Single Parents And Their Children

Nonwhite and white, rich and poor, born to an unwed mother or weathering divorce, over half of all children in the current generation will live in a single-parent family--and these children simply will not fare as well as their peers who live with both parents. This is the clear and urgent message of this powerful book. Based on four national surveys and drawing on more than a decade of research, Growing Up with a Single Parent sharply demonstrates the connection between family structure and a child's prospects for success. What are the chances that the child of a single parent will graduate from high school, go on to college, find and keep a job? Will she become a teenage mother? Will he be out of school and out of work? These are the questions the authors pursue across the spectrum of race, gender, and class. Children whose parents live apart, the authors find, are twice as likely to drop out of high school as those in two-parent families, one and a half times as likely to be idle in young adulthood, twice as likely to become single parents themselves. This study shows how divorce--particularly an attendant drop in income, parental involvement, and access to community resources--diminishes children's chances for well-being. The authors provide answers to other practical questions that many single parents may ask: Does the gender of the child or the custodial parent affect these outcomes? Does having a stepparent, a grandmother, or a nonmarital partner in the household help or hurt? Do children who stay in the same community after divorce fare better? Their data reveal that some of the advantages often associated with being white are really a function of family structure, and that some of the advantages associated with having educated parents evaporate when those parents separate. In a concluding chapter, McLanahan and Sandefur offer clear recommendations for rethinking our current policies. Single parents are here to stay, and their worsening situation is tearing at the fabric of our society. It is imperative, the authors show, that we shift more of the costs of raising children from mothers to fathers and from parents to society at large. Likewise, we must develop universal assistance programs that benefit low-income two-parent families as well as single mothers. Startling in its findings and trenchant in its analysis, Growing Up with a Single Parent will serve to inform both the personal decisions and governmental policies that affect our children's--and our nation's--future.

This book is about the stigima imposed on Single Parents as the results of a few Single Parents who have fallen down and refused to get up. It is the author's intent to ignite discussion and ideas on how we as a people can reach back and help one single parent or the child of a single parent to become all he or she can be towards attaining the Ameican Dream. I hope you enjoy these "food for thought" and join me in my mission of changing the life of a child or a single parent.

One in three American households with children under the age of 18 is now headed by a single parent. Kennedy (formerly of Sesame Street magazine) and King (of Working Parents) offer advice on a wide range of issues, from the importance of making time for yourself to the practical details of household management.

Anyone who has a child knows that parenting is one of the hardest jobs there is. Today's parent faces more struggles and pressures than ever before and more and more households are single parent households, which make this already tough job even more of a challenge. The Smart & Easy Guide to Single Parenting provides an honest assessment of the societal changes in family structure, the unique challenges that face single parents, as well as how to better manage those challenges and reduce the stresses of raising a child on one's own. At the outset, the guide discusses the changing definition that the term "single parent" has seen over time. What follows is the evolution of the increasing inclusiveness of the term. At one point in time, a single parent was one who's partner had left them or died, consequently leaving them to manage the child rearing and provision of financial security on their own. This definition has expanded and now includes the following populations: Divorced parents Widows or widowers Parents who's spouses are overseas or otherwise not in the home for military service or work Young or unwed mothers Surrogates or single foster or adoptive parents The guide also describes how the concept of the family has evolved over time. For many. many years, it was more common than not for extended families to live together. This meant multiple generations under one roof. Parents, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins living together was not at all out of the ordinary. Over time, this began to change and the nuclear family became the norm. The nuclear family is what is often viewed as the "traditional family," with father, mother and children all living under the same roof. While to many, this is still the ideal situation, more and more parents are finding themselves having to manage child rearing on their own, as single parents. The Smart & Easy Guide to Single Parenting discusses the risk factors that are often inherent for single parents and their children. Both single parents AND their children are at greater risk for certain issues as a result of the added stress that managing this burden alone have on people's lives. For the child, risk factors of being raised by a single parent include: Risk of neglect or abuse Risk of poverty Risk of poor diet and health Lack of role models or consistent authority figures Reduced academic abilities For the single parent, risk factors include: Excessive stress Financial strain Poor health and diet Increased change of chemical dependency Lack of interpersonal relationships Effective Strategies of Single Parents While the guide does touch on the many risk factors and difficulties that single parents and their children face, it does not, by any means, provide a grim outlook for all single parents and their children. The guide provides a wealth of realistic, relatable advice that can help the single parent. Since financial security is one of the biggest problems facing single parents, the guide places a good deal of emphasis on getting one's finances under control and creating a realistic budget. For some, there are many aspects of their finances that can be downsized for easier management. Time is the other key problem facing most single parents. The guide provides a number of key tips for better time management, so as to allow the single parent to reduce their stress without faltering on their obligations as a parent and breadwinner. While parenting is never easy, being a single parent can be an incredibly daunting challenge. In The Smart & Easy Guide to Single Parenting, we are shown how the concept of the family has evolved and how a single parent is defined. The guide also touches on the unique challenges facing both the single parent and their child. The guide also gives down-to-earth advice on how single parents can reduce their stress and make their situation as manageable as possible.

Single Parents offers an overview of this growing phenomenon, the problems faced by single-parent families, and their impact on society. Topics include men and women as single parents, single-mother families and poverty, the legal system and single parents, gay and lesbian parents, moral issues, and the effects of growing up in a single-parent family. The experiences of single parents in other countries are also discussed. This volume lists numerous resources, among them federal government programs; state statutes concerning child custody and adoption; private and public organizations; a guide to literature, films and videos; and information on the Internet.

Maybe you've heard the statistics about children growing up in single-parent families. According to a lot of the research, these kids are more likely to struggle in school, have difficulties with the law, and deal with drug and alcohol abuse-along with other problems. But does growing up with a single parent have to mean these things will happen? Are these children going to lead worse lives than those with two parents? This book tells the stories of several single-parent families, their struggles, and the things they have learned from their situations. These families are not concerned with the statistics, but with making their families and themselves the best they can be.

A Positive, Proven Approach to Single Parenting! As a single parent in our complex world, you face the challenge of doing alone a job that was meant for two people. In addition, self-doubt and guilt may dampen the joy you experience raising your child. What do you do? Over the years, millions of parents just like you have come to trust Jane Nelsen's classic POSITIVE DISCIPLINE series for its consistant, commonsense approach to child rearing. In this completely revised and updated edition of Positive Discipline for Single Parents you'll learn how to succeed as a single parent in the most important job of your life: raising a child who is responsible, respectful, and resourceful. Inside this reassuring book, you'll discover how to: ·Identify potential problems and develop skills to prevent them ·Budget time each week for family activities ·Create a respectful coparenting relationship with your former spouse ·Use nonpunitive methods to help your children make wise decisions about their behavior ·And much, much more! "Provides very important information for single parents, especially in today's violent society. Used as a resource, it can help parents deal with discipline issues in a positive way and in turn help their children become responsible citizens."—Judye Foy, international vice president, Community Relations, Parents Without Partners "Another great resource for both single parents and therapists . . . practical and enjoyable to read. A must for your parenting library."—Stephen Sprinkel, marriage and family therapist

Here is a comprehensive source of vital information on single parent families in contemporary society. This book analyzes literature and empirical research concerning single parent families and explores issues and challenges they face. Contributing authors from many fields and perspectives examine a broad range of subjects relating to families in which one person is primarily responsible for parenting. The only state-of-the-art compendium on the topic of single parent families available today, the book synthesizes empirical, theoretical, and contemporary literature about the diversity, myths, and realities of single parent families in western countries. Each chapter contains a demographic overview, definitions, a literature review, and implications for practice, research, education, and social policy. Theoretical and conceptual perspectives related to parenting and wider families are included. An analysis, synthesis, and commentary on single parent families concludes the volume. Themes highlighted throughout the book include socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of single parent families, cultural and ethnic features, and legal and ethical components. Some chapter topics include: single parenthood following divorce single parenthood following death of a spouse never married teen mothers and fathers female-headed homeless families adoptions by single parents noncustodial mothers and fathers grandparents as primary parents single parents of children with disabilities Single Parent Families contains additional resources useful for family professionals: an annotated bibliography, a video/filmography, and a national community resource list. The book is intended for a multidisciplinary audience, including sociologists, psychologists, health care professionals, social workers, therapists, and other researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and educators. An ideal primary or reference text for undergraduate and graduate level programs, the book can also serve as a tool for staff development and continuing education in service agencies.