Families that are headed by single parents are becoming a major element in our societies, both locally and globally. This means that the numbers of children brought up in female-headed families are also increasing. For example, before the 1960s, ninety percent of children in the U.S lived with their biological parents until their adulthood. This percentage has drastically reduced, following a gradual increase in the number of female-headed families. Currently, 50.5 percent of U.S children are growing up in female-headed families ( Margulies & Brown, 2012) . The trend is not different from the other parts of the world. One characteristic about single-parent families especially those headed by a female is tension and loneliness, particularly when he has to make a crucial decision to one of the family members. This condition can exacerbate worries about raising children and fuel guilt due to her inability to meet every family demand.
The methodology which will be used in this study is the use of existing researches that have been done on parenting, especially on single-parent families. Data and information will be collected from journals, reports, and books and combined to present the positive and negative impacts of single-parent families in the United States of America.
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Literature Review
Theories of Single-Parent Families
Single-parent families are becoming a major problem in the U.S, especially when adults realize there is no one by their side to share financial responsibilities, discipline and decision making. The full burden of sourcing appropriate care, parenting and earning a living for the family falls on one person. A number of studies have come up with an array of theories that can help to understand the phenomena. According to Wallerstein (2011), the theories that explain single-parent family life include; structural functionalism theory, individualism theory, and the feminist theory.
Studies that have been conducted recently indicate that structural functionalism is one of the theories that contribute to single-parent families. Owing to its roots in the 19 th century, structural functionalism assumed that social changes are brought by political, demographic, technological and economic forces which people do not have control over. The theory maintains that individuals make choices that do not conform to cultural guidelines. Men and women behaved in a utilitarian manner where either of them could become dysfunctional to their children and society( Margulies & Brown, 2012) . As indicated by healthy families and societies, conformity is the root of social order. Failure to conform to these norms can result in social pathology.
Recent research done by Wallerstein (2011) indicated that feminist theory is also another factor that contributes to single-parent families. This theory is based on the rates of divorce that have been filed by women who believe in independence and the right to stand on their own where they are free to do whatever they want. The feminist theory has taught women that they need not depend on their husbands for emotional support, financial support, or provide them status in society. This theory has made so many women remove men from their lives and settle down as female-headed families
According to Forssén and Harkovita (2018) , the theory of individualism is the second theory that is associated with the single-parent family. Nowadays, people have stopped emphasizing on the collectivity of their families and society as a whole. Instead, they are now focusing on their savings, investment, and personal gain. With individualism, people focus on one instead of two, and this is the main cause of rising rates of single-parent families around the globe. As a result of individualism, people are not willing to incur the pain of raising their children. Partners walk out of relationships whenever they feel like. There is a shift from cultural values to individual values which is exerting pressure and stress and on marriages which eventually makes parents split
Pathways to Single Parenthood
There is a myriad of literature on female-headed families and an array of factors that account for the same have been documented. The first reason of these escalated single-headed families is separation and divorce in families. The second reason that explains why single-parent families are on the rise is cohabitation where partners arrive at a mutual agreement to live together and give birth to children out of marriage. Desertion is the third reason. This is where males abandon their wives and children when they find it hard to fulfill their duties as father Goldscheider et al . (2015). Death of fathers also results in single-headed families where the mother or father takes the overall responsibilities of bringing up the children. Lastly, single-headed families can come into existence when women by choice decide to be single mothers in pursuit of independence and efficacy. Other ways in which single-parent families come about include adoption, surrogate motherhood, and artificial insemination.
Statistics of Single-Parent Families that makes this topic important
Single-parent families are families that children under 18 years headed a parent who has never been married, divorced and not remarried or widowed. Although the social phenomena of single parenting appear to be invincible any society, single-parent families are rising. A study conducted by Caissie et al (2017) indicated that throughout the world, the number of single-parent families has increased, particularly families with single mothers. In the U.S. the number of single-parent families doubled in the last two decades. Approximately 60 percent of people live in these kind of families. One out of two children in the U.S is staying with a single parent
The United States Census Bureau also reported that single mothers increased from three million to ten million between 1970 and 2001 while that of single fathers rose from 395,000 to two million. As of 2002, more than 20 million children lived in households that had only a father or mother. This has been exacerbated with the increased divorce that became more pronounced 1970s where about 10 percent were already living with single parents ( Goldscheider et al., 2015) . In the 1980s, the numbers skyrocketed but declined in 1990s. 32 percent of the total children in the U.S were leaving with single parents by 1996. By 2002, the number dropped to 28 percent. Other statistics indicate that most children stay live in single-parent families long enough before their biological parents eventually remarry i.e. when the children move into a two-parent family with one step-parent and one biological parent.
On a global scale, it has been reported that one in four children lives with their biological parents in Australia. Caissie et al (2017) attribute this to a breakdown in marriages or relationships. It has further been projected that single-parent families will increase between 32 percent and 68 for the next 25 years globally. In England, at least 3 in 5 women enjoy staying single because of the unlimited freedom they have.
Implications of the Rise of Single Parent Families
Children from single-parent families endure a lot of challenges, ranging from excelling in school to crime and juvenile delinquency. Research has revealed that only 1 in 4 children from single-parent families are stable. This means that the majority of them dwell under poverty. This makes it hard for them to even graduate from high school. This diminution in income and educational levels attract the children to suicidal acts, bribery, substance abuse and other crimes within and beyond their neighborhoods ( Wallerstein, 2011) .
Another implication of children coming from single-parent families is that they are likely to take jobs that are below the occupational grade that pay less. Later in their lives, they are usually affected by high rates of unemployment due to their low education levels. Studies have also found out that children who are raised in single-parent families live and eventually grow in insolvent economic conditions. These children are also likely to suffer from economic deprivation, constant change of address, and lack of parental care.
Girls, particularly from female-headed families venture into early sexual activities. Caissie et al (2017) demonstrate that there is a close association between girls and boys who grow up in female-headed families in terms of sexual behavior. Children born in female-headed families are more likely to indulge themselves in promiscuous relationships. These relationships have severe implications such as sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancy. Male children indulge in delinquency and violent behavior, and they incur untold suffering especially when seeking and maintaining jobs due to the absence of the father figure in their lives.
Another implication of single-parent families is health. Studies have discovered that children who are raised in female-headed families have malnutrition issues. It is revealed that most of the children rely on diets that lack vital vitamins and proteins that are essential for optimal growth and development in children. The inability of mothers to have sufficient economic resources is the main course of malnourishment in their children due to nutrients deficiency ( Wallerstein, 2011) . Even if reports suggest that female-headed are likely to have two or three meals a day, their diets do not have fruits, meat or vegetables.
Sibling relationships in single-parent families, especially in the female-handed family, are at stake. A study by Wallerstein (2011) posits that siblings from female-headed families display a high degree of conflict and rivalry. This is linked to three major factors. Number one is the fact that single mothers deal with many partners, and this transition of partners predict the quality of the life of the mother and her children. The second explanation is that single mothers experience high levels of stress due to their limited resources that contribute to poor relationships. Lack of a resident within the neighborhood to offer a hand in childrearing while at work is the third reason.
Strategies of Raising Children in Single-Parent Families
Use Authoritative Parenting Style
Authoritative parenting is the most appropriate style of parenting in single-parent families. This style is used widely and considered the most beneficial and effective parenting style for children who are raised by one parent. An authoritative parent is easily recognized as such a parent has got very high expectations for his children but also ensures that the expectations are reasonable. Authoritative parents put much effort into developing and keeping a positive relationship between the parent and the child. The parent ensures that he explains the reasons behind certain rules and as much as there are rules and consequences, the parent takes the feelings of a child into consideration. In authoritative parenting, a parent maintains an open style of communication between him or her and the child. Authoritative parents have the ability to communicate with a child with no reprimand or judgment ( Goldscheider et al., 2015) . This makes them have insight into the life of a child. It also develops an understanding that provides children with an understanding of the world around them more. The style of parenting develops the healthiest surrounding and environment for a child that is growing. It also helps in fostering a productive relationship between a child and the parent.
Increasing a Child’s Self-esteem
The first way single-parent families can increase the self-esteem of a child is through positive criticism. Most children from single-parent families now to face a lot of criticism. If a child is criticized as being lazy instead of not trying hard, the child will believe that he is lazy. He or she will believe that failures originate from unchangeable and permanent factors. Single-parent families should focus on temporal and specific causes when they talk to their children regarding their failures ( Taylor, & Conger, 2017).
The other way single-parent families can make their children feel more confident in explaining to them that there is no person who is perfect and letting them know that no one expects them to be perfect. The way a parent reacts to the disappointments and mistakes of children affects the way the children react also ( Goldscheider et al., 2015 ). This also includes avoiding comparison them with other children. Instead, a parent should appreciate the individuality of every child. Letting them know that no one is perfect also involves not calling child names or using sarcasm to pass a point. This is likely to belittle the feelings of a child.
Childcare Option
Parents from single families face a lot of challenges when trying to find the best day where their children can be taken care of when they are at work. A home daycare which is also called family daycare provides care to children at home rather than a center. Home daycare is suitable because it enables a single parent to keep a child in a friendly, warm and homelike environment. The child gets all the security and comfort of a home setting and also gets other children to play with. Studies indicate that home daycare is an appropriate option because it involves smaller groups as compared to daycare centers. The environment which resembles a home is also assuring and comforting. The children are likely to have a constant and single caregiver and have fewer chances of becoming ill ( Goldscheider et al., 2015 ). The trick with home daycare is finding a great provider. The family should consider finding a good daycare at home settings where they will comfortable to leave the child every other single day. The challenge with home care is that it is not regulated like centers. The parent should, therefore, be comfortable with the choice of home daycare they make and check on things constantly or drop unannounced sometimes to spend some time with children.
Disadvantages of single-parent families
There are many disadvantages and advantages for children who are raised by single parents. The decrease in income. Taylor and Conger (2017) reveal that the major disadvantage of single-parent families is a reduction in income that greatly impacts how families operate. In either case, i.e. female-headed family or male-headed family, a decrease in income affects the time parents spend with their children. As a result, parents do not come to learn their children’s behaviors and other daily challenges. Single-parent families that originate from divorce or death of a partner undergo schedule changes. Time management becomes critical to children who have to adjust to new living conditions. On the other hand, parents will be struggling to fill the roles of two parents and their schedule either a man or woman’s schedule is affected. Children from single-parent families do not quality time with their parents who are busy struggling with double shifts to earn a living. Children from single-parent families encounter scholastic struggles. This can be observed in these children’s decreased motivation which directly affects their attendance in school, low tests scores, and high dropout rates. Unresolved feelings of anger and disgust are also another disadvantage of children from Single-parent families. This makes it difficult for these students to even form or accept new relationships both at school and at home ( Margulies & Brown, 2012) .
Advantages
Although it is hard to look at the brighter side, single-parent families have advantages too. The first advantage of these single-parent families is that there are few arguments. Most parents regularly separate in order to avoid fights in front of children. Environments with fewer arguments are less stressful and it makes the parent feels more secure. Being single promotes responsibility and independence. The new life of single parents encourages children to be responsible members of the family and do great things for their lives. Fearing part of the family help children establishes good work ethic; improve self-worth and self-esteem ( Taylor & Conger, 2017). Being in a single-parent family makes it easy it easy to understand expectations. This is because the expectations are clear and there is no one to contradict. Lastly, children from single-parent families are able to learn and share responsibilities in their families. This is in conjunction with the fact that these children are closer to the family than those children from a traditional family setup ( Taylor & Conger, 2017).
Conclusion
To sum it up all, the number of single-parent families is increasing in the United States. As shown above, there are several complications incurred by these family set-ups. These complications form part of the problems that affect society, and it leads to an imbalance of its function and structure. It has been demonstrated that children from single-parent families, particularly the female-headed families that experience the following challenges, diminution in income and educational level, jobs that are below the occupational grade that pay less, girls venturing into early sexual activities as they imitate what their mothers do, health challenges and children rivalry. Crime and juvenile delinquency among boys from female-headed families parse have increased since most of these children live in households whose incomes are less than 50 percent. Not unless correct attempts have been made to such as the use authoritative parenting style, increasing child’s self-esteem, choosing better childcare options, and minimize the rates of single-parent families by limiting the number of divorce taking place in our courts, these juvenile behaviors will be hard to deal with. Studies also revealed that single-parent families come into existence in many ways including separation and divorce, cohabiting, desertion and death of partners.
References
Caissie, J., Gaudet, J. D. A., & Godin, J. (2017). Low-Income, Single-Parent Francophone Mothers and the Educational Achievement of Their Children. Canadian Journal of Education , 40 (4), n4.
Forssén, K., & Harkovita, M. (2018). Work incentives in single-parent families. In Fighting Poverty (pp. 117-146). Routledge.
Goldscheider, F., Scott, M. E., Lilja, E., & Bronte-Tinkew, J. (2015). Becoming a single parent: The role of father and mother characteristics. Journal of Family Issues , 36 (12), 1624-1650.
Margulies, S., & Brown, D. (2012). Divorce: Children . Lincoln, MA: Simply Magazine.
Taylor, Z. E., & Conger, R. D. (2017). Promoting strengths and resilience in single ‐ mother families. Child development , 88 (2), 350-358.
Wallerstein, J. S. (2011). The long-term effects of divorce on children: A review. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry , 30 (3), 349-360.
