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The Rise Of Single Mother Families
from: Kyle BesserThe stigma attached to being a single mother is rising anew. Many blame the upward trend in violence and other social problems on the breakdown of the traditional family. This stigma is based partially on myths, half truths and stereotypes that have often been promoted by prejudiced viewpoints.
However, many believe these myths, half truths and stereotypes can be confronted successfully and new strength can be found in the truth. As with so many single mothers social aspects, most single mothers rise to the challenge and become better people because of it.
The myths, half truths and stereotypes are sometimes subtle and subconscious. The more we examine them, the more clearly we can take responsibility for our lives and the lives of our children.
Our cultural mythology has it that single mothers are an aberration and not the norm. Single mothers often feel isolated, alone and different.
In the past 30 years, the number of single parent families in America has more than doubled. According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, 59% of American children will live in a single parent home at least once during their minor years. That is a majority of children.
Over 16 million children currently live in single parent families in America. More and more of these single parent families in America can be defined as "binuclear" families, with both parents actively involved in parenting and creating two separate homes for their children. Divorce and remarriage, rather than being the exception or aberration, are more and more common in single parent families in US today.
Over the past 30 years, the number of single parent families in US has increased dramatically. Single mother families increased from 3 million in 1970 to 10 million in 2000, while the number of single father families grew from 393,000 to 2 million according to the U.S. Bureau of the Census 2000.
Single parents are not a homogeneous group. Single parents come from all social classes, all racial and ethnic groups, and all age groups. However, single female headed households tend to experience more financial burdens than single male headed households.
According to the 2000 Census, one parent families maintained by single mothers were more likely than those maintained by single fathers to have family incomes below the poverty level (34% compared to 16%). In addition, of the 12 million one parent families, the 10 million maintained by single mothers were more likely to include more than one child than the 2 million families maintained by single fathers (46% compared to 36%).
Single mother families encounter a number of stressful challenges. Single mothers social aspects involve income inadequacy which places single mothers at extremely high risk for anxiety, depression, and other health problems. Lack of essential resources and support can also lead to negative parenting behaviors which too often result in adverse outcomes for their children.
Overwhelmed single mothers can be uncommunicative, unsupportive, and punitive to their children. The single mothers social aspects and single mothers psychological aspects can be great. Being a single mother in today's society can be an overwhelming and stressful challenge. Every day the single mother is faced with raising children, financially supporting a household on her own, balancing work and home responsibilities, and trying to find supportive social networks.
Single mothers need useful information to assist them with the complexities encountered in single mothers social aspects and single mothers psychological aspects.
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