that children raised in a healthy single parent home have more problems emotionally, psychologically, in school, and with the law than those raised in healthy two-parent homes. No matter how good a single parent is, that a single parent can NEVER do for the child how two present, committed, parent partners share and work together; communicate together and solve problems together as equals.
Single parenthood culture seems appealing to many married people. However, married individuals are forced to battle with elements like faithfulness and life-long commitment to one individual, which may be boring in some cases. However, single parents, especially single mothers encounter serious challenges related to parenting. Single parenting is a succession of constant mental torture because of ineptness, self-scrutiny, and remorse. At some point, single parents will often encounter serious psychological problems some graduating to stress and eventual depression. Again, there are far-reaching problems that force single mothers to a set of economic or social hardships. Social hardships are evident as address in this research.
...ent to be able to nurture up a child in the right way by being a single parent. If the parent can build a strong foundation for the child, then consider that parent to be special and blessed because single parenting is not a walk in the park.
For many years, children growing up in a single parent family have been viewed as different. Being raised by only one parent seems impossible to many yet over the decades it has become more prevalent. In today’s society many children have grown up to become emotionally stable and successful whether they had one or two parents to show them the rocky path that life bestows upon all human beings. The problem lies in the difference of children raised by single parents versus children raised by both a mother and a father. Does a child need both parents? Does a young boy need a father figure around? Does the government provide help for single parents? What role do step-parents and step-siblings play? With much speculation, this topic has become a very intriguing argument. What people must understand is that properly raising a child does not rely on the structure of a family but should be more focused on the process