Positive Effects of Single-Parent Families

Coming from a single-parent household can have positive effect on children but it depends on factors including personality types and parenting techniques. Cornell did a study that found positive single parenting did not show negative impacts on the social and educational development on the 12-and-13 year old participants. Children raised in single-parent families may exhibit strong responsibility skills because they often have to help out more with chores and tasks at home. Older children usually have a greater responsibility with helping out with their younger siblings than the ones in two parent households. They may also form close bonds with their parent and siblings because they are so closely dependent on each other as the kids are growing up. Relatives and family members who are helping to raise the children also form strong bonds with them so the kids get that support and love from an extended family.

Having a single-parent family does not always mean that children do not have contact or support from the other parent. Parents who are divorced but are both involved in their children’s lives can have a positive effect on kids. Knox found that children with single mothers who have contact and emotional support from their fathers tend to do better in school than children who have no contact with their fathers. Fathers who provide child support to the mothers reduce the financial stress that single-parents without child support have. Data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth found that for every $100 of child support mothers receive, their children's standardized test scores increase by 1/8 to 7/10 of a point.

Having the love and support from both parents regardless of whether or not they live together is important to children as it influences their academic achievement and emotional health in positive ways.

Sources:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/83670-effects-single-parent-home-childs/
http://www.barbdigi.com/

Negative Effects of Single-Parent Households

Coming from a disintegrated family can have a huge effect on the children involved. It can even affect the future of the child. Children that grow up in a single-parent household are more likely to have low academic scores. They usually have more problems at home than kids with both parents that keep them from focusing at school. They are also more likely to act violent towards others, to engage in sexual activities at an earlier age, and to experiment with drugs. One reason why this may happen is because single-parent households tend to have a lower income and have to work more. As a result, they don’t have as much time to spend with their children.

Living with financial problems is stressful and can have many emotional effects on children, including low self-esteem, increased anger and frustration, and an increased risk for violent behavior. Other emotional effects of growing up in a single-parent home may include feelings of abandonment, sadness, loneliness, and difficulty socializing and connecting with others.

Another risk these kids face is abuse. In a study of 156 victims of child sexual abuse, researchers found that the majority of the children came from disrupted or single-parent homes. Only 31% of the children lived with both biological parents. Single mothers commit 49% of all child abuse cases. Kids from single-parent families are at a greater risk for teen pregnancies, drug and alcohol abuse, high school drop outs, divorce, and for repeating the cycle of abuse they faced.

Sources:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/83670-effects-single-parent-home-childs/
http://www.photius.com/feminocracy/facts_on_fatherless_kids.html
http://www.clipartof.com/portfolio/toonaday/school-kids/2

The Rise of Single Mothers

The American family is undergoing drastic changes. Forty-one percent of children are now born out of wedlock. The old idea of "married with children" is becoming just that--an old idea. For some American demographics, seeing a two parent household is now a rarity. For others, seeing a single parent household--especially single mother--no longer holds any of the social stigma it once did. Many believe this not a problem. Some, in fact, believe it to be progress. I believe it to be a grave portent. One that will not only impede American progress but threaten American prosperity.

The rise of single parent households has varied greatly by ethnicity. Asians have the strongest percentage at 17%. While Caucasian single parents have risen considerably, they are still relatively low at 29%. It is Hispanics and African Americans--Especially African Americans--who are suffering the most. Fifty-Three percent of Hispanic families have a single parent while 72% of African Americans do. Illegitimacy begets illegitimacy. These numbers are likely to go up before they go down.

Children born out of wedlock to any race are more likely to do poorly in school. They are also more likely to use drugs and go to prison. As stated above, once they, themselves, have children, they are more likely to have those children out of wedlock. In general, kids who grow up in single parent households are much more prone to be poor adults compared to those raised in a two-parent household.

There are many reasons for the increase in single-parent households. The ease with which people can get a divorce is likely a contributing factor. Some men believe marriage has become a losing proposition. For women, the feminist movement has encouraged them to become financially independent, a huge contributing factor to allowing them to raise their children without a father in the household.

But perhaps the biggest reason for the rise in illegitimacy (especially in the African-American community) has been the role the government has played in supporting single mothers since the 1960's. Many African-American mothers will actually refuse to marry the father of their child as that would then remove her from receiving government benefits. By replacing the father figure in the black household, the federal government has all but assured rampant illegitimacy within that population.

In my opinion, children need both a mother and a father. Both parents have an integral role in the development of healthy adults. The family unit needs to stay intact for America to continue on its path of prosperity and progress. This can be encouraged with further tax breaks for married couples along with austerity measures for government benefits to single parents. Originally meant to protect widows, government benefits to single parents have increased to historic levels. With illegitimacy numbers the way they are, I fear we will soon see a wave of crime and depravity that will rival any in American history.

Works Cited

Associated Press, "Unwed Birthrate Reaches All-Time High In U.S."

Http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29754561/ns/health-womens_health/t/unwed-birth-rate-reaches-all-time-high-us/

Equality versus Extinction.

The U.S. birth rate is in serious decline. In order to maintain a society, a birth rate of 2.11 children per woman is required. By ethnicity, the lowest birth rate is Caucasians with 1.83. Asians are just slightly higher with 1.84. African-Americans are maintaining the bare minimum of 2.11 and Hispanics are the only group with a healthy birth rate of 2.91. Based on these rates, Caucasians will be a minority in the United States by 2050. By that point, Hispanics will be the majority. This will be an historic event as the founding stock of the most powerful nation on earth will be a minority within its own borders.

So what are the reasons for this? They are many and varied. One interesting fact is that no population in which there is substantial equality for women is maintaining a sustainable birth rate. Where women have no rights, they have children when they don't want to. Transversely, where women have equal rights, they choose not to have as many children. This presents a bitter choice for westernized nations: extinction or equality.

I point to three different factors which have all combined to push the once-robust American birth rate to record lows. First and most obvious: the development of the birth control pill in the 1950's. Ortho-Novum has given women control over their reproductive destiny. Second: the rise of feminism. Feminism has told several generations of women that having a family isn't what should define them. Not only are women having less children today but they are choosing to have children much later in life. When women choose a career in their 20's and children in their 30's, they are greatly reducing the total amount of children they will have. Third: the lifting of the ban on Abortion. Gone are the days when an unwanted pregnancy meant the inevitable birth of a child.

So what role do men play in all of this? A woman's decision to bare children is just that, a woman's. The reproductive rights of women in westernized nations dictate that the birth rate is ultimately their responsibility. Still, men can certainly influence a rise in birth rates by being more receptive to the act of fatherhood. Many, many women receive abortions because the man has long since left and they do not wish to raise a child alone.

As a man, I can not attempt to say what women should do with unwanted pregnancies. I can only hope that motherhood, fatherhood and the American family unit is encouraged to flourish like it once was. That aspect of American society--more than any other in my opinion--is what has allowed this country to rise to dominance.

Works cited

Kent, Mary "US fertility in decline" Population reference Bureau http://www.prb.org/Articles/2011/us-fertility-decline.aspx

Central Intelligence Agency World Fact Book. Country Comparison of Total Fertility Rates. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2127rank.html

War Created Us

We humans have been waging war upon each other for well over a millennium. Some countries do it for resources and control. Some in the name of religion and others for independence. And still others go to war for less than honorable reasons such as politics and even worse, ethnic cleansing. Regardless of the reasons and whether or not we agree with those reasons; any family, no matter what part of the world they hail from, is affected by war.

There are millions of families who have had a mother and or father serve in the military. Specifically in World War II, hundreds of thousands American service men and women lost their lives. I can only imagine that an equivalent number of children became orphans as result of their parents sacrifice. Sharon Estill Taylor, from the Department of Women's Studies, St. Martins University, is a war orphaned child. According to Sharon, "
As an American World War II war orphan, left fatherless with a young
grieving mother before I was a month old, my life has been shaped by this
loss, which was never explained to me or to those like me whose fathers
were killed in the Second World War. I have worked my way through what
I consider lifelong yearning rather than grief for a father I never knew but
whom I missed for ‘‘what might have been.’’" (Sharon Estill Taylor). I can only imagine what growing up without a father would be like. And yet a current generation is already experiencing this kind of life. September 11, 2001, produced many such children. Many of their parents were just civilians. I say "just" only to emphasize the significance of their death. Whether or not they wore uniforms and carried weapons, by no means diminishes their sacrifice. They are the gone, but not forgotten heroes in our lives.

Works cited

Taylor, Sharon Estill. "The Childhood Experience Of Being A War Orphan: A Study Of The Effects Of Father Loss On Women Whose Fathers Were Killed In World War II." Journal Of Loss & Trauma 15.3 (2010): 228-241. Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. Web. 2 Dec. 2011.

Aarons, Slim. Getty Images

<www.life.com/gallery/23020/image/ugc1085871/wwii-children-of-war#index/7>

Gangs and the Single Parent Household

Why do children from traditional, close knit, conservative homes seem to do better in this game of life? Coincidence? I am of the belief that one of the most important crutches of a balanced upbringing is that of the mother and father being present in a person’s life from birth to adulthood one cannot truly understand what it takes to raise a family unless it is taught. Of course, there are exceptions, but the statistics show that you are at a disadvantage when you come from a broken home

                Many people ignore the aspect of guidance with the absence of a father. Who will a young boy turn to for guidance with little or no male presence? The answer in many urban areas is: Gangs. Many gangs seem to target young males without the father present in the home. Gang violence accounted for more than 8 percent of all violent crime in the City of Dallas in 1996. (Bureau of Justice Statistics; Miethe and McCorkle 2002; Fritsch, Caeti, and Taylor 2003). Can anyone really argue the relation of the broken home and gang members? Personally I have never met a person from a joint parent household who has participated in gang activity.

                If we were to all go back to the traditional values of America and raise our children the correct way, gangs and gang violence would be minimal. Of course this is post is mostly opinion and rhetoric based, but few would be able to create a solid argument could that hold water against mine.

When Family and the Economy Mix

The economy is a very fical creature. It can change from day to day, even from minute to minute. In fact I liken it to a husband, under the direction from his wife, arranging furniture in a new home. Even when the furniture is in place, at some point it will be rearranged again. A variety of things can cause these changes in our economy like turmoil in foreign countries, world politics, and basic supply and demand. Unfortunately these changes are not always good and the effects hit individuals and families alike.

What are some negative effects of a bad economy? Job loss is almost a given, resulting in unpaid bills, medical coverage floundering, and keeping food on the table a constant worry. And it doesn't stop with that. This is when the threat of foreclosure begins to raise its ugly head. According to an article in BusinessWeek, foreclosures are increasing "with 1 million residences having fallen into foreclosure since 2006, and an additional 5.9 million expected over the next four years". (Grow, Brian, Keith Epstein, and Robert Berner). Some families are able to stay strong working through adversity. Others do not have the will power to push forward no matter the odds. Every problem magnified to the tenth power. The emotional and financial stress weighing them down like a millstone strapped to their backs. And then finally one day, whether it be through divorce or a parent leaving without a single word, the family is torn apart. The result is not always the same, nevertheless a family has been broken and the choices that were made have been set into motion.

Works Cited
Grow, Brian, Keith Epstein, and Robert Berner. "The Home Foreclosure Fiasco". (Cover Story). "Business week 4120 (2009): 34-40. Business Source Complete. Web. 26 Nov. 2011