How Single Parents Affect Children's Lifestyle

Consistently spending time with children strengthens the parent/child bond.

Poverty, absent parents and responsibility are factors that influence how single parents affect their child's lifestyle. Absent parents who don't pay child support will affect both the financial and emotional needs of their children by forcing the custodial parent to compensate. Children living without emotional and financial support from both parents may prematurely assume adult responsibilities. Parents' dating habits will also affect the parent/child bond and a child's overall sense of security and well-being.

Absent Parent

Unless both parents retain joint custody and the child spends sufficient time with each parent, the risk of becoming detached from the noncustodial parent increases. The nonresident parent doesn't live with the child and isn't involved in the child's day-to-day life activities. The U.S. Bureau of Census's Survey of Income and Program Participation results show that 16 percent of nonresident mothers and 32 percent of nonresident fathers had not seen their child in the previous 12 months. Children detached from one or both parents may suffer from low self-esteem, aggression, conduct problems, delinquency, drug and alcohol abuse, depression, emotional instability, anxiety and social withdrawal.

Poverty

According to the U.S. Census, the poverty rate for children in married households is 6.4 percent, compared to 36.5 percent for children living in single-family households. Poverty affects a child's ability to learn. Children raised in poverty are vulnerable to social, emotional and behavioral issues and may suffer from poor physical and mental health. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, "poverty is the single greatest threat to children's well-being." Single parents struggling to provide essentials are not able to afford nonessential items, such as toys, video gaming units and cell phones. Although these items are nonessential, not having the resources that other children in a child's peer group have will affect his lifestyle.

Responsibilities

Single parents must assume all responsibilities within the household. Children of single parents may grow accustomed to taking-on responsibilities that would normally fall upon another adult in the household. Children who are not developmentally ready to provide physical and emotional support to a parent may suffer from feelings of inadequacy and failure. Assuming too many adult responsibilities at a young age may restrict a child's ability to enjoy a happy unencumbered childhood. Other single parents may inadvertently create a home environment that is unstructured due to lack of limits and by not enforcing rules. Unless a single parent clearly establishes the roles and boundaries between parent and child, a single parenting may affect a child's lifestyle by either exposing her to too much adult responsibilities or granting her too much freedom and independence.

Dating

Children are very susceptible to lifestyle changes in their daily environment. Children from a recently separated or divorced household may be extremely sensitive to their parent's new dating activities. Introducing an outside adult triggers their feelings of loyalty to the other parent. They may become jealous of the new adult and their behavior may change, for instance, demanding extra attention in the presence of the new person. Young children may fear that the new adult will replace them and that their parent doesn't want to spend time with them anymore.

References

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Non-Custodial Parents' Participation in Their Children's Lives
• Parent Help: Responsible Co-Parenting
• The Heritage Foundation: Marriage: America's Greatest Weapon Against Child Poverty; Robert Rector; September 16, 2010
• National Center for Children in Poverty: Child Poverty
• National Association of School Psychologists: Divorce: A Parent's Guide for Supporting Children; John E. Desrochers, PhD, ABPP; 2004
• University of New Hampshire: Single Parenting: Dating Issues When You Have Children