Tanya Essay

LaTanya Williams English 111
Single Parent Struggle

For many years, children growing up in a single parent family have been viewed as different. Being raised by only one parent seems impossible to many yet over the decades it has become more prevalent. In today's society many children have grown up to become emotionally stable and successful whether they had one or two parents to show them the rocky path that life bestows upon all humans. The problem lies in the difference of children raised by single parents versus children raised by both parents. Does a child need both parents? What roles do step parents and step siblings play? With much speculation, this topic has become a very intriguing argument. What people must understand is that properly raising a child does not rely on the structure of a family but should be more focused on the process or values that are taught to these children as they mature. Children of single parents can be just as progressive with emotional, social and behavioral skills as those with two parents.

People claim that the only way for children to gain full emotional and behavioral skills is to be raised by a mother and a father. When a topic such as this one has a broad amount of variables it is impossible to just link these problems to only having one parent. In the article, “Single parent families cause juvenile crime”, author Robert L. Maginnis states “Children single parent families are more likely to have behavioral problems because they tend to lack economic security and adequate time with parents”.The simple statement that raw criminals are products of single parent adolescence is absurb. What this writer must understand is that it can be extremely difficult for one parent to raise a child by themselves for many reasons. A single parent must work full time to be able to afford to provide for themselves and a child. They must also able to still have time to offer an exuberant amount of emotional time for the well being of their child. However, even though this may seem impossible, it can be done.

As this subject continues to be looked down on people must realize that single parents are becoming more common in today's world. This is a scary statistic considering that fifty eight percent of children in America are living in a single parent family. This is a chilling percentage because it shows how little faith is put into a relationship before actually deciding to have children. Unfortunately not all single parents take the time to perform the vital tasks needed to raise their children. Accidents may happen once in awhile but in most cases adults know what is at stake when planning to have a child. Plain and simple, if you are not ready, then not do it. I you do decide to have this child and you love this child, then you can be a good parent. There are many ways to enhance the well being of your child if you simply apply yourselves as parents

I had the experience of dealing with a step parent. Today , twenty five percent of all American children will spend at least some time of their childhood years in a step family. A step parent can cause confusion and emotional stress on the child since they have just had to adjust to only one parent and now have to adjust to a new parental figure stepping into the family role. Another factor of bringing a step parent into a single family's life is new step siblings to get along with. It might not be justified for a step parent to punish their step child like they would their own flesh and blood. As long as both parents have an understanding that their family come first and that it is important to communicate between themselves and with the children, a step family could survive. Whether it is a mother and father , a single mother, or a single father, children need guidance. They will only become a product of what they are taught from a young age and these children are deeply affected emotionally by the amount of love and compassion that is put into raising them. Whichever family structure is implied, it must be one of respect and strong morals that they can someday pass on to their family.