Single_Parenting__the_New_Norm

Single Parenting: The New Norm Single parenting in the 21st century is vastly different than it was in years past. Done away are the days of the traditional American family with two parents, two children, and a dog, as the only model of a family. The American dream has evolved. Now it is socially acceptable to choose to be a single parent. There are many circumstances that would lead to a decision by mothers and fathers to choose single-parenting as an option or a result. Various circumstances, such as adoption, divorce, death, and incarceration can result in becoming a single parent. Children growing up in single parent households can and have become responsible citizens in his or her adult lives. Today, society recognizes the reality, that single-parent family households is considered to be as normal as two-parent family households. With the prevalence of mixed families, single parents are on the rise, if not for a small period of time between marriages. When married couples decide to divorce, the newly single parent may start a new family; thus creating mixed or extended families. In addition, the divorce rates in the United States are over 50 percent, making it less likely for two parents to raise a child. Also, with the increase of affluence in the United States, prior to the economic bust, raising a child above the poverty level has become much more of a likelihood. Many years ago, during the Baby Boomer's Generation, single parenting was on the rise and gave birth to Generation X. The Baby Boomers became adults in the 1960s during the time of the sexual revolution and the civil rights movement for African Americans (Baby Boomers, Generation X and Social Cycles, 2007). Generation X is the generation that has grown up with the convenience of modern technology. Today's convenience of modern technology can afford the Generation X to work from home; thus enabling them to drop out of the workforce to care for their young children. However, according to (Thomas, MSNBC, 2009) Generation X members were among a group of children that were the less nurtured in United States history, resulting in a 40 percent of split families that were actually left alone at home, thus adding to the single parent environment. Since, the children of the 60s and 70s believed in anti-establishment. They did not want to conform to a nuclear family, which is, the norm of two parents, two point five children, a dog, and house with a picket fence. The non-conformity of the anti-establishment; children of the 60s and 70s; lead to a rise in the number of sexual partners and unplanned pregnancies. Many of those pregnancies were from unwed couples. There were many that were believed to be so iconoclastic, that they felt no desire to take vows and become legal spouses. Others chose to have “Common Law” marriages; creating additional single parent family households. A vast number of African Americans were left destitute and in poverty at initiation of the Vietnam War. As many African American men were shipped off to fight overseas; African American women were left to take care of themselves and their children. When the war was over, a great number of soldiers; of all races, returned to America addicted to drugs like heroin and cocaine (American Military History, 2003). That had led to a rise in crime, and consequences. As a result many African American men ended up in prison. That added to the rise of single mother, parent family households. Many were disillusioned by the promise of serving their country in the hopes of gaining better race relations with “White America,” thereby gaining the respect they so long wished would arrive. That left many African American women still with the burden, of raising the children they had with those men, alone as single parents. With that environment, the late 1970s and 1980s, saw those women give birth to and raise boys and girls without fathers. They, in turn, had an increase in unwed teen pregnancies. Movies like “Sixteen Candles” and “She’s Having a Baby” were evidence that the problem was not only in the black community but also among white Americans (Teenage Pregnancy and Birth Rate --United States, 1990). The next issue for Baby Boomers was that many women who had educated themselves and had successful careers were nearing the beginning stages of menopause (American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 2010) and had not taken the time to become married and have children. In many cases, a single woman can chose to have a child without a father. Modern medicine helped with this problem by giving the world Invitro Fertilization and popularizing adoption as an option. The majority of single parents adopting children is female, and, at about 33 percent of the children adopted came from Foster Care. However, there is the likelihood that mostly females are adopting older children than babies. Many people have a fixed idea of a family with two parents. When in actuality, they can find themselves as being the only parent (American Academy of Family Physicians, 2009). By 2003, single father families represented 17 percent of all single-parent families with children (United States Census Bureau, 2003). Single-mother families are a majority in the single parenting environment. However, the proportion of children residing in single-father families in the United States has increased dramatically over the past 30 years. Today, time has changed society's thoughts on many of the old customs and the traditions. Now, single parenting is growing at a faster rate. Single parenting has raised social and financial issues surrounding the care of children in the single parent family household. Over 85 percent of custodial single parent mothers are successfully employed, and at least 90 percent of custodial single parent fathers are successfully employed. In the workforce, employers offers benefits for working parents, both single and two parent family households. In fact, most companies will offer employees a standard benefits package. Many of the places of employment have day care centers located within their establishments. Most business establishments have family health insurance plan packages, which is included with the choice from health maintenance organization and a preferred provider organization. Single or two-parent family households will experience the usual stress, or difficult days that will come from raising a family. Many times children from single parent families may develop obstacles from some of the same issues that a two-parent family has come across. Some single or two-parent family households have been in situations where assistance was required to aid them in caring for their families. Low income and lack of employment forces some households to seek government aid. One of the many forms of support available today is the United States Government, (US Federal Government Grants, Scholarships, Loans, and Free Services). Government agencies have aid available to assist single parent families with programs for Medicaid, Food Stamps, and Section Eight for low income housing (Low-Income Benefit Programs, 2009). There are many government agencies that provide aid to single-parent families and assist them in achieving their educational and career goals. Despite diverse circumstances, many single parent children have overcome many of those challenges and have become responsible citizens and have a positive influence with their families and in their communities. There are no guarantees that all children raised in a single or two-parent household will or will not be successful or become responsible citizens. However, today single-parent family households can and have achieved great success in raising sound and healthy families. There are many success stories that will contribute to the fact that one can and will lead a positive and productive life style, and become a credit to their family and community. Warrick Dunn formerly of the "Tampa Bay Buccaneers" and the "Atlanta Falcons," is an example. Warrick grew up with his five younger siblings, all raised by their single mother, Betty Smothers. Warrick Dunn later went on to be a successful sports figure in the National Football League. In 1998, Warrick Dunn established the "Homes for the Holidays" program honoring his mother. The program provides opportunities for homeownership for other single parents (Kennedy, Warrick Dunn Foundation 2009). Ed Bradley, Jr., was another success story. His parents separated after he was born. Ed Bradley spent part of his summers with his father until he died when he was ten years old. (CBS News 60 Minutes1998/2007/2008) He grew up in a single parent home with his mother until he became an adult. Later, Ed Bradley, Jr., went on to become the first African American to be a White House correspondent, and had a 39-year career with CBS News. Another example of a successful child who was raised in a single parent family environment, and grew up to be successful, is actress Rene Russo. Rene Russo came from a single parent family household. Rene's father left the family when she was two years old. That left her mother Shirly, a single parent to raise her two daughters alone. Rene Russo has had a successful career as a model for the Ford Modeling Agency for more than eight years. Later, in an 18-year span, Rene Russo had become a successful actress starring in many major motion pictures. Furthermore, Mariah Carey, one of the most successful female recording artists has a similar story. Mariah Carey's parents, Alfred Roy Carey, and Patricia Hickey, were divorced when Mariah was three years old. That left her Mother, Patricia, now a single parent, to raise Mariah alone. Mariah had an extraordinarily, successful career start that can at best be described as a true "Cinderella Affair." Presently, at the age of 40, Mariah Carey is still singing and performing and will likely be remembered as a successful female recording artist. The stories told here are just a few of the many success stories about growing up or being raised in a single parent family household. Single parenting is definitely on the rise. In many ways, single parenting is becoming the new "norm." There are many different reasons or circumstances leading single mothers and fathers to become single parents. Society has become open-minded in considering, single parent family households to be as normal as two-parent family households. Both households meet the stress associated with raising children every day. Many children raised in single parent family households can and have become responsible citizens, contributed to his or her communities, and have become role models for future children raised in the single parent family environments. So, whatever the reasons, or circumstances, which can lead a mother or father to choose to become a single parent, it would still be considered as normal as a two parent family household. References American Academy of Family Physicians (November 2009) Retrieved April 21, 2010 from http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/about/webteam.html American Society for Reproductive Medicine (2010) Fertile Thoughts Retrieved April 21, 2010 from http://www.fertilethoughts.com/infertility/in-vitro-fertilization -ivf.html CBS News 60 Minutes, Ed Bradley, 1941-2006; Retrieved May 13, 2010 from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/07/08/60minutes/bios/main13501.shtml Online Information About Key Low-Income Benefit Programs, Links to Policy Manuals, Descriptive Information, and Applications for State Food Stamp, TANF, Child Care, Medicaid, and SCHIP Programs PDF of this guide (55pp.) Revised April 27, 2009 http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm'fa=view&id=1414 Cheung, E (July 20, 2007) Baby Boomers, Generation X and Social Cycles Volume 1: 320 pages North American Long-waves. 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