Introduction
Single parenthood is a challenging endeavor, an act of accountability undertaken by a person often performed jointly by the parents. Single parents face numerous obstacles in raising their children (Calder, 2018). In the past, one had the cooperation of their parents, siblings, and immediate family members in such circumstances, making it simpler to tackle the onerous burden of raising a child. However, the notion of joint appears to have fallen out of favor in the present era. One parent is solely responsible for ensuring a healthy and prosperous childhood. As a parent, one does their utmost to give their children what they desire, yet this may not be easy. Since single parenthood is a decision made jointly by the parents and the children, the youngster’s voice is generally disregarded. It was found that single parenthood has significant effects on a child’s mental, cognitive, financial, and cognitive results. In addition, single parenthood has had a variety of repercussions on both the spouse’s and the children’s overall health.
Research Question
The following questions serve as the basis for this study’s investigation.
- How does single parenting affect children?
- What are the key factors that lead to single-parenthood?
- What are the ways through which single parenting can be reduced?
- What are the positive effects of single-parenting?
Effects on Children
Children of solo parenting are more susceptible to psychiatric disorders, alcoholism, and suicidal tendencies than those from two-parent households. Divorce is among the most frequent cause of single parenthood (Calder, 2018). In and even after a separation, it is not unusual for kids to be subjected to and often attracted to their parents’ problems, which leave them feeling isolated, neglected, and even regretful. Solitary parents are much more susceptible to disturbances like relocation and remarriage. Significant changes have an effect on the children. Children thrive in restricted environments. Uncertainty and mental upheaval can exacerbate psychological disorders.
Economic challenges; abundant economic resources help parents fulfill their children’s economic demands. Having two parents at home allows them to combine their resources, reducing the likelihood that they will have to battle with a lack of money. However, having only one breadwinner, single-parent households are more prone to face financial difficulties. The disparity between their life and their peers’ might cause single-parent kids to feel anxious, agitated, and frustrated.
According to Treanor (2018), parental participation is the most significant type of aid for children, as it contributes to their mental, physiological, and emotional development. Living with a single mother may impact the child’s well-being and academic achievement. Upon parent breakup, 30 percent of the kids experienced a significant decline in their educational performance, visible three years later (Pilakouta et al., 2018). In addition, studies have shown that a child’s academic performance suffers when they are raised by a single mother, and that children whose parents have divorced are at an increased risk of academic failure as well as financial instability during their formative years in school. The differences in the chances available to children throughout their lives can be traced, in large part, to the ideologies and regulatory structures that determine how much attention is paid to certain groups of youngsters.
Health-related issues, children residing with solitary mothers score worse than their peers from two-parent households (Calder et al., 2018). This may be a consequence of the overwhelming bulk of single parents working reasonably long hours while earning low wages, receiving little incentives, and having minimal job stability. These women sometimes spend minimal time with the kids, resulting in anxiety and deteriorating mental health. Since young children spend such limited time alongside their mothers, their psychological and biological health is more likely to be compromised (Pilakouta et al., 2018). Children of divorced families are at a greater risk of poor health during teenage and early adulthood and drug dependence and delinquent conduct compared to children residing with two parents. Consequently, children living with a solitary parent had the greatest need for preventative measures from society, mainly if they encountered parental divorce at a young age, in contrast to children from two-parent homes. The majority of babies from single-parent households have consistently exhibited lower degrees of physical health and a higher prevalence of mental disease, psychosomatic, and psychotic symptoms than children living in alternative settings.
Positive Effects
Even though learning about the negative impacts of single parenthood might be overpowering, there seem to be several sound effects on children raised by a single parent. First, spending much time alongside their kids while they are single parent help strengthen your family’s bond (Treanor, 2018). They build a bond with their children that might not have been feasible in a traditional two-parent household.
According to Wasserman (2020), experience connection with an open society; children nurtured by a lone parent usually grow in a supportive community. More comprehensive friends and family will likely participate in the children’s upbringing. In other instances, some single parents opt to join community organizations like churches and assistance groups that connect with the entire family.
Causes of Single Parenting
The growth in single parenting is not a Western characteristic. Even in emerging nations, a large proportion of the populace has been comprised of single parenting due to more than one circumstance (Pilakouta et al., 2018). As in every other nation, divorce, dying, and early conception are the leading reasons for single parenting.
Early Pregnancy and Death
Unwanted or teen pregnancies are another leading factor that often results in lone parents raising their children. According to Gornick (2018), 7.3 million teenage girls become impregnated each year, which eventually leads to forced marriages. Since these marriages typically do not last for a lengthy period, they often end in divorce, leading to single parenthood. In addition, the loss of a partner due to sickness or an accident and maternal morbidity and fatality are all factors that might result in single parenthood (Koen et al., 2018).
Prison
When a parent gets taken to jail, they leave their household (De Lange & Dronkers, 2018). Now, it may be tough to empathize with a household wherein one spouse is incarcerated. However, the offspring and other partners did not perpetrate the offense and should not be penalized. Furthermore, based on the duration of time their spouse must serve in the military, this may result in a lengthy single-parent family.
Ways to Reduce Single Parenting
One is obligated to show their partner dignity and devotion. People inevitably develop over their lifetimes (Carpenter et al., 2018). Any connection needs to comprehend, value, and be able to adjust to the various shifts that occur. To start, they should make a selection of the top attributes that their partner possesses to remind themselves of the lovely person they married. This exercise aims to help them recall the reasons that contributed to their initial attraction to them (Nieuwenhuis & Maldonado, 2018).
Share financial concerns; many couples are beset with money disagreements (Gornick, 2018). Typically, partners enter a partnership with varying financial aspirations. Each partner has difficulty understanding the financial position from another’s point of view. A prosperous marriage requires the couple to reach an accord on managing their finances. Decide on budgeting and a debt management strategy. Additionally, it is essential to distinguish between necessities and wants (Maria & Daniel, 2018). While both are valid, a couple may have difficulties if they attempt to satisfy all their desires without addressing their finances. Families tend to last through the corporation and agreement on finances, and divorce, which leads to single parenting, is curbed.
Conclusion
Single parenting is a crucial issue that needs to be addressed with much weight. This is because of the diverse effects it has on both children and the parents; single parenting affects the development of the child and their academic performance and makes them go through economic hardship. Mutual parenting has been declining, calling for an immediate intervention to ensure that children have the proper care they deserve. However, little research has been done on how this issue can be stopped. It is there paramount that more research is conducted in his area, majorly focusing on ways through which single parenting can be avoided and, in cases where it occurs, should not cause more harm to either the children or the parent. This research gives a general outlook of the current population, portraying the general effects of single parenting.
References
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