4 Jan 2023

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The Pros and Cons of Single-Parent and Two-Parent Families

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Academic level: College

Paper type: Essay (Any Type)

Words: 850

Pages: 3

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In today’s contemporary world, the single-parent family is an everyday norm. for instance, In America alone, there exist approximately fourteen million individuals who are single parents with the responsibility of raising 12.6 million of the total children in the U.S. (Themes, 2017) . Although parents in single families in America consist of both fathers and mothers, a large percentage are mostly single mothers. Even though there exists a significant variation in the proportion of single parents between fathers and mothers, still the quality of parentage is below when compared to two-parent families. When comparing the performance of children in individual families and those in whole families, notable differences can be seen. On average, when compared to youngsters raised up in a two-parent household, those of single-parent families are worse of. In most cases, it is said to be true regardless of the amount or level of education attained or the race of the parent. 

Even though this may seem so, the challenges often associated with children raised in single-parent families such as juvenile delinquency, poverty, and failure in school is not limited to them alone (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2019) . Although being raised in a one-parent family can significantly undermine the chances of the future success of a child, it does not necessarily doom one to total failure. From the many occurrences seen in the world and within the United States, it can be said that a considerable number of children from one-parent families grow up to be productive and successful adults. While examining the level of success among children raised in single-parent households and the youngsters raised in whole families, the main aspects of their future success that is the level of educational attainment, early family formation, and idleness are put into consideration. In regards to other measures of success being constant, it is stated that children who spend majority of their childhood away from their biological fathers are more likely to leave school amid their studies especially during their years in high school, become idlers during their late teens and early twenties, and more so become parents themselves before reaching the age of twenty (The Anney E. Casey Foundation, 2018) . 

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One of the setbacks of single-parent families is the inability to provide children with the most crucial parental, economic, and community resources, especially when it comes to single-families headed by mothers. Often, single-parent families involving mothers have low incomes, or in some cases experience a sudden decline in the level of their profits following a divorce or separation. Therefore, inadequate income can be said to be the fundamental reason as to why future attainments of children raised in single-mother families are far worse than children raised in whole families (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2019) . Lack of enough income to cater for the fundamental needs of the family where single-mother families are involved, thus account for the disadvantage regarding school dropout before high school graduation. 

Additionally, in most single-parent families, children are unable to get enough attention and guidance from their parents as opposed to youngsters with a two-parent family. In order to prosper and be successful in the future, young children and teenagers alike not only need economic security but also constant attention from their parents. In other words, children require guardians who can spare time to help them with everyday necessities such as homework, emotional or physical growth, and parents to listen to the occurrences of their daily lives while in school. Additionally, children also need a parent to oversee the activities they undertake when not in school. Therefore, the type of care required for the smooth growth and development of a child mostly lack in households with single parents when compared to whole families. 

In order for a child to be successful in their prospects, they need access to community resources during their childhood growth and development. Community resources are one of the things that one-parent families lack, although youngsters with two-parent families have them in plenty. In most cases, young children and teenagers raised in single-parent households have high likelihoods of living in poor neighborhoods and thus associate with peers with bad attitudes towards school. Moreover, single-parent families are more likely to change their residence, a factor that disrupts the lives, growth, and development of their children for this often means changing schools while losing contacts with old friends and peers. 

Even though being raised by a single parent at most times is said to pose numerous disadvantages, it is not without its advantages. There are children raised by single parent’s especially widows who succeed in life compared to youngsters raised by single mothers. Moreover, male children born to mothers who are not married often do worse compared to those whose mothers are either divorced or separated (The Anney E. Casey Foundation, 2018) . Concerning teenage African Americans, they are more likely to succeed in school only if their families stayed whole until they attain the age required for starting school. Moreover, their chances of succeeding in future is increased when there is the presence of a stepfather. 

In the face of the challenges that most single-parent families face that in turn hinder the future success of children raised in such families, various things need to be taken into account in order to increase their chances of success. Of most importance is raining the income of single-parent families and the community at large and sharing the responsibility of raising children in single-parent families. Additionally, the government should provide their assistance not only to one-parent families but also to two-parent households. 

References 

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2019). Single parent? Tips for raising a child alone. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/childrens-health/in-depth/single-parent/art-20046774 

The Anney E. Casey Foundation. (2018, June 12). Single Parents Are Raising More Than One-Third of U.S. Kids. Retrieved from Kids Count Data Center: https://datacenter.kidscount.org/updates/show/204-single-parents-are-raising-more-than-one-third-of-us-kids 

Themes, W. (2017, February 24). What Do Single Parent Statistics Tell Us? Retrieved from Single Parent Center: http://www.singleparentcenter.net/single-parent-statistics/ 

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