The Impact Of Growing Up In A One-Parent Household On Child Development Throughout history a one-parent household has been deemed as a nontraditional family, but in today’s society it seems more and more common with every day. Although the reason and causes vary, each year the number of children raised by a single parent increases. Most people don’t seem to realize how much this can change a child’s future. The impact of childhood experiences simply set the disposition of adulthood and the rest of their lives. There is not one sole factor that affects child development, but one very important one is the role and relationship created with one’s parents. How a child is parented and raised leaves a lasting impression on them, commonly for a …show more content…
He also mentioned that kids are incredibly resilient and can easily adapt when necessary, but they need their parents to show them how. They watch, observe and replicate the coping strategies and attitudes of the parent. Parents need to be aware that this is occurring so they can teach their children positive coping strategies because the single parent's sense of self-respect and fulfillment can provide an excellent anchor for children (Ketteringham, 2007). It has been found that there is a correlation between being raised in a one-parent household and then that child later on raising their own children in a one-parent household. Dr. Antoline points out that this mostly happens in divorced families because again, children handle situations as they have seen them be handled. Children who have seen their parents give up on a marriage are more likely to give up easily on theirs because they have learned it is acceptable. Parents don’t realize how deeply their decisions can affect their children’s later on in life. Another important condition is when a child begins to be raised by only one parent. The main factor that age plays in development is comprehension. The older a child is, the more he/she is going to understand and take in.
The ideal household for children to be raised in, is a household with two biological
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
However, by rising to these challenges, custodial single parents develop significant strengths. The positive benefits of being a single parent are that the child receives a lesson in independence. The child sees how strong the one parent is at providing them with everything they need without having to depend on someone else. The parents are showing their children that it is possible to live on their own, have an enjoyable life and take care of others while doing so. The children will know that they are a priority to the parent. When there is a second parent around the house, it can be easy to put responsibility off on them, but when the children see how hard the parent is working for them, they will understand how important they are to their parent. (Dowd, 1997)
Thesis: To understand that there are many parents raising their children alone with no help at all. Many single parents have different circumstances that cause them to raise their children by themselves. Being a single parent is not easy there are good days and bad days and most single parents must make it through no matter what. Many single parents do not realize that their children are looking at them for the rest of their lives.
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.
For as long as human families have existed, the core family group of a father, mother, and the children has been the ideal composition in what could be considered a balanced and fulfilling functional family. There had been many studies of the effects of having certain members of these groups on the family household present and absent. While there are many hypothesis of the effects of the children in the family in household with a missing parent, most of them are indeed negative and there had been studies that these can vary in many different aspects of a child’s upbringing. These effects will be discussed and functionality of the household family itself will be discussed to look at the issues
In the United States fatherless homes have become more prevalent and some may even refer to it as a growing trend. The National Center for Fathering mentions that over twenty million children live in a home without the physical presence of a father, and millions more live have a father who is physically present but not emotionally (“National Center for Fathering” n.d.). The importance of a father figure in a child’s life is critical for healthy child development and subsequently leads to a better adult life. Children’s early experiences and the connections they create with their parents are impactful and ultimately shape who they become as an adult.
Today children that are raised in a single parent home are viewed differently than those who have both parents when being raised. Many think that having both parents at home is very important and the ideal family. “In the world today more than a third of the population is being raised with only a mother. These calculations have doubled over time and keeps growing as the days go on (Anderson, 2013).” Some say that being raised by only one parent is impossible, but by statistics it is proven wrong. It is more common for children to be raised with only one parent than it is for them to have both parents under one roof. Many parents get divorced, or one gets deathly sick or passes away. Others just leave there children because they don’t want them or simply can’t provide for the child. Children grow emotionally stable and well off whether they have one or two parents at home to show them how life goes and the right paths to take. There are many problems and challenges when a child is raised by only one parent versus having both a mother and a father. Does a child need both parents to live in the society we have today? Does a single parent get any help when raising a child alone? When researching and gathering evidence this topic has become an intriguing argument all around the world today. What do you really need when raising a child properly? When properly raising a child it doesn’t really matter how the structure of the family is, it should be based on the values and morals
In some cases, the negative interactions before and during the process of divorce cease upon the finalisation of the divorce, allowing the parent to devote their love and attention towards their child unencumbered (Strohschein, 2005). Alternatively, in order to distract themselves from emotional pain not appropriately dealt with during or following the divorce, parents may become either overbearing, or self-absorbed and less attentive towards their children (Brodkin, 2008; Taylor & Andrews, 2009). During early childhood, according to Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development, children must develop a sense of self-control in order to avoid feelings of inadequacy and gain confidence in their own abilities (1977c). Overbearing parents have the potential to prevent their child from achieving autonomy, as they may be unwilling to relinquish control and allow their child to take steps towards independence, whereas inattentive parents may fail to encourage their child in activities that promote developmental growth as they are immersed in their own problems (Bacon & McKenzie, 2004). Divorce can have a profound impact on early childhood, however, whether that impact is positive or negative is dependent on how the parents manage the consistency of their love and care, the quality of the child’s environment pre, during and post divorce, and the parents willingness to foster a healthy degree of self-determination in their child, because
Which behalf is the best side, the single parent versus the traditional family? A traditional family is defined or described as two parents working together to solve anything that goes on in their house. The advantage of a traditional family is that they are going to have a more stable income that will buy them a reasonable house or an apartment. “The traditional families have two parents, the mom and the dad, jointly raising kids with help and advice from each other” (Magnier). An accustomed family also expresses their feelings towards one another and has respect among others in their home. A dysfunctional family is usually described as conflicted adults living on their own. Although a dysfunctional family may sound inadequate, it is
However, saying that a child with only one parent has more struggles than all children with both parents’ present would be a false statement in itself, but to take into consideration that more often than not do kids growing up in single-parent households have to take on more responsibilities would be an intelligent way to view it. Many times, children are not growing up in a household as an only child. Because of this, many kids take on different roles around the house in order to help the single-parent who is typically working late hours in order to provide for their children. By taking on roles such as the responsible older sibling who must take care of younger children, making supper, doing laundry, and many other chores that children growing up with two parents don’t have to face at such a young age, these kids will be given practice for the future. With this practice, they are set ahead of other children their age because of the lack of such high responsibility being placed on the backs of these dual-parent
Few would deny that the divorce of one's parents is a painful experience, and that children blessed with two good parents generally have an easier time growing up than others. In addition, few people would challenge the reality that raising a child from infancy to successful adulthood can be a daunting task even for two people. However, in order to decide whether family structure
Children and single parenting begins with the divorce of a couple who have children. The majority of children live with their mother. Non custodial fathers usually have less contact with their children, and involvement usually declines as time goes by. Since most single-parent households are mother-headed their income is usually below that of a man, this causes economic distress and fewer opportunities for educational and extracurricular experiences for the child. Economic constraints may limit growth enhancing experiences. Even children whose fathers pay substantial child support are faced with limiting experiences. Children hate divorce because having two of the most important people in your life living apart hurts. For children,
Many children in today’s society have grown to become successful and mentally stable whether they had two parents, or one parent raise them. With everything in life it is never about quantity, but quality. This could apply to single parenting as well. As long as a parent create a stable and nurturing home their child will grow up to be a mature, hard working, independent, and loving adult. Family structure should not be the main focus when it comes to raising children, the focus should be on the values and life lessons that are taught to the child as they mature in life. Family structure in the last decade have change drastically. Children are being raised by same sex parents, grandparents, extended family, a single father, or a single