The two-parent family, where both mother and father are actively present in the home, is scarcely prevalent in American society. A family where there is a mother, father, children and a household pet is slowly turning into a myth. Over the past 20 years, single parent families have become more common than in previous decades. Nowadays, we have all sorts of single families. Some headed by mothers, headed by fathers, and headed by a relative such as a grandparent raising their grandchild(ren). Many values, traditions and beliefs that were once the core of our foundations have now become antiquated.
Life can be quite overwhelming for the adult and the child when in a single family home. The single parent may feel stressed by the responsibilities that they have. They have to care and keep safety for the child(ren), maintain a job and keep up with bills and deal with household chores. Also, the financial pressures that may arise in a single parent home can cause more stress and overwhelming feelings than if there were two incomes generated for the household.
Some children may face mental, emotional and psychological setbacks when there is only one parent present in the household. Commonly there is a decrease in the academic performance of the child. The child may also act out or lash out at school or in public to get attention that he/she is lacking at home. Also, depression and other behavioral disturbances tend to occur at a higher rate in a single parent home versus a two-parent home.
Many problems that occur in a single family home can easily be avoided or fixed if both parents are present in the household. In previous decades, both the mother and the father worked together to raise their children. Boys tended to get the tough love from dad and girls tended to get the tough love from mom. If one parent said something to the child, the other parent backed their spouse up and didn’t give in to their children. It was less chaotic.
The the effects are not always bad in a single parent home. There can be good things that happen in a single parent home. As long as the parent shows the child continuous love and support, the child can strive academically, emotionally and psychologically. The parent has to be constantly involved in the child’s whereabouts, activities, and life. It can take a lot of the pressure off of the child to know that they have someone there supporting and loving them and showing that their parent cares for them, rather than the parent getting caught up and overwhelmed by their day-to-day responsibilities.