The 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.

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.

Are you looking for a single parent guide written by an author who understand and shares your experience? Are you a single mother by choice? Are you looking for single mother assistance or single mother help? Would you like to learn about single motherhood? Does it seem difficult being a single parent in general? If you are able to answer yes to any of the above questions regarding single parenthood then "A Single Mother, A Few Perspectives...And anyone else that is a Single Parent" is the book for you. This incredible self-help book uses valuable strategies to assist single parents in maximizing their time, energy, and resources so they can make the most of their lives for themselves and their children. An excellent parent education manual!

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.

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.

When was the last time someone offered you truly thoughtful, good advice and not just his or her own two cents? When was the last time someone has offered to give you a break from your kids? Are you stuck in a situation that you can't seem to get out of and need help trying? The Complete Guide to Understanding the Single Parent is not only for you; it's for anyone who is or knows a single parent. This complete guide provides the helpful advice, encouragement, and support you need to: bull; Find time to relax before you lose your mind. bull; Learn how not to lose your mind. bull; Brush that heap of judgment off your shoulder. bull; Get out of debt. bull; And generally learn that you're not alone in your struggles! Understanding the single parent is easy, once you've been there. Go there with author Nikki Covington-from one single parent to another. Take your life to the next level!

Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC licence. This book presents evidence from over 40 countries that shows how single parents face a triple bind of inadequate resources, employment and policies, which in combination further complicate their lives.

With supportive advice on how to cope with the problems of raising a child alone, this warm, friendly book also stresses that the single parent should not neglect his or her own needs. From the author of How to Parent and How to Discipline with Love.