Challenges for Single Parents
Single parenting can be a challenge for the parent who must assume the role of the missing partner, without typically the same income or lifestyle that the family had previously been accustomed to. The single parent must be able to provide food, clothing and other living necessities, while being able to pay rent, keep a job or locate employment. In addition, finding suitable and affordable childcare for a preschool or elementary school-age child and collect current or back-child support from the ex-spouse can sometimes be daunting.
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Psychological Effect On Children
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Divorce can have many negative effects on children. Single parents must be aware of these effects, as well as be able to understand them. For instance, young boys appear to be more dramatically affected by divorce than girls. The psychological effect can take the form of a higher rate of school absenteeism, drop outs, delinquent activity and alcohol and drug addiction. For girls, the psychological harm takes the form of having a greater risk of becoming single mothers. Children raised in single-mother homes are likely to experience more health-related problems due to a decline in their living standard, and possible lack of health insurance, according to the website Marriage and Family Encyclopedia.
Childcare Affordability
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Affordable quality childcare can be a severe scenario for a single parent to deal with. This is largely the result of either the lack of money available in the single-parent household due to low wages, or the lack of timely child-support checks from the former spouse. For example, in 2009, the median weekly earnings for single mothers working full-time earned $546 a week on average as compared to $705 married mothers earned per week, according to the website Legal Momentum. Single mothers also have a higher rate of joblessness that threatens the economic security of the single-parent household.
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Affordable Housing
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Single mothers can find it increasingly difficult to create a stable housing environment for the family. The parent is usually at least one or two late child support checks away from eviction. This unsettling dilemma means possibly moving several times in a year, lost school records and frequent stays in homeless shelters. The federal government does provide single mothers some housing relief through the U.S. Department of Housing Development's Housing Choice Voucher Program. The program, typically referred to as Section 8 voucher, will allow a low income single parent to rent or purchase affordable privately owned rental housing. and they are not limited to housing located in subsidized housing projects.
Make Joint Custody Work
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A sometimes difficult challenge for a single-parent is to submerge personal feelings of hostility and discomfort in order to cooperate with the ex-spouse on child rearing. Focus on your child's need and do not place the child in the middle, or have your child deliver personal messages to your ex. Instead, send an email or call yourself. Your child's need to see both parent can manage to be positive. Therefore, avoid saying negative things about your ex in front of your child. Also, don't force the child to choose between you and the other parent. Maintaining your child's happiness and emotional stability will create a more balanced future for the child.
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References
- Marriage and Family Encyclopedia: Single-Parent Families - The Effects On Children
- Health of Children: Single Parent Families
- Encyclopedia: Single Parent Families
- Help Guide: Co-parenting with Your Ex and Making Joint Custody Work
- Single Moms: Rent Housing Assistance For Single Mothers
- Legal Momentum: Falling Further Down
Resources
- Photo Credit young mother image by Galina Barskaya from Fotolia.com
