Living With My Single Mom

I never realized how hard it would be to be homeless. Although I knew homelessness was a real problem, I never really connected with it on a personal level. I always thought of it almost statically, looking at the homeless problem as something that kept homeless people from getting jobs and moving up in life. I never really connected with it in its simplest form of it just plain and simply sucking, being plain terrible to be cold and almost impossible to sleep on the cold hard ground. It was both insightful and miserable to step into these peoples shoes for just ten hours, to learn what it’s like.

As a consequence of the government’s extreme funding cut and ignorance of social responsibility, the UN Committee has suggested that Canada should consider homelessness as a “national emergency” (Giles, 3). To examine the implications of neoliberalism on the issue of homeless mothers in Canada, Giles uses the technique of misrepresentation and concealment; which is one of the Shore and Trnka’s peripheral vision techniques, requiring critical eyes to capture the hegemonic curtains and the concealed matters (Shore and Trnka, 31).

When I began to date and re-socialize again I set guidelines for the type of men I would date and the people I would associate with. At first it was awkward and I felt frustration with the higher standards I set for my relationships. Particularly in the dating world, it seemed that no man would ever meet them. Over time I realized I needed to be the type of woman that would attract the type of man I was looking for. This meant I needed to raise the standards I had for myself.

The typical sheltered family is compromised of a mother in her late twenties with two children. 84% of families experiencing homelessness are female-headed.” (Green Doors, 2011). There are many different factors that play a role in why single mothers are at a higher risk for being homeless including poverty, lack of education, lack of family support, substance abuse, and physical and emotional deprivation. One of the largest factors leading to homelessness among single mothers is related to violence or abuse. “1 of every 4 homeless women is homeless because of violence committed against her. Inadequate housing and shelter options, evictions, discrimination, poverty, and other factors contribute to the crisis of homelessness caused by family

According to the Dr. who bases her book on actual real life stories we often take any man that comes along and accept them. "We get pleasure in having a good time with someone, crave the attachment and approval, and get a big ego gratification by having a man attracted to us, so when we are desperate for these things we are not too choosy we settle instead of select which makes bad dating choices" (31). We to often let feelings of sadness and depression win us over when truly we should be angry, angry at our self for the behaviors we allow to mess up our life. The Dr.'s solution is that we need to start making better choices in or life, stand up for ourselves, quit being afraid of everything, have dreams, and go for them . When we are content with our own life it will be easier to find a good person to spend it with.

Critique: I found this essay to be enlightening in several ways. Not only was the information presented in an organized way, but it was also very interesting. I agree with the author’s statements about the trials and tribulations of relationships, and I find myself agreeing most with his biological theory of attraction. I especially liked the psychological direction of the essay, as it remained fairly objective and scientific while still presenting new and different ideas as witnessed by his inclusion of historical facts with the addition of his own unique analysis and commentary

The majority of the time the person who is left longing for more than just a casual hookup is the female. Women, by nature, are more likely to become more emotionally attached, especially when it comes to sexual activities. However, most of the time, girls will be willing to play along with the game of hooking up. Perhaps, in hopes, that it will someday lead to something more. But, if and when it doesn’t, they can be left emotionally distraught. Girls will become attached to the person they are with and grow to have a sincere care for them. However, when it comes to picking a mate, boys are not as particular about the girl. A study, Age and gender differences in mate selection criteria for various involvement levels found that “men should be equally as selective as women with respect to long-term mates, but less selective than woman with respect to short-term mates criteria (Kenrick).” Boys are less likely to think about all aspects of girl when planning on hooking up with her, unlike girls. They are not as particular because they are just looking for

Growing up in the south, being an African American male, and raised by a single mother shaped me in an unique way; a way that would be completely different from a white male the same age, same social class, and also by a single mother. Being raised by a single mother can be very difficult for both the parent as well as a child, but for generations these mother-child bonds have been generally successful. I’m the only child to a single mother as I mentioned earlier, the mother-child bond was strong. This of course had positives, but it had negatives as well. How my mother raised me was different in each life stage with their own positives and negatives.

I will never forget that day, the day I casually walked downstairs to find my parents sitting face to face at the kitchen table with both arms crossed and a serious look on their faces. I slowly walk towards my dad who is reaching out to give me a hug, looking at me with his sorrowful eyes, tells me that he will be moving out. At the time, I remember feeling confused, but I did not feel so emotionally affected because I was only just 5 years old. Being raised in a single parent household has been a challenge in my life and has impacted me through financial problems, social situations, and maturity.

In the United States, the so-called “nuclear family” is still considered the typical American family unit. However, in recent years the colloquial definition of a family has become more inclusive and accepting of those made up of gay parents, interracial parents, single parents, and even those who choose not to have children. Despite the general upward movement in positivity towards these different groups, a recent Pew Research poll has come to show that a good majority of Americans (approximately 70%) believe that one of these is inherently “bad for society”: single mothers (Conan 2011). This kind of attitude is not new, either; single mothers have continuously been viewed by society as lacking or incompetent, looked upon with disdain, ridiculed, and are often even cast aside by their own families. This stigma attached so firmly to these single mothers hurts deeper and more painfully than just as an emotional blow. Poverty is a huge concern for single mothers, and one could argue that society’s attitude towards single mothers is one of the root causes of this. The stigma against single mothers should be eradicated because it is largely based on misinformation, and single mothers already have to deal with blatant sexism and racism in the United States. To generate sympathy for these mothers and create a more welcoming society towards “alternative” family types such as theirs, an advertising campaign should be taken up to show the struggles these women go through along with

Paintings spread across the walls each one showing me as a different age, the latest one was of me laughing with a shadowy blob next to me, it looked liked the person had been blotted out.. Then I looked down the long hallway and saw doors, each one marked with a different date, the first one said January 14, 2010. Florida. Standing from the warm, comfortable couch I let my fingers trail across the end table that once stood in many houses but know stood in the lonely house to show people what their life was. I stopped at the door, resting my hand on the brass doorknob I pushed it open.

On August 20th, 2015 I moved into a student housing apartment with five other girls. Everyone was the same religion, except me. Initially, they were all very welcoming. The first week of living with each other we did everything together from exploring the new city to preparing ourselves for the first semester of college. When Sunday rolled around everything quickly changed. When they found out I wouldn’t be attending the same church as them it became awkward and tense. They no longer wanted my opinion or wanted me to be a part of their adventures.

I find it easy to form relationships, although I do not let people get too close, fearing rejection or hurt. In the past, I have been hurt by relationships in my life. At the age of three my violent, alcoholic father left my mother and I. I formed a close bond with my mother and took on the role of a helper at an early age. Unfortunately my mother is a person who is never happy with either herself or what she has in her life, therefore often over critical of me. I consistently looked for her approval, love and acceptance; both in my past and now.

The cause of behavioral and/or emotional problems among our youth could come from being raised in a single parent home. Many children resort to negative acts of behavior because of limited parental supervision within the single parent household. Children are two to three times more likely to have emotional and behavioral problems in single parent homes (Maginnis, 1997).

Being away for a little over eight months, college students everywhere will come home for the summer. There will be love, long nights, and many visits. Although there will be the, “See you in the morning!” at around midnight as well. All college students will be different when returning home. They should have grown and matured. While being mature, students will be assuming more freedom over the summer. This may be to stay out later or just for being left alone and not constantly checked on. Summer is a time for enjoying the outdoors and spending time with loved ones. Making the summer manageable, it will take the work of the students and the parents. Although living with your parents during a college summer break can be difficult, there are many strategies to help the summer with your parents go smoother.