In my opinion, one of the most unfortunate parts of the growing number of single parent families in the United States is that it directly affects the children, who most likely have nothing to do with the fact that they live in a single parent family. While being a single parent is extremely challenging, I think it is often even harder on the children. They don’t always understand what is going on, especially if their parents were recently divorced. Being a child in a single parent family can have huge impacts on almost every aspect of their lives.
Being a child in a single parent family can take large tolls on a child’s social development and social life. When there is only one parent heading a family, children are often expected to take on larger roles in the family than those who are in dual parent families. This could include doing extra chores or having to watch over younger siblings while their parent is at work. The need for extra hands around the house can take away from a child’s time hanging out with friends.
In addition, with only one income, children of single parent families may not get the same kind of social opportunities as children in a dual parent family. For example, a child with two incomes may have more opportunities to take class trips or weekends away with friends. If friends are going to an amusement park one Saturday, it might be too expensive for them to go. This can cause a great deal of disconnect between a child of a single parent family and their friends.
According to the Better Health Center, children of single parent families can also have trouble when dealing with figures of authority, such as teachers. Children of single parent homes often get the opportunities to make a lot more decisions around the house. If a child is used to have a lot of say in the home, they can act out against authority figures, and they will be more likely to question their authority.
Another consequence for children of single parent families is that they may have trouble understanding their parents’ new lives. For example, if a parent was to have a new relationship with someone other than their father, the child might have trouble understanding this. Children of single parent families often have trouble recognizing and understanding that their parent does have a need for adult companionship.
Children of single parent families can also face a lot more trouble in an educational setting. If a parent does not have the time to help students with school work because of working or just general house chores and child raising, a child might fall behind in school or have more trouble than other students. Students from single parent and divorced families are 2 to 3 times more likely to drop out of school than those in dual parent families (Yahoo Voices). These figures show the effects that a family type can have on a child’s education.
One of the biggest consequences that I have personally seen in many of my friends is the feeling of being torn between their two parents. They sometimes feel that they must pick sides or choose one parent over the other. This can come with an overwhelming sense of guilt if they feel that they are disappointing one of their parents. According to Better Health Channel, this can be especially true if the parents have a very hostile relationship with one another. If this is the case, parents can often mistakenly make their child feel somewhat guilty if they have fun with the other parent or if they seem to enjoy being with the other parent more than they do with them. These situations can all cause a great deal of stress for children of single parent families.
As you can see, being raised in a single parent family can have a huge effect on many aspects of a child’s life. Have you seen any of these consequences in your own experiences?
Works Cited
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Single_parenting
http://voices.yahoo.com/the-effects-academics-children-come-from-41189.html?cat=25