single parents
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Introduction
The importance of a parent in the life of a child cannot be understated. In fact, parents have the most influence on their children. This is because they not only spend the highest amount of time with them but are also there from the young age. In essence, children identify themselves via the role modeling of their parents. This means that the positive influence of the parents provides a secure environment for the appropriate development of children. The influence of the parents, therefore, can assist in adding to a better society. This underlines the importance of the parents’ influence on the lives of children. While most conventional homes are mainly made of two parents, recent times have seen an increase in the number of homes composed of one, young parent. Obviously, this has an impact on the lives of the children in such a home. The question, therefore, remains whether single parents have a positive or negative influence on their children. Research has shown that single parents are a negative influence on their children.
First, research shows that children of single parents have problems as far as dating is concerned. Children are always watching their parents’ behavior, as well as their response to the varied situations in life (Gregson, 57). With single parents, however, they do not have a chance or opportunity to learn how one should relate to the opposite sex or even how to drive a healthy relationship. This, therefore, increases the difficulty of holding onto relationships. The relationship of the parents sets the tone for the children’s relationships with other people. Studies show that kids brought up by single parents are bound to be too demanding in imitation to their parents, or hold onto an unhealthy relationship as they try to compensate for the presence of the parent that they never had (Arai, 59).
On the same note, these children have social problems as far as relating to other people in the society is concerned. It is worth noting that children learn about the characteristics of either sex from their parents (Arai, 56). They are constantly watching and copying the social skills of their parents. It goes without saying that no parent has the capacity to impart the skills of the other parent on the children. In essence, these children face a dilemma as far as socialization is concerned (Gregson, 76).
In addition, bringing up children as a single parent presents parenting problems that have an impact on the life of the child. Research shows that most single mothers have problems bringing up boys especially as far as disciplining them is concerned (McLanahan and Sandefur, 45). In addition, children brought up by single fathers are seen to crave for compassion, love and affection that they lacked from a female parent. It goes without saying that this has an impact on or affects the way they behave. In addition, they burden of catering for the family mostly falls on their shoulders in which case they may not have the time to be attentive to their kids (Lindsay and Enright, 34).
Moreover, most single young parents do not have the financial capacity to fend for their kids as they may not have well-paying jobs. This is especially having in mind that most of them had their studies disrupted by the pregnancy, which deviated their attention from their studies. It goes without saying that an individual’s level of education determines the quality or standard of life that he, or she leads (McLanahan and Sandefur, 67). In most cases, people who are well read stand high chances of living high-standard lives than people who are not so well read. In essence, their ability to offer the appropriate parenting to their children is fundamentally incapacitated. This has a negative impact on the growth and development of their children (Lindsay and Enright, 56).
On the same note, studies show that single parents make up the hardest hit individuals as far as the economy is concerned. They are faced with serious job loss and a difficult economy, irrespective of the fact that they have to cater for their children (Speak, et al, 34). They have to juggle between making ends meet, handling the time they spend with their children, as well as school. As much as they may rely on government help, such help cannot be relied on to bring up the children. This, therefore, affects the growth of their children as some of them have to start fending for themselves at an early age. In fact, studies show that most of the street children or homeless kids are children of single young parents (Speak, et al, 23).
In conclusion, single young parents have a negative impact on the lives of their children. Most of them are unable to cater for their children’s needs as they may not have well-paying jobs. In fact, most of the homeless and street children are children of single, young parents. In addition, these parents are mostly unable to discipline their kids or even offer the appropriate compassion or love, in the case of single mothers and single fathers respectively. Moreover, the children do not have the appropriate social skills that come with two parents, and may be unable to make or hold onto healthy relationships as they do not have such skills.
Works cited
Arai, Lisa. Teenage Pregnancy: The Making and Unmaking of a Problem. New York: The Policy Press, 2009. Print
Gregson, Joanna. The Culture of Teenage Mothers. New York: SUNY Press, 2009. Print
Lindsay, Jeanne Warren and Enright, Sharon. Books, babies, and school-age parents: how to teach pregnant and parenting teens to succeed. New York: Morning Glory Press, 1997. Print
McLanahan, Sara, and Sandefur, Gary D. Growing Up With a Single Parent: What Hurts, What Helps. Havard: Harvard University Press, 1994. Print
Speak, Suzanne and Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Young single mothers: barriers to independent living. London; Family Policy Studies Centre, 1995. Print
(Speak, et al) (McLanahan and Sandefur) (Lindsay and Enright) (Gregson) (Arai)
