Comparison of Single Parenting to Having Both Parents

Family life is much different today than what it used to be. Several years

ago mothers would stay at home with their children while the father went to work

to support his family, but it is nothing like that today in American households.

Today it is common for children to be raised by just one of their parents,

and those children are often disadvantaged in several ways. The most consistent

finding from studies of family structure shows that single parents exert weaker

controls and make fewer demands on their children than married families do

(Curtin et al. 368). There is a real easy explanation for this problem, it is

the simple fact that two parents together make more rules and are more likely to

stick by those rules than single parents are (Curtin et al. 368).

Single parents are not able to show the same emotions as married couples

can, because the love between a mother and a father plays an important part in a

family. Children learn how to love from their parents, but if both parents are

not there to teach them how to love, their love might be somewhat one-sided

(Curtin et al. 371). Yes, single parents can show their love toward their

children, but they have no spouse to express love to. Children from single

parent families are therefore denied that learning experience of how a husband

and a wife should love one another (Curtin et al. 369).

Relationships are another thing that everyone needs, especially children.

Children need a real strong relationship between themselves and their parents,

but children from single parent families are usually denied this privilege

because they are separated from one of their parents and often do not get to

spend adequate time with the other. Children who have a strong relationship

with their parents are more likely to respect the authority of their parents (

Curtin et al. 370). The problem with single parent is the fact that usually the

single parent does not have the time to help the child develop a close

relationship with them. Another problem is how can a child build a strong

relationship with a parent they do not live with and often do not see on a

regular basis. The simple fact is that children need both of their parents in

the household to build a close relationship with and to teach them to respect

the parents authority. True, not all children from two parent households have

close relationships with their parents, but it is much more likely.

Gender also plays an important role in families. Men and women have very