Challenges in Single-Parented Families

The number of single-parent, also known as one-parent, families has substantially increased over time with leading causes being divorce and unplanned sexual intercourse. The single parents heading these families, together with their children face several struggles in their daily lives and the most evident one is that they have to try and make ends meet financially. It is practically difficult for such families as they usually have to survive on only one income, compared to other families with two parents working providing double income. 

The other challenge that affective psychologically and traumatizing at times occurs when the single parenthood results from a divorce or separation of previously united partners. In this case, the single parent is faced with the challenge of developing a friendly relationship with the other parent. Being friendly after a disagreement that leads to divorce or separation is obviously almost difficult and a can be a challenge in itself. It also is traumatizing for the children as they have to learn how to accept and live with fact that they are losing one parent. Some of the issues that present challenges to single parents and their children due to divorce and separation comprise of visitation, collecting child support, joint custody of children, even power struggles. This gets distracting to them and results in deteriorated performance in a lot of aspect, especially if they are too young to decipher why it has to be that way.

Having to do everything by themselves is, probably, the most difficult thing that a single parent can struggle with when there is no one else to help them getting it done. In acceptance of the situation, a single parent quickly learns that if something has to be done, they are the one that have to do it. Raising a child and shaping their behavior is one of the things that require input from both parents yet they have to deal with it by themselves. Whatever comes out the child’s behavior will be the single parent’s sole responsibility. Varied researches have found that children in single-parented homes generally fare worse than those in homes with two parents. This is because children with single parents many the children are at risk for certain psychological and developmental problems. For instance, they are more vulnerable undesired peer behaviors and are more likely to drop out of school. The thought of the possibility of such things is enough to challenge the single parent in their skills and ability to parent the child or children to moral maturity. The ability to deal with such mental stress, which are also challenges, is a special challenge the single parents face as well as their children. However, it is important to note that the source of these special challenges and resultant child behavior problems is not necessarily single-parenthood itself. It is rather a combination of economic pressures, family instability, overwhelming responsibility for the single parent and conflicts between parents.

-Pancras Odhiambo-