Single Parent Vs. Dual Parent

"Profound changes have occurred in children's family life-changes that will affect over half the next generation. Whereas thirty years ago the typical child was born to married parents and lived with both parents throughout childhood and adolescents, the average child today is expected to live apart from at least one parent before reaching adulthood, and a substantial minority of children are expected never to live with both biological parents" (McLanahan, Sandefur 134). Single parenting vs. dual parenting has always been a hot topic on which family and child would benefit more from more studies. In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting between the differences in the two households and then hopefully my readers will have a better understanding of some of the challenges and obstacles that each of these parents deal with on a daily basis. Some of the differences I will be discussing are, the guilt that both of these types of parents deal with on a daily basis, the responsibility that is given to and expected from the children, and third, I will be discussing how the two different type of parents handle the stress of raising a child, and finally the rules and boundaries and how they are different in each household.

Let's start out with guilt. Single parents and dual parents share and feel just about as much guilt over the way they are raising their children. No matter how many parents a child has, we always feel that there could be more that we could do for our children. We as parents always try to give our children everything they want and need just to make sure that they flourish and grow up to be a well respected person. I myself find this very true, there are so many concerns out there that a child being raised in a single-parent household may have a harder time in school, possibly even dropping out to become a

adolescent single parent themselves. "We find that 87 percent of children from two-parent families receive a high school degree by the age of twenty, as compared with 68 percent of children from families with only one biological parent" (McLanahan Sandefur 8). With numbers like that how can a single parent not feel guilty about the opportunities that their child is missing out on?

Responsibility - most parents don't realize how much they take for granted by giving their children some responsibilities. Don't get me wrong - I do agree that children need to have a few responsibilities, but some receive far too many. Children who are being raised by two parents may only receive a few responsibilities that they are required to do each day after school, but nothing compared to the children that are being raised in a single parent household. These children may have to either get supper started or make their own because the mom/dad may have to work late. If there are younger siblings involved these responsibilities grow even more, naturally the oldest child would be responsible for looking after them. Now, what if that child may have had homework to do or needed his/her gym clothes washed for tomorrow? Having all this responsibility cannot be healthy for the oldest child, as they still are not capable to care for them selves but now they are forced to raise younger siblings. The outcome of that is it would cause that child to be stressed, and that is something they definitely don't deserve. So in the contrast of it all, children from dual parenting are able to be children - not assistants; they can enjoy their childhood - not watch it all