Over the last 25 years or so, being a single parent has become almost the norm and part of our everyday society. No long is the fatherless child ostracized and singled out as being abnormal.
Parents don’t usually choose to become lone-parents, and these situations are usually caused by one of the following three factors; divorce or separation, fatality of one of the partners, or teenage pregnancy.
Over the last 20 years the number of single parent households has more than doubled, and a recent US census has estimated that about 59% of children in the United States will have lived with a single parent at some point in their lives. The same census stated that about 84% of those who live with a single parent, do so with their mothers.
The sad fact is that these families with a mother as the head of the household are likely to be disadvantaged, based on the unfair fact that the social status of women is weaker than that of men. Add on top of that there are still some gender limitations to women for gainful employment.
Although over 53% of single mothers hold down a paid job, it is shown that about 28% of female led single parent households are in poverty, compared to only 5.5% of families with two parents in-situ. The reason for this is because the average salary of single mother is currently at about $25,500, which is less than half the income for married couple.
Compare these numbers to male led single families, only about 13% of these families are in poverty (compared to 28% of female led single families). However, the salaries of these families are still much less to that of families with two parents.
There had been policy proposals for single parents to receive social advantages yet these have been debatable. According to liberal individualist, if people choose to have childs, they should be liable to look after them. This is a very short-sighted view point because these children are likely to grow up to become tax-payers and will be able to contribute to the economy and workforce of the country.
The collectivist placement which dominates continental Europe holds that childs are other people’s business also. This position likewise believes that the passion of the children is far greater than any type of issues about the principles of the parents.
Apart from these financial facts, solitary parentsadditionally have to face the reality that childs that cope with solitary parentsor even with a moms and dad and also step-parent, experience drawbacks in regards to emotional functioning, behavior troubles, education and learning, and health.
Children with single parentsare one and also a half times most likely to quit of institution and work in their early teenagers as well as twenties than childs who grew up with two parents. Childs with single parents are additionally twice as most likely to have a child prior to the age of 20 as those increased in two-parent household.
Numerous psycho therapists as well as child development employees say fortunately that these studies are oversimplified and also obsoleted. Several factors are associated with the mental advancement of a child increased in a solitary moms and dad residence. Cooperation between separated parentsand also top quality of interest offered to the child are instances.
No child in a single parent household is guaranteed to live a doomed and maladjusted life. Single parentsneed to become positive role-models as well as self-nurturance to the childs and be able to develop a support group for the family.
Several research studies have revealed that children with solitary parentshave the tendency to have poorer scholastic efficiency as well as get much less focus than children living with married parents.
Nonetheless, researches in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University indicate that having a support system like a grandparent in the residence, appears to buffer a few of these unfavorable results. Childs who deal with a single parent and a grandparent tend to do equally as well academically as children living with married parents.
These findings negate the suggestion that living with two married parents is the only circumstance in which children can thrive.