Low Income Single Parenting

The most distinctive trait of American family life, then the trait that differentiates it from family life in other western countries, is sheer movement: frequent transitions, shorter relationships. Americans step on and off the carousel of intimate partnerships (marriages and cohabiting relationships) more often. Whether an American parent is married or cohabiting or raising children without a partner, she or he is more likely to change living arrangements in the near future than are parents in the rest of the western world. It is consequential and we should be concerned about it, both as parents and as a nation, because it may increase children’s behavioral and emotional problems. Simply pu, some children seem to have difficulty adjusting to a series of parents and parents’ partners moving in and out of their home. It is not just parental divorces and breakups that are hard for children. Even transitions that bring a new partner or stepparent into the home can be difficult to cope with. Children whose parents have remarried do not have higher levels of well-being than children in lone-parent (a parent who is neither married nor living with a partner) families, despite the addition of a second parent. One reason is that new

All across the globe, there are children growing up in single-parent households, and through some research

In 2002, number of children living with their single parent was 16.5 million (Davidson). The most important thing is that each single-parent family is different from the other. Children who live with a widowed mother will definitely be living a different home life from children with divorced parents or the one whose parents were never married. Children of the parents who were divorced will always have some kind of relationship with parents and parents’ partners. But it is obvious that children from single-parent families face tougher times economically as well as

School and education happens to be one of the main things affected in the lives of both African American males and females living in single parent households. Parents tend to become less involved in the childs academics and social activities in school from the stress of being a single parent and having so much responsibility on them. It seemingly gets worse by the time the child reaches high school. One survey asked high school students whether their parents helped them with their school work and supervised their social activities. Students whose parents separated between the sophomore and senior years reported a loss of involvement and supervision compared to students whose parents stayed together (Mclanahan, n.d.). This usually leads to the child performing poorly in the classroom and on assignments. The child becomes less motivated to attend school, which leads to poor attendance. Poor attendance and lack of motivation sometimes results in the child dropping out of school. If the parents live apart, the probability that their children will drop out of high school rises by 11 percentage points. And for every child who actually drops out of school, there are likely to be three or four more whose performance is affected even though they manage to graduate (Mclanahan, n.d). Children born to unmarried parents are slightly more likely to drop out of school and become teen mothers than children born to married parents who divorce. But the difference is small compared to the

The strongest link between parenting and delinquency is the lack of support in the form of neglect, hostility, psychological control and rejection of the child or a combination of these parenting behaviors (Merrin, Hong & Espelage, 2015). The lack of parental involvement leaves children with feelings of worthlessness, confusion and it diminishes their drive to succeed. Chung & Steinberg (2006) note that adolescents who experienced low emotional support and inconsistent discipline from their parents, compared with youths from families characterized by warm interpersonal relationships and consistent discipline, reported having more deviant friends and being involved with more violent and nonviolent delinquent

Results indicate that changes in the unemployment rate have the most profound impact of the three” (2-4). If the parent is able to find employment, they may have to work for minimum wage if they do not have a college degree or some type of trade or training. Minimum wage is not enough to take care of a family. “Financial strain is one of the strongest predictors of depression in single parents. Higher levels of depression are predictive of more punitive disciplinary practices and decreased parental nurturance, support, and satisfaction with the parenting role” (McLoyd, 1994, p. 562-589). Single parents working minimum wages are at risk for becoming a part of the poverty level. Working minimum or even part-time job may help a family, but more

Amato, P. R. (2005). The impact of family formation change on the cognitive, social, and emotional well-being of the next generation. Journal of Marriage and Child Wellbeing, 15 (2), 75-90. Retrieved from: www.futureofchildren.org.

Why does the translation numbers of children born outside of marriage reflect a dramatic change in U.S. families? “This demographic trend concerns policymakers and service providers because of the fragility of parental relationships. Dissolution of these relationships and growing up in a single-parent household leaves many children at higher risk of living in poverty” (Jones 166). Initiating a risk chain associated with less favorable academic, social, and cognitive outcomes. This article introduces Strong Couples–Strong Children, an innovative and replicable program designed to support expectant and new parents while their relationships are formative. Lessons learned from program implementation suggest that face-to-face interaction served as the most effective form of recruitment; partnerships with community organizations enabled the program to reach underserved populations; and the family-centered model, working with both parents, required flexibility in programming. However, I think the biggest challenge I have had to face in growing up in a single parent household. I never thought much of living in a single parent home; it was a norm to me, even though I always knew that a father figure was missing. Although, most of my

This table demonstrates there are less married households than the national average with the deficit being 10.1 percent. It also shows a significant increase in households without fathers compared to the national average. This demonstrates there are many more single mothers raising children on one income than nationally. Shelby County also has more of its population living alone than the nation.

My experiences throughout my life and in college have provided me with many skills and abilities that will prove beneficial in my practice of medicine. Although it is something that is relatively common now, I grew up as the eldest child in a single parent home. My parents are Nigerian immigrants who came to the United States in their 20’s without assistance awaiting them. After their divorce during my youth, I took more responsibility in our low income single parent home. Although these now regular occurrences happened to me I still maintained focus on my goal of finding something I could be successful doing and consistently achieving milestones.

Low-income families with children are a vulnerable population that has needs that must be addressed. I am especially concerned about single mothers with children. They have an issue receiving child care for their children. Some families cannot afford to put their children in high quality child care. While some may not qualify for government assistance because of strict guidelines.

Regarding cognitive development, it appears that a drop in family income as a result of divorce or separation has profound effects on the academic achievement of children in single-parent families. Albeit, there are studies suggesting that transitional marriages by single-mothers doesn't improve academic achievement in children. In their study Robert Wagmiller, Elizabeth Gershoff, Philip Veliz, and Margaret Clements (2010) use multiple waves of data in Early Learning Childhood Longitudinal Study- Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K) and hierarchical linear growth modeling to test hypotheses about temporal change in the association between single mothers’ marriage and children’s academic achievement trajectories. Wagmiller et al.’s findings appeared to be contrary to their expectations, as it revealed that parental marriage doesn’t benefit children just because it leads to greater family economic resources and increased investments in the child after marriage.

To gather information for this research I will use, self-report data, surveys, questionnaires and psychological tests. Given the age of participants, TOEFL Junior Tests for comprehension will be administered. Results from these tests will be used to insure information given is relatable and presented accordingly. Surveys and self-reports will be designed to gather information on perceived parenting styles, behavioral issues, and criminal issues. Psychological tests will include: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Behavior Assessment System for

The researchers highlight the fact that socioeconomic conditions can greater influence the behavior and activities of the residents. Specifically, individuals residing in economically depressed neighborhoods or communities where violent crimes are commonplace. Adolescents who associated with delinquent peers are at an increased risk of conducting maladaptive behavior. Alternatively, those who bonded with individuals who provided a positive influence such as teachers were less likely to become delinquent. Furthermore, parents who provided a loving environment and consistent methods of discipline were more likely to become successful. Although the client’s brother was reared in the same environment as the client, the personality and results were different. One potential reason for this is that his parents potentially positively reinforced his academic achievements. Moreover, the sibling was able to find motivation amongst teachers at school who steered him in a different

In recent decades the family institution has undergone a dramatic transformation focusing on increased divorce rates, cohabitation rates, and the number of children raised in step and single marital families (Amato, 2000; Bumpass & Lu, 2000; Graefe & Lichter, 1999). Due to the increase of divorce rates children move more frequently and deal with additional family transitions throughout their childhood (Brown, 2006). As these changes slowly increase, about 40% of kids who are born to wedded, two-biological- parent families have a higher chance of parental divorce prior to reaching adulthood(Amato,2000). In addition, these children will likely experience a multitude of family disruptions and transitions as parents decide to remarry and progress with new partners. The family atmospheres during these times are incredibly detrimental to the growth and development of these children (Sun& Li, 2009). Research studies show that parental divorce can compromise educational success for their children. Children in two-parent families have noticeably higher test scores than children who are in single parent families and also had lower chances of graduating from high school (Sun & Li, 2001). One of the rationalizations for the academic difficulty in divorced