Single Parenting

Emotional Health Of Single Parents

2010-10-19T11:26:00.001-07:00

Emotional Health Of Single Parents

The number of single parents has increased over years. The number of children who have been a product of single parents have continually grown as well. This is because the overall change in society has changed drastically over the past years.

How a person reacts to certain situations, and how one copes with change have affected decisions involving families today. Studies have shown that there are effects, whether positive or negative on being a single parent to children.

Stress and single parenting are the usual topics in self-help books in parenting. Psychologists believe that raising children and even just a child is a very stressful task that requires ample management of emotional, behavioral and spiritual aspect of a single parent. Without the proper guide from self-help books, counsellors, group therapy, a single parent will deteriorate emotionally due to stress.

So how could you manage stress and single parenting? Psychologists say that in order for a parent to manage both stress and single parenting, he or she should enumerate things that brings him or her the stressors.

The universal stressors in single parenting for a female parent is how she could manage her household while she works her way to earn a living for 8 to 9 hours during the day. Self-help books on how to manage stress and single parenting gives single moms a good advice.

Firstly, if their job requires them to be out of the house in the usual office hours, she could hire a nanny during those times that she is away. But if she wants to have a quality time with her child or children, it would be for the best if she would leave her day job and establish a work from home business or job.

The internet isn't there to merely entertain us. In fact, billions of dollars worth of business deals have been transacted through the internet. Of course, this isn't just on sales transactions -- sales on goods sold such as in Amazon or Ebay -- but also those transactions that pay off a service using Paypal or other online payment mode.

Yes, believe it or don't, many people, single parent or not, who earn a living through the internet not for selling goods but for offering and selling a service.

Some employers, especially those who are always on the go, hire 'virtual assistant' to help them with clerical or typing or secretarial jobs. Employers simply email the typing or research job to their virtual assistant with the instructions on how to do it and when to submit it, and the virtual assistant shall submit to the employer the typing and research job at the time the employer has specified.

This way you can manage both stress and single parenting. Even if your two children are howling at each other, you can pacify them while you are waiting for the next job that your virtual boss will give you. Working online or telecommuting is one of the best ways that you can manage stress and single parenting.

As for single dads, the problem that they usually face is how to keep in-tune with his child or children's feelings and emotional needs. This is the most usual cause of stress with a male doing the single parenting.

Of course, unlike a single mom, not all single dads want to work at home. They feel that this is not a very manly job. To psychologists, however, single dads doesn't have that much liberty to think this way.

Single parenting is totally different to regular parenting (a household with a mother and a father). A single parent must adjust to the usual activities expected of a 'regular' parent. So, a single dad must accept the fact that he can't be just like 'any other dad' and work his bottom from sunrise till night.

A single dad needs to be at the side of his children, like a mother. If he can't accept this fact, he cannot possibly manage stress and single parenting.

Effects Of Single Parenting On Child

2010-10-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

Effects Of Single Parenting On Child

Times have really changed. Old people always argue that the modern culture has forsaken and outgrouwn the values taught and instilled by old customs, beliefs and traditions.

Moralists and conservative people are almost always raising their brows and expressing disgust over how current belief and culture systems are evolving. What has been unacceptable in the old world is now becoming fast and rapidly rising trends.

Taboos and outcast-driving issues of yester years are now very common have set minds of people that they actually are just normal and acceptable.

Single parenting

One of the issues that were raising the ire of people decades and even centuries back is the issue of single parenting. A quick look at social philosophies link single parenting to adventurism and liberation of people.

The Catholic Church has always been the dominating mentor and guide of traditions, norms and living. The church is so adamant to advocate the sanctity of the sacrament of marriage of matrimony.

That is why the procreation outside wedlock is strictly considered a ground for excommunication. It is one of the greatest sins, according to the Catholic Church, to engage in pre-marital sex.

Single parenthood, in that sense, can be taken in as a punishment of some sorts, to the people who disobey the teachings of the church. But radical thinkers think otherwise. So, is it?

Single parenting is becoming a rapidly rising trend in the society. Studies in the US alone indicate that there are four single parents to every ten parents, there are two single parents for every 10 adults in the country.

Your great grandparents must be really turning up their graves of they could be able to hear such statistics. How times have changed!

The Child

Because single parenting or parenthood is somehow a choice and decision, taken by the parent, one voice is still unheard of. It is that of the child’s.

Psychologists and advocates argue and insist that single parenting has adverse mental, emotional and psychological effect to the child. Tests from time to time validate that premise.

Several studies have found that the child’s thinking and mental mind set is somehow altered or affected if that child was raised by a single parent.

Although single parents must be commended for raising a child alone, he or she should not be blamed for any mental or psychological result of the situation to the child, as psychological assert.

Tests and observations have consistently concluded and found that single parenting makes children more aggressive and rebellious. Experts say the behavior could be the outcome of the angst and humiliation the child experiences while growing.

Because traditional and normal families have two parents, the mom and the dad, jointly raising kids, single parenting somehow makes the child feel abnormal, different and unaccepted.

The society can sometimes be too cruel for such children, which can make things worse. Humiliation and awkward feeling of insecurity is dangerous if left untreated or undetected in the child. That child can take the burden for the rest of his or her life.

Thus, single parents and their children both need professional help through counseling. Reasonable advise and guides should be given both to the child and the single parent to make sure both of them deal with past, present and future issues from single parenting.

Counseling from professionals can form or make up a support system that will make single parenting easier and more effective. Because single parenting is no ordinary parenting, the parent and the child must learn to accept the situation minus the negative feeling.

Nowadays, single parenting is becoming a normal occurrence. Society is not that judgmental anymore towards the single parent and the child. Probably, it can be because of the immunity due to the rising number of single parents. Anyway, it can be positive because at least, single parents choose to be productive.

Consequences of Single Parenting

2010-10-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

Consequences of Single Parenting

There are a lot of consequences in being a single parent. It is not as easy as everyone imagines. There are so many issues surrounding a single parent. Some are good, but some are extremely bad. In everything that you do, there are consequences. And because being a single parent is an abnormality, society keeps a watchful eye on everything that you do.

You always have to watch your actions so that it will not have a deterrent effect on your children. You also have to have an open communication with your children so that you will always have knowledge on what is roaming inside their mind.

Since being a single parent is vulnerable to gossips, we must always be knowledgeable of what is happening around us so that it would not affect our children. The biggest consequence of being a single parent is probably its effect on the child’s reputation and emotions.

In a weak foundation, the child with a single parent might notice his or her difference with other kids. If not properly talked about, he or she might start thinking that he or she is different and it may be a reason for him or her to be disturbed. As a parent, you must always remind your child that he or she is not different from others. He or she is still a normal kid, just like everybody else.

The bulk of the responsibility is thrown mostly to the parent. And honestly, it is really the parent’s responsibility especially during the early ages of your son and daughter. You should always remind your child about his or her status and that it should not affect him or her as a person.

As a parent, you must really be hands-on with how you take care of your children. It is a must that your presence is always felt. That you are always there to guide your kid. It is important and a must that you efficiently perform your duties and responsibilities as a parent.

Single parents must be really close to his or her child. If you concentrate more on work and leave no time for your kids, there might be a gap on your relationship and you and your kid will not be that close.

You should also show your love to your kids for they lack affection. Since you are a single parent, you should give much more love as you are filling in the shoes of both a mom and a dad.

But that is not as easy as it sounds, because you are the only one that makes it work for you and your family. Of course, you cannot do it all by yourself. Single parents are not super heroes but they are close to it.

Time is the biggest enemy of a single parent. And because of that, the biggest consequence of it is having no time to spend with your kids. As a result, you may not be close to him. Another one is because of the lack of a parent figure inside the house when you are not around, the kids might lack the value that parents teach.

Also, because of your absence, the children might not respect your authority as their parent. And at times, because of work, you might be not around during special occasions, like the kid’s birthday, PTA meetings, the child’s recital and other kid of events that require the presence of a parent. Since you are the only working with no support, you might not be able to attend to these and may cause trouble.

A kid requires a lot of work, and if you cannot attend to your child’s needs then he or she might look out for someone else. Your child might be prone to drugs and other bad deeds because of the lack of presence and attention inside the house. The child might even forget that he or she still has a parent.

You must remember it is not how long you spend your time with your kids; it is how you spend quality time with your kids. Even if you are tired from work, you must always let them feel your love. You may not always be physically present but what is important is that we instill in the values and discipline so that they would be able to face the world with the parent on the child’s mind.

The most important thing is that they would understand the situation and respect you for what you are and not who you are not.

Theories Regarding Single Parenting

2010-10-19T10:51:00.001-07:00

Theories Regarding Single Parenting
Theories regarding single parenting depends upon the the beliefs and ideals of a person. Some people base their concept or theories on experiences of single parents. Some of them base it on analytical thinking.

There are theories regarding single parenting that is said to be irritating to the ears of single parent especially if it affects the morality of a person as a Christian. Nevertheless, if we will listen to the person sharing his theories regarding single parenting, you can pick up a little knowledge that you can share to others.

There are theories regarding single parenting that sometimes caused a debate like theories regarding single parents punishing their children every time they did something wrong. Others agree on this concept while others do not.

For those who agree that this theory regarding single parenting is right, say that to be able to create fine men and women, punishment is needed. It lessens their mistakes in life. If not punished, they will do the same mistakes their single parents have done. On the contrary, people who disagreed in this theory regarding single parenting, they believe that punishment will only make children become fearful, non-cooperative, and dependent to others.

Theories regarding single parenting may vary according to the beliefs, customs and tradition revolving around the community. Unknowingly, people produced theories according to their experience and pass it out to next generations.

Handling your children should not base on any concept or theories regarding single parenting. Nurturing, caring, loving is enough for a child to understand what you feel for him.

Don't let any theories regarding single parenting manipulate your lives. Better make it a guide but not necessarily follow all those concepts. Learn to pick only the beneficial ones. Learn from the lessons of the theories regarding single parenting.

Theories regarding single parenting sprouted like a mushroom through the years because of the great need of single parents to mold their children with good attitude.

There are theories regarding single parenting that deals on educating single parents to teach their children on how to strengthen the faith to God. It is very important to strengthen the faith of every child especially children of single parents because it can be their weapon in every struggles in life.

Theories regarding single parenting that are the topics of debates must be analyzed with balanced judgment. Single parents must have a wide knowledge to be able to sort capture only all the good lessons from bad.

Theories of single parenting existed many years ago. Even in history books, we read about it. The topic of before still remains the topic of today.

Theories on single parenting differ according to the needs of single parent. Single parenting which has resulted from divorce must understand theories on single parenting that are appropriate for them. They should learn how to cope on their situation. They must also learn to avoid bad comments pertaining to the other parent of the child.

Single parents should learn to settle amicably the differences between the other parents of the child. Single parents must also learn the right time of dating again on opposite gender. Theories regarding single parenting might help them.

Theories regarding single parenting on rebellious stage of children should be deal with maturely. Children who are product of a divorce or separation usually becomes rebellious especially on adolescence age.

Rebellious child are sensitive in nature. Single parents must understand their needs. Rebellious child might need more attention and care. They sometimes need something but got difficulty achieving it.

Theories on single parenting have the purpose of educating parents to become a role model to their children. Single parents made a mistake in the past but it does not mean they are bad parents. Becoming a role model to children will inspired children to finish their study become professional on their chosen career in the someday.

Single parents should be careful on theories regarding single parenting that they will use on their child for on these theories regarding single parenting depend the future of their children. Single parents should never stop on learning for the sake of their child. Single parents should give extra nurturing and caring to their children for children of single parents have the special needs of love and care.

Single Parenting Becoming Popular in Modern Days

2010-10-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

Single Parenting Becoming Popular in Modern Days

There are many articles concerning about single parenting. Single parents need not worry on how to handle your situation as a single parent to your children. You may search for articles like this one through various website and even in local magazines. For more brief and precise articles about single parenting, you may also visit the libraries and bookstores. Reading and understanding the articles for single parenting may give you tips and guides in handling your day-to-day relationship with your children.

Because of the growing number of people who are becoming single parents caused by break-up of marriage, teenage pregnancies, divorce and death of other partner, the publication of articles on single parenting have also increases. There is a growing demand for self-help tips in raising a child or children by a single parent.

There are articles on single parenting that focuses on a single mom or dad who lose a husband or a wife because of death. These articles help a widow or widower handle grief and how to continue their life without a partner in life.

There are also articles on single parenting that teach about proper caring of infants, toddlers and kids who are in school already. These articles cover the basic management of kids' tantrums and their attitudes towards you as a parent and to other people. Single parents, especially teenage single mother, will also gain knowledge from these articles on single parenting such as basic childcare, bathing an infant, first aid techniques..

A woman who is expecting her first baby without a partner to help her in child rearing may also benefit from the contents of these articles on single parenting. These articles will show her to take care of her body during and after pregnancy.

It is also good for every single parent to start reading articles on single parenting and child psychology so that she could raise her child morally upright. When their child grows and starts asking questions, they must know how to answer these questions, most especially the sensitive ones. Do not take for granted the questioning of your child because you would not know the effect in the event that you ignore them.

Children who are raised in a wrecked home or are the product of a teenage pregnancy are said to be more sensitive than children who are raised in a normal home because they feel that they are the usual topic in school and in their community. You must help to cope up by searching on the articles on single parenting that will solve the problem of your child. You must obtain a regular communication with your child so that you can also monitor his companions, his favorite things to do and problems he is encountering outside your home.

There are articles on single parenting that you must disregard especially those that only confuse. Remember that articles on single parenting are written by humans only, and human are not perfect. Many authors of articles on single parenting use their opinions as their basis of writing their articles. Sometimes it is not informative.

To avoid waste of your money examine first the articles on single parenting before you purchase. Articles on single parenting must be informative, specific and goal oriented. Articles on single parenting should be informative in a way that you can gain learning, knowledge, methods, and ideas that can help you in your way of raising your child and becoming you as a better person.

Articles on single parenting must contain specific and more precise information for easy understanding. Most single parents are commonly on the lower income earner and sometimes force to stop their education to support their child. Single parents need to feed useful articles regarding single parenting that is understandable to apply the knowledge as possible.

Authors of articles on single parenting are advised to feature articles that are more on a goal-oriented topic. Every single parent goal is to secure better future for the children.

Authors may write an article on single parenting that is more inspirational in achieving their goal. They may also discuss topics that will establish their morals and strengthens their faith and give them strong determination in achieving success.

For those single parents who are cutting their cost on buying things to save for the most essential needs, they may visit public libraries near their place. They may borrow articles on single parenting that is functional for them. Single parents must not stop on learning for they will be their child's first teacher.

Single parents must show their child that they are interested in learning to make them a role model and children will also become interested in studying and reading materials. Children of young age are very willing to attend school and learn their alphabet.

Children must gain support from the parents in also achieving the goal of their child. Education is one of the rights of the child. Do not disappoint your child. It is better to enhance the talents and abilities of children than make them useful and productive.

Articles on single parenting are great help for single parents in guiding the path of every child and make them leaders of your community.

How to Manage Stress and Single Parenting

2010-10-17T08:10:00.001-07:00

How to Manage Stress and Single Parenting

Being a single parent is not easy. It is like doing two jobs in one sitting. Single parenting requires you to be an understanding mother or a tough and a providing father all at the same time. Stress and single parenting, therefore, works together, giving single mom and dad a terrible headache every single day.

Stress and single parenting are the usual topics in self-help books in parenting. Psychologists believe that raising children and even just a child is a very stressful task that requires ample management of emotional, behavioral and spiritual aspect of a single parent. Without the proper guide from self-help books, counsellors, group therapy, a single parent will deteriorate emotionally due to stress.

So how could you manage stress and single parenting? Psychologists say that in order for a parent to manage both stress and single parenting, he or she should enumerate things that brings him or her the stressors.

The universal stressors in single parenting for a female parent is how she could manage her household while she works her way to earn a living for 8 to 9 hours during the day. Self-help books on how to manage stress and single parenting gives single moms a good advice.

Firstly, if their job requires them to be out of the house in the usual office hours, she could hire a nanny during those times that she is away. But if she wants to have a quality time with her child or children, it would be for the best if she would leave her day job and establish a work from home business or job.

The internet isn't there to merely entertain us. In fact, billions of dollars worth of business deals have been transacted through the internet. Of course, this isn't just on sales transactions -- sales on goods sold such as in Amazon or Ebay -- but also those transactions that pay off a service using Paypal or other online payment mode.

Yes, believe it or don't, many people, single parent or not, who earn a living through the internet not for selling goods but for offering and selling a service.

If you are a fast typist, you can offer typing services through 'telecommuting.' It is a secretarial job that doesn't require a single parent to be 'on-site' or at the place where the office is located.

Some employers, especially those who are always on the go, hire 'virtual assistant' to help them with clerical or typing or secretarial jobs. Employers simply email the typing or research job to their virtual assistant with the instructions on how to do it and when to submit it, and the virtual assistant shall submit to the employer the typing and research job at the time the employer has specified.

The virtual assistant will be paid online via Paypal or Online Checks, every 15th and 30th of the month, or as agreed by both parties.

This way you can manage both stress and single parenting. Even if your two children are howling at each other, you can pacify them while you are waiting for the next job that your virtual boss will give you. Working online or telecommuting is one of the best ways that you can manage stress and single parenting.

As for single dads, the problem that they usually face is how to keep in-tune with his child or children's feelings and emotional needs. This is the most usual cause of stress with a male doing the single parenting.

Of course, unlike a single mom, not all single dads want to work at home. They feel that this is not a very manly job. To psychologists, however, single dads doesn't have that much liberty to think this way.

Single parenting is totally different to regular parenting (a household with a mother and a father). A single parent must adjust to the usual activities expected of a 'regular' parent. So, a single dad must accept the fact that he can't be just like 'any other dad' and work his bottom from sunrise till night.

A single dad needs to be at the side of his children, like a mother. If he can't accept this fact, he cannot possibly manage stress and single parenting.

Effect of Single Parenting On A Child

2010-10-17T08:02:00.003-07:00

Effect of Single Parenting On A Child

In today’s generation, people are more liberated. And because of that, a lot of things are going on today that was never heard of before. Say for example, the concept of being a single parent. Single parents are scattered all over the world, so we can’t say that it is because of culture or economic status. Rich or poor, a lot of single parents are out there.

So is being a single parent bad? Some would say that they would prefer to be a single parent. Some would say that having a mom and a dad is still proper for a child. Some experts have pointed out some bad traits on children with single parents.

They say that having a single parent has certain effects on a child.

Of course, some effects are good but some are also bad. Since a lot of single parents are dealing with their children by themselves, it is important that you notice and discuss some good and bad effects of solo parenting.

Let us start on the good effects of being a single parent. As an effect of being a single parent, you will be very close to your child or children. You will be the only one they will look up to and you will have their undivided unconditional love. You will also be the only authority they will look up to.

You will be able to have all of their respect and love, making it easy for you to make rules and also for them to follow. In your family, there will be no pairing up or partnership between members. Your family will be very close and the single parent will be in full control.

Close family ties s the greatest effect a single parent can have on a child. The child and single parent will have a very good, if not best, and a very open relationship.

They will have a good communication line and no secrets will be kept from each other. They will share everything with each other that will lead to a harmonious relationship between parent and child.

So if you look at it, being a single parent will be great considering the fact that how good your relationship would be as parent and child. But being a single parent also has its flaws. The difference may have some not so good effects on your child.

Of course, a normal family consists of a mother, a father and the children. In the case of a single parent, a mother or a father is missing. Because of that, it is no longer normal. And as you know, the society looks down on anything that is not normal. The child might start feeling that he or she is different. And that may have some unwanted psychological effects on the child.

One example that might bring the child’s feeling down is when his or her peers start teasing him or her for having only one parent. He or she might start thinking that having one parent is bad and the child points out the blame to his or her parent. The child will have a gap with the parent that will be very hard to fill up.

Another problem that may arise as an effect of being a single parent on a child is his or her lack of either a father figure or a mother to care for him or her. The child might seek for someone that has never been there and it might be a cause for the child to be hard-headed.

The child might also get jealous seeing other kids with complete parents. The child may become disturbed because of that. The child might be looking for complete parents in some special occasions that usually require two parents like father’s day or mother’s day.

As a single parent, you have to answer all the financial needs of your family. So that means you have to work for you to feed them. You can’t really spend much time with your children so that you can have a good life. You will really have a hard time teaching them values because you are not always at home.

Always remember that it is not about being a single parent. It is about how you bring up your children and the time you spend with them. And also being how efficient you are as a parent, single or not.

The Plight of Single Parents

2010-10-17T06:49:00.000-07:00

The Plight of Single Parents

For the past 25 years, single parenthood has become more and more common in society. New set-ups are emerging aside from the traditional nuclear family.

Single parenthood is commonly brought about by three things: divorce, death of the spouse or teenage pregnancy. Cohabitation outside a matrimonial set-up is common but it changes not so much the real parental status as the statistics behind it.

The number of single parent families has doubled in the last two decades. US census estimates that 59 percent of children in America will live with a single parent at least once. There are about 12 million single parents in the United States. About 20 million or 28 percent of children under 18 live with a single parent. 84 percent of those who live with one parent live with their mother.

Families which are headed by women are more vulnerable. Women’s social position is still relatively weaker than that of men. Single mothers have to cope with existing gender-based limitations for gainful employment vis-à-vis a very demanding family life.

Although 53.3 percent of single mothers in the U.S. are in the labor force, 3.9 million or 28 percent of households with a female single parent are in poverty compared to just 5.5 percent of two-parent families.

This is because of the fact that the median family income for U.S. female single parents is $25,500 which is about half the average income of all families and less than half of the income of married-couple families. Adjusting for inflation, it is even less than the median family income of married-couple families in 1969 ($39,800).

In comparison, 13.3 percent of households run by male single parents are in poverty. This is much less than the rate for single mothers, but still more than twice the poverty rate for married-couple families.

There had been policy proposals for single parents to receive social benefits but these have been controversial. According to liberal individualist, if people choose to have children, they are responsible to look after them.

The collectivist position which dominates continental Europe holds that children are other people’s business as well. This position also believes that the interest of the children is far greater than any concerns about the morality of the parents.

Aside from these economic realities, single parents also have to face the reality that children who live with single parents or even with a parent and step-parent, experience disadvantages in terms of psychological functioning, behavioral problems, education, and health.

Children with single parents are one and a half times likely to drop out of school and work in their early teens and twenties than children who grew up with two parents. Children with single parents are also twice as likely to have a child before the age of 20 as those raised in two-parent family.

Many psychologists and child development workers argue however that these studies are oversimplified and outdated. Many factors are involved in the psychological development of a child raised in a single parent home. Cooperation between divorced parents and quality of attention given to the child are examples.

No child in a single parent family is by default doomed for a maladjusted life. Single parents must model self-respect and self-nurturance to the children and establish a support system for the family.

Many studies have shown that children with single parents tend to have poorer academic performance and receive less intellectual stimulation than children living with married parents.

However, studies in the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University indicate that having a support system like a grandparent in the home, appears to buffer some of these negative effects. Children who live with a single parent and a grandparent fare just as well academically as children living with married parents.

These findings contradict the idea that living with two married parents is the only situation in which children can thrive.

Facts About Single Parenting

2010-10-17T06:44:00.001-07:00

Some Facts About Single Parenting and Ways To Cope

Being a single parent is no easy task. It is like doing two jobs in one sitting. Single parenting requires you to be an understanding mother or a tough and a providing father all at the same time.

Stress and single parenting, therefore, works together, giving single mom and dad a terrible headache every single day.

Without the proper guide from self-help books, counsellors, group therapy, a single parent will deteriorate emotionally due to stress.

Here are some facts about single parenting in the US:

- There currently are more or less 11.9 million single parents in the country

- 84% of kids growing under a single parent live with their mothers

- Among all racial groups, the percentage of two-parent households has been drastically declining over the years

- Around 28% of American children aged 18 years old and below live with a single parent

- 85% of custodial parents are mothers and only about 15% are fathers

- 53.7% of custodial single parents work full time jobs, while 30% are temps

- Around 59% of single parents in custody of their children have some sort of child support agreements with the other parent

- The average household income for custodial parents is US$28,000

- Most single parent settings exist in metropolitan areas

If you are a single parent, you really need not fear. There are a lot ways you can obtain support, both financially and emotionally.

The US government offers financial support for single parents who have proven themselves unable to provide enough care for their children. The law acknowledges that single parents face responsibilities that are much more complicated than families with two parents, hence the provision for financial assistance.

This way, the government takes part in reducing the pressures and hardships single parents face every single day. Despite the absence of a partner, single parents are not alone in the challenging task of rearing their kids. The government is there and very much willing to help.

Internet sites like SingleParentsNetwork.com and SingleParentsMingle.com also provide venues for single parents to meet other single parents. They provide articles relevant to single parents' situations and fora for single parents to discuss challenges that face them and their children.

Counseling from professionals can also form or make up a support system that will make single parenting easier and more effective. Because single parenting is no ordinary parenting, the parent and the child must learn to accept the situation minus the negative feeling.

Nowadays, single parenting is becoming a normal occurrence. Society is not that judgmental anymore towards the single parent and the child. Probably, it can be because of the immunity due to the rising number of single parents. Anyway, it can be positive because at least, single parents choose to be productive.

Single Parenting, A New Type of Family

2010-10-17T06:43:00.001-07:00

Single Parenting, A New Type of Family

A family is said to be the foundation of the society. When you say a family, it must have a father, mother and their children. How About Single Parenting? In this modern age, single parenting is now acceptable in our society. Single parenting is the term we used for a person building a family or raising a child without marriage or without the present of husband or wife.

Anyone can be a single parent depending upon the relationship you established with your partner. Single parenting is sometimes caused by divorce. Single parents are very common to western countries where divorce is legal. If the court finds the marriage unsuitable and no hope for reconciliation between the couple, the court has no choice but to grant the divorce.

Single parenting can be also caused by the death of the partner. They said that life is too short and no one knows your death. Single parents who are widow usually had a hard time of accepting their faith. Single parenting caused by death underwent to some stages like anger, denial, depression, bargaining, and the last is acceptance. These stages are also common to divorce single parents.

Single parenting caused by adoption of a child are widely accepted these days. Most single man and women believed that singleness are their destiny but most them are only caused by their pursued career and disregard the idea of being married and having their own children until they reach maturity and become a good provider. Single men and woman opt to adopt to feel more complete.

Single parents who have adopted usually feel that their life is incomplete without a child and only realizes the needs of it when they already feel the loneliness of being alone and money cannot fill-up their desire to have their own family even without a husband or wife. They have realized that success is no meaning if there is no one you can share with it. Single adoptive parenting is ideal also for those who are sterile people who are sure enough that can give and share their life to the children who needs loving and caring.

Single parenting can also be caused by early pregnancy. These kinds of single parents are very common to teenagers, who become rebellious from their parents. They felt neglected by their parents not only of their needs but their love and attention that they expected from them. Because of this feeling of being neglected, teenagers learn to find and look for someone who can fulfills their needs for love and affection that commonly resulted of early pregnancies from their boyfriends.

Single parenting caused by early pregnancy is very difficult to manage because what we can expect from teenagers are immaturity, inconsideration and unpreparedness to face the future. Because of immaturity, relationship of teenagers towards their partner usually ends early.

Single parenting which is caused by early pregnancy are committed by teenagers who are adventurous. They want to know everything and anything under the sun even it is far beyond the limit and their age. Being adventurous of teenagers can be good if they gain knowledge and experience from what they do but it can also harm them without them knowing. Teenagers who are adventurous of sex and relationships may result to early pregnancy that leads often to single parenthood. They even have no courage to make a background check of their partner.

How Society can help Single Parents? Single parenting is never easy. It drains the body of every single parent, working like a dog at work, running a household, provide their children of all their needs from food, shelter, education and medicine and clothing. It also drains their mind by thinking for the betterment of their child from their spiritual, emotional, social, physical and mental behavior.

Single parenting can change the totality of a person. Single parents should have a different method in molding the character of their child for they are prone from bullies and criticism from other people. Single parents should learn how to deal and cope to the moods of their child especially the single adoptive parents. Children of single adoptive parents are characterized as doubtful and sometimes you need to show them your sincerity of having them in your life.

Single parenting needs understanding and encouragement from the society. To be able to do this, people should learn to accept single parents as equal from the common idea of family life. They should help to shower and nurture love to their children. They should be able to think better ways of how to lessen the burdens of single parent.

Few Truths Of Single Parenting

2010-10-17T06:37:00.000-07:00

Few Truths Of Single Parenting

Global way of living has changed significantly over the last twenty-five years. It has affected different aspects of our lifestyle – from the general way of thinking, education, finances, child and healthcare, even the way we manage our families. This fast-paced change has shaped the way we live our lives, including parenting.

Single parenting is defined as a parent (whether the wife, or the husband) doing the role of maintaining the nuclear family, as a result of death, divorce, separation, or personal choice.

This type of parenting is an additional arm of the traditional nuclear and extended family types that we have learned since childhood. Nuclear families consist of two parents, and children who are living in the same house.

Extended families, on the other hand, consists of two parents, children and aunts, uncles or grandparents living in the same house. Since the 80’s, the number of single parent families in the US have doubled.

The top three causes of single parenting are: death of a spouse, divorce and personal choice (unwed teenage mothers, choice of raising a family without a partner, etc). These causes have a significant effect on the family’s way of life, and require major adjustments to the entire family emotionally. Feelings of resentment, guilt and despair are typical of the spouse who is left behind.

Grief is the most often feeling felt by the individual left behind. This can lead to depression, losing control of one’s own life. More adverse effects of grief leads to drug and alcohol addiction, and even death.

Studies have defined the 5 Steps of Grief:

1) Denial – This stage comprises of feelings of guilt and denial. The feeling of “he is just away, and will come back” are the usual reactions to this stage.

2) Anger – This stage comprises of extreme anger towards the person who left or died.

3) Bargaining – This stage comprises of negotiating with God, if the partner has died, or negotiating with the partner regarding changing what went wrong in the relationship.

4) Depression – This stage comprises of the near-realization that the situation will not change. This is where the acknowledgement of what happened starts.

5) Acceptance – This stage is the acknowledgement and acceptance of the grief, and letting go of the feelings of despair.

The effects of single parenting are usually felt not just by the spouse left behind, but to the entire family as well, particularly children. Studies have shown that children have felt betrayed, taken advantaged of, and felt inadequate as a result of parent separations.

To combat the grief brought about by single parenting, the following tips have been suggested:

1) Accepting responsibilities – Being a single parent means maximizing all resources to take care of the family. This means looking for all possible, even creative solutions to solve a problem. One should not spend time blaming others for what happened, but instead, look for ways in addressing the problem.

An example is looking for alternative ways to find transportation for a child’s first day of school. Instead of screaming and whining, the parent should look for alternatives – looking for relatives who can drop off the child or working around the parent’s schedule to drop off the child to school.

2) Family as the first choice – Successful single parent families have made their family as the top priority. These means determining non-negotiables and balancing commitments. Single parents usually forego career changing decisions for the family.

3) Communication – The parent and the child need to establish open communication between the two of them, to know what the wants and needs of each other, and to fulfill these wants and needs. Communication is the key to an open relationship. Clear communication channels foster an open relationship between the parent and the child.

4) Taking care of yourself – If the parent does not take control of his/her life, he cannot take control of his/her child’s life. One should take care of himself/herself physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Taking care of onself ensures a positive environment of hope and love in the family.

5) Establish routine – Routines before the divorce or death should be kept, because this is the child’s only anchor that things have not drastically changed. Walks on the park, reading bed times stories, or the usual Christmas dinner should be continued even after the death or divorce.

All About Single Parents

2010-10-17T06:21:00.000-07:00

All About Single Parents

The Wikipedia Web site defines single parents are parents without partners in raising a child or children. A single parent, accordingly is one parent who is not living with the child’s or children’s other significant parent,

Definitions and descriptions of single parents vary and differ from one society or country to another society or nation. Different cultures also foster different treatment and classification for single parents.

In one country, however, single parents are treated differently according to geographic locations. For example, single parents in the industrial and commercial cities are treated differently and are provided with different perks as compared to those single parents who are based in provinces or the rural areas.

Single parenthood is becoming a very popular style of living nowadays. However, not all societies are readily prepared to accept and treat the trend or concept as a rising trend or norm.

The technical definition of single parents

Single parents are either left alone or abandoned by the other significant parent or their partners. The abandonment involved may come in different occasions and forms.

Single parents are usually abandoned by their respective partners after divorce, after separation (both legal and in principle), after the other parent is jailed, after practical abandonment or after the other parent dies.

Single parents, in more rare cases, do not really have to be the child or children’s biological parents. Yes, blood and DNS affinity may not be the only basis on parenthood.

This also applies to single parents. Single parenthood really is a choice, especially if the child is not really biologically from the single moo or single dad. What a noble situation if that happens!

Single parents, according to recent studies, also become such through different means. Single parents have or attain their children by legal or in-principle adoption or by bearing the child through artificial insemination or surrogate parenting.

Single parenthood, therefore, is a choice. Single parents practically choose to be such. You know how hard it is to raise children nowadays. Financially, physically, emotionally and mentally, single parenthood can really be draining.

In other countries, especially those characterized by strict and old-fashioned norms or cultures, single parents are still considered outcasts. That is because during those rare cases, single parents are treated like they have done unforgivable mistakes or misgivings.

The rising trend of single parents

A recent commissioned study or research in the United States alone reveals that about three children in every ten children on a nationwide average live in homes run by single parents.

The most common and prevalent type of single parents are those situations where there is the single mom. It should also be noted, however, that the other type of single parenthood, those with the father acting as both the mom and the dad of the child is also rapidly increasing.

The father as the single parent is the common single parenthood setting in the Islamic countries. That is because the governments of these nations still do not recognize the value and the ability of women, particularly moms to raise children or even carry on such great responsibilities.

The 2002 Census report in the United States show that there were only 15% of custodial parenthoods, whose single parent carrying on the responsibility of raising the child is the father. For comparison, that figure has risen by 10% over the past ten years.

It means, in the 1990s, it was very rare that single dads carry on the responsibility of solely raising the child. Tides have turned since then, apparently. Single dads are now becoming a popular notion, concept or situation in the modern society.

Single parenthood

Indeed, you must not be too judgmental against single parents, especially in these times. It is because the trend and concept of single parenthood is becoming not uncommon to almost all societies around the world.

Gone were the days when children raised by single parents were called bastards and were teased ceaselessly in school. The legislative sector now has instituted laws to protect children of single parents.

Single parenthood is becoming too popular and common that it is now an accepted situation and occurrence. Commend and congratulate single parents. The choice they have made for their lives are truly courageous.