Independence or separation may come to you as a huge surprise. Initially you as a parent are likely to feel panicky, ultimately realizing that only you have to take complete care of your little ones and yourself. The parenting style in today’s society is entirely different from the type of parenting that your mom or dad grew up with. Now the rules have undergone a drastic change and with rise in single parenting, it is taking a toll on children psychologically, academically and emotionally.
Quality of parenting
Irrespective of the structure of the family, the parenting quality is amongst the greatest predictors of a child’s social and emotional well-being. Most single parents find it difficult in functioning effectively as parents.
In comparison to continuously married parents, single parents are emotionally unsupportive to their children, dispense harsher discipline, have fewer rules, are more inconsistent when it comes to dispensing discipline, offer less supervision and above all are likely to engage in higher conflict with their little one.
Most of these deficits arising in the case of single parenting presumably lead from struggling in making ends meet via limited financial resources thereby trying in raising children devoid the help and support of another biological parent.
An inept single parenting results in a couple of negative outcomes on children of which some of the most crucial includes poor academic achievement, conduct problems, emotional problems, low self-esteem and issues maintaining and forming social relationships.
Psychological impact
A normal family comprises of a father, mother and children. With respect to single parenting, a father or a mother is missing owing to which this is not a normal situation. As you are aware, the society tends to look down on any particular thing that is not normal. In case of single parents, a child may begin to feel that she or he is different and this may have unwanted psychological impact on the child.
Deep concerns concerning whether expressing positive and loving feelings about one parent to another parent will be unwelcome, which will potentially lead to the child to develop a reticence or a manipulative style of personality to share feelings of love later in life too. Besides, the child may also feel jealous seeing other children with complete parents. This may make the child feel disturbed.
Emotional and mental problems
Children from separated or divorced household can have insecurity, anxiety and attachment issues. Such emotional problems can make children in questioning their self-worth, turn distrustful of others and may become depressed, angry, anxious and isolated as well.
Academic problems
Children especially of single parents generally have problems in school, lower grades and higher dropout rates. Poor academic performance of such children can also result due to the stress from parental discord.
Summary:
Single parenting is hard not only on parents but it has a negative impact on their children too, as they have to face the consequences of the strife amid their parents and the thought of dealing with living separately.
