Popular culture and the mainstream press tend to want to turn to the increase of single parent households as an excuse for all sorts of things. When our children have a hard time, go through a rough stage, or get into trouble, people often turn to the “single parent” status of our families and try to place the blame. I admit that there are statistics that prove things like single parent families have lower incomes and thus there may be problems that result from this, but I do not always think that single parent status is to blame for everything questionable that happens in a child’s life.
My personal philosophy is that naughty kids come from all sorts of families! I’m trying to make a joke here, but what I really believe is that there can be all sorts of reasons why a child might be having a hard time and choosing to hone in on the single parent status of the family dynamic can often be a cop-out. It cannot possible the end-all cause for everything that might go down in an ordinary child’s life. Specialists, teachers, counselors, and others are often quick to point to the fact and say: “Well, she’s from a divorced home” or “there’s only one parent in the home” as if it explains a myriad ills and issues that might befall a child in all her developmental stages.
I think it does our children a disservice if we just go for cop-out explanations. Instead, we need to dig down to the root of the problems and get rid of our stereotypes and assumptions. We need to see the big picture and be able to think beyond the obvious prejudice if we are going to help our children through the trials and challenges of growing up!
Also: Don’t Give Up on Discipline
Consistency is Big for Single Parents Too
Do Children of Single Parent Families Really Act Out More?