The Impact Of Family Formation Change On The Cognitive, Social, And Emotional Well Being Of The Next Generation

Divorce is one of many controversial subjects in family and human development research. What inspired me to critically analyze the article “Does Divorce Create Long-Term Negative Effects for Children?” is the challenge it would be for me to put my bias aside considering I am from a divorced home. After reading the article and analyzing it over and over, I can’t help but think that the writer answering “YES” to this controversial question overlooked many variables and over generalized his findings and research. With Zinsmeister overgeneralizing his research, not considering enough alternate explanations for long-term negative effects divorce, and his lack of relevant information needed to assess reliability and validity are why I find this article to be insightful but not accurate and hope to show why.

This meta-analysis involved ninety two studies that compared children that lived in complete two parent families with children who lived in divorced, single parent families based on the measures of well-being. Children that were in divorced families scored significantly lower than children that resided in a two parent home. The median age of the effected children was fourteen which means children who were younger and older were also drastically effected by the divorce of their parents.

Socially and Emotionally the family is a big influence in a child’s development. Parents have a big role by providing care and guidance for their development. Unfortunately some families cannot promote the development of a child because of the conflict among the parents. A single parent can have difficulties in boosting a better development in children and young people, sometimes a child is separated from its siblings and this can affect them too.

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

For the first five years of my childhood, I was raised in a single parent home. My mother would have to work harder to provide anything that was needed for me and my other siblings. But that changed when my father came back into our lives when I turned six. From that point on our family structure took a drastic change for the better. My mother didn't have to work as long as before, so we were able to see her more often. Having two parents at home caused the quality of our lives become better than it was before when only one parent supported us. For many households, however the reality is that only one parent during their upbringing. This does have a rather big effort on them in the life of the child and the parent who is raising the child. A single parent household harms the parent and the child.

Several years ago mothers normally stayed in the home with their children while the fathers took on the role as sole provider. Family life has changed dramatically over the years. Most families now being dual-income families where both the mother and father work, today it is much more common to see a child being raised by an outside caregiver or a single parent than it was just 40 years ago. Although this is more widely accepted than it once was, what are the effects on the children? Does the family structure make a difference in a how a child grows up and adapts to the world? Furthermore does is effect their future intimate relationships with other people as adults?

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.

Through many years, children growing up in single family homes has been discovered as problems. “At first glance, defending single mothers and their children. Raised by a strong and resourceful single mother, I turned out OK” (Wilcox). Being raised up with one parent seems to be stressful and impossible, but for decades its become possible to happen. In the society today, there are children growing up overcoming emotional stages and achieving their goals whether if they have both parents to show them difficult paths in their life that they will overcome as a growing human being. The problems that occurs within raising a child in a single family home compared to a married home can be different or the same depending on the disciplinary actions. There are many questions asked, does a child need both parent figures to be raised? Does a son need a father figure, does a daughter need a mother figure? Among all the questions asked, is there a person taking care the main responsible with much undertaking, on the single parenting topic it has become an interesting argument. People need to be more informed with raising a child. Raising a child does not rely on the structure of a family, it is more to how a parent is discipline and having a proper process of teaching their child with learning how to be mature and respectful. Children of a single home can be progressive with the same emotional, social able, and interactive behavioral skills that is raised with both parents.

Many countries have conducted research studies concerning how separation and divorce affects children and young adults in cognitive development. It is mutually agreed that over all, children and young adults are recommended to have both parents present while raising the younger generation. This reinforces certain rules and regulations to stay with the child. If children are not raised with the basic principle of “It takes two”, they will most likely develop relationship problems themselves, unable to commit to one person or another, thus leading to depressive tendencies thinking that no one understand or likes them. This research study will enlighten this shadowy area and further worldwide research on cognitive development through the ages. Participants will be paid $5 (USD) upon completion of a written questionnaire survey and/or $10 (USD) upon a face-to-face interview followed by a test like survey. Hopefully, some archival papers may provide some guidance as to how to format final questionnaires and present the final information.

If there is a mother and a father leading a family together, their child will be more stable, have less behavioral issues, and will grow up feeling more comfortable with the opposite sex and making relationships. The behaviors and attitudes of the parent are also extremely crucial to the child’s life. While being a single parent, is not wrong and is ultimately done well by most, it is still better for a child to grow up with two parents. Through research done by sociologists,

There is no doubt that both children and parents from single-parent families would more or less with some emotional, personality and interpersonal problems. This reflective paper that not aim to go further to explore the above symptoms and related impacts in their life or society. Instead, I would like to go further and modify what single-parents should aware and point out some ideas that what the families, school and our society could do, for the purpose of

During the years, single parent families have become a more common thing. This is starting to become a problem, because family dynamics can really influence a child’s life. According to studies it affects not only the child but the parents too.

as different. Being raised by only one parent seems impossible to many yet over the decades it has become more prevalent. In today’s society many children have grown up to become emotionally stable and successful whether they had one or two parents to show them the rocky path that life bestows upon all human beings. The problem lies in the difference of children raised by single parents versus children raised by both a mother and a father. Does a child need both parents? Does a young boy need a father figure around? Does the government provide help for single parents? What role do step-parents and step-siblings play? With much speculation, this topic has become a very intriguing argument. What people must understand is that properly raising a child does not rely on the structure of a family but should be more focused on the process or values that are taught to these children as they learn to mature. Children of single parents can be just as progressive with emotional, social and behavioral skills as those with two parents.

In the last 50 years or so, family life has changed becoming more diverse and complex, which has been the source of research by social scientists especially the effects of divorce on children. Marriage is no longer an institution that couples need to suffer if times are difficult, divorce is easier and cohabitation is more morally acceptable. The ideology of the nuclear family whilst not outdated is not the only type of family in which to raise children. The modern more complex family arrangements include step families, lone parents, step sibling