Who Are They?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau in the summer of 2007, there were approximately 13.6 million single parents in the United States alone. The children that they are raising total 21.2 million. This relates to 26% of children under the age of 21.
Most custodial parents are, not surprisingly, mothers. Mothers total approximately 84% with the remaining 16% being custodial dads. Thirty-three per cent of these single moms have never been married and the majority of the moms being either divorced or separated. Only 1% of these moms are widowed. Of the fathers, totaling 16%, 57% were divorced or separated, 18% have never been married, and again 1% were widowed. The remaining percentage on both the mother and the father were remarried.
Statistics also show that most single mothers are working with 79% being the average. Fifty per cent of these moms work full-time. Single dads average 92% of the work force with 74% working full-time.
Some people choose to be single parents and understand the long, hard road ahead. Others have single parenting thrown into their laps never dreaming that when they gave birth this would be their path in life. Whatever the situation single parenting is being done by millions each year and that is just in the United States alone.
Into The Future
Although children, I believe, really do need the support and love of what each parent brings to their lives, single parenting can be done well with the right support system in place. Single parenting can affect anyone at anytime and some of the parents who have been affected by single parenting have raised some very well-known children. These children would include: Former President Bill Clinton, actor Tom Cruise, baseball’s Ricky Henderson, Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, singer Christina Aguilera, comedian Bill Cosby, actresses Demi Moore and Angelina Jolie, and even Barack Obama.
If you are a single parent, do not despair. The road may be long and hard, but there are joys along the way. When you are feeling overwhelmed with your situation at being a single parent just take one look into your children’s eyes. Enough said.
Angel Lynn writes in weight loss, single parenting, and health