Single (Lone) Parent Families

Single Parent or lone parent families have their share of daily problems and long-term disadvantages. The excessive cost of daycare, keeping a balance between work and time with the children and home duties, and economic conflicts are among these problems. This essay will illustrate the benefits and issues of lone parent families, what impacts they have on children and parents, and their struggle with daily life.

In June 1993, lone parent families comprised 9% of all families. By 2003, that figure had increased to 15%. Of that 15% only 16% were male lone parents; this was usually because the child had simply chosen to live with the mother. Families can become lone parent families for many reasons, these include; divorce or separation (70%), work commitments, because the parent could be oversees for long periods, either male or female parent has chosen to adopt a child, or the partner has passed away (over 18% of single parent families).

There are advantages and disadvantages of being a sole parent. Some advantages may include the child becoming more independent or mature because they can only rely on one parent. Or the parent they are living with has to give them more responsibilities to fill in the responsibilities of the ‘ex’. It will be more likely that there will be a closer relationship between a child and his/her parent. Some children that live through the breakup of their parents learn how to handle hardship and being different from their peers. Having two homes can turn out to be an advantage for children. They get to see other styles of living and get exposure to other personal beliefs.

Stepparents can also be a benefit. A child may feel comfortable confiding in a stepparent instead of a parent when the going gets tough. And from that stepparent the children could gain an extended stepfamily, which offers more opportunities to establish strong ties with other people who care about the child.

However there are huge disadvantages for this type of family. The sole parent will find that their ‘alone time’, without the kids will be restricted, and may have feelings of loneliness. Children who live with only one parent or with a parent and stepparent, experience more disadvantages in terms of psychological functioning, behavioural problems, education and health. Children growing up in a single-parent environment are twice as likely to have a child before the age of twenty. This can put strain on the relationship between parent and child. It is also more likely that children living with single parent mothers will live on a lower income than those living with a single parent father. This will add stress to a parent/child relationship.

For these reasons some parents would choose to stay in a relationship even though they may not want to. This could be for the child’s wellbeing or because they feel it would be more beneficial to live together.  These same reasons could also be why others would choose to be single parents and face those troubles, and possibly live a happier and more fulfilled life.

Single parent families can have negative or positive effects on children and their parents. But will most likely end in the child leading a better life. This is because the child becomes more independent and is more likely to be able to deal with relationship issues. This Essay has illustrated why and what advantages and disadvantages this type of family has.