Single Parent Families and the Effects on the Children

 Everyone has their own opinion about single parents and how their children are raised. It seems as though the general consensus is to feel bad for the children. I couldn’t help but wonder what it is about single parenting that people fear so much. The stereotype single parent is characterized as an, uneducated, poverty stricken, young woman. Aside from these ridiculous accusations about single mothers, the children raised by these women are said to be troubled adolescents with psychological disadvantages. In my opinion it is this kind of talk that sets the children up for failure.

                According to experts, the problems with children raised by single mothers stem from the absence of the father. Children raised in homes with absent fathers are five times more likely to be poor, due to a lack of the male income. This is ludicrous to assume that the male is the automatic bread winner of the family. Of course things are easier with two incomes, but who’s to say that a woman can’t make a decent living and provide for her family. In today’s society, women are climbing the ladder to success just as fast/ if not faster than men. The roles of the traditional mother and father have been changed, and young girls are now blossoming into strong independent women who don’t need a man to take care of them.

                Another statistic states that unmarried mothers are less likely to receive prenatal care and as a result, they give birth to low weight babies. To rebut this statement, I’d just like to say that I was not married when my son was conceived. Despite the emotional roller coaster of a relationship I had with his father at the time, I managed to eat right, take my prenatal vitamins and attend every single doctor visit I had up until the time he was born at a healthy weight of 7lbs 13oz (if I might add). I believe the lack of prenatal care does not come from unmarried women, but perhaps immature ones. Let’s face it, some pregnant women have yet to ‘grow up’ and realize that their life is no longer about them, it’s about the baby. To the young women out there, if you find yourself unwilling to accept the idea of a world that does not revolve around you, my very strong suggestion is to not become sexually active until you can face the consequences.

                A third accusation of single parent families is that the children raised by only one parent have lower grade point averages and higher dropout rates than those raised by two parents. I only have one thing to say to this, and that is children will follow the examples set by their parent/s. If a child sees his/her mother working hard to improve the life they are living, instead of just accepting the stamp society has given them, that child will be more likely to work hard too.

                I think the point of me writing this particular blog is to erase any preconceptions people may have of single mothers (including myself). Despite what the statistics say, I have no doubt in my mind that my son will grow up happy, healthy, and successful in whatever he does. Having both parents around is only an advantage when they are both engaged in the child’s life. What good is having a mother or father physically around if there is no relationship to speak of. Children thrive on the support from their families. If they are loved unconditionally, as they should be, there is a huge chance that they will grow up to be just fine. As parents, we need to set aside our own problems and any feelings of disappointment we may have in ourselves, so that we can move forward and teach our children, by example that no matter what happens with a little drive, ambition, and a lot of faith all things are possible.

Sources Cited

<a href="http://family.jrank.org/pages/1577/Single-Parent-Families-Effects-on-Children.html">Single-Parent Families - The Effects On Children</a>

www.fathers.com