Single parent or family

 

 

Parenting is the activity of bringing up a child as parents where the parents are responsible to provide the food, clothing, shelter, education, medical care insofar as their ability to do so. A child's physical, emotional, social, intellectual development also lies under the responsibilities of parents. Parenting varies from place to place and individual to individual. It can be done being in a family or being alone with the child and acting as a single parent as well.

 

According to the UN Women report published in Times of India, it was found out that 12.5% of the total number of families, are single parents. And globally it turns out that over eight of every ten lone-parent households are headed by women. 

 

Single parenting is where a person lives with a child or children and does not have a spouse or live-in partner. The reasons behind being a single parent include divorce, break-up, abandonment, death of the other parent, childbirth by a single woman or single person adoption. Single parenting is assumed to be strenuous, after all bringing up a child is a major responsibility.

While being the only support to the child may make his/her future insecure. In such conditions, the child as well as the parent start feeling alone because of the lack of backbone to their lives. And the children brought up in single-parent families are not so friendly and are very close to committing mistakes as they don't have many people to look after them. Extra love and care of the parent sometimes also result in an indisciplined child that takes the child on the wrong path and there are risks of getting the child involved in drugs and other unpleasant activities.

 

But just like the two sides of a coin, it too has its own pros and cons. The more difficult it is, the more are its benefits as well. As the parent is the only person to command so the parent can control and bring up the child as they want to, the child respects and values the parent and their decisions. The other benefits are provided by the government to single parents in the way of financial support, universal credit, statutory sick-pay, housing benefits, etc. The child also enjoys such kind of parenting as they get complete and undivided attention, love, and care. A family is where a child is brought up being with both the parents and sometimes also with their uncle, aunt, grandparents, and siblings.

 

Family is supposed to be one of the most important influences in a child's life and the way of communication between him and his parents becomes its inner voice. It teaches unity, respect, sharing emotions, and good values. A child brought up in a family has a more friendly nature and is prepared for the big world outside. It also provides financial security to the child, when needed, and unconditional love by all the members of the family.

The feeling of togetherness is built in the child because of which they do not face many behavioral problems while working in teams, meeting new people, and adjusting with them.

These children have a fear of the family members which stops them from indulging in the wrong activities and because of the guidance of more than one person these children are full of values and are more sensible, responsible, and wise in their decisions and acts. 

 

Thus, every sort of family aims for the betterment of the child and their future.

However, children staying with family have a more secure and better future and have the probability of doing good in the future. Whereas, in the case of single-parent family, it's quite difficult. So, it can be concluded that families have a major and important role in the upbringing of children.