Being One in a World of Twos: Experiences and Consequences of Single Parenting"

Single Parenting: Impact on Child’s Development

“…Studies have shown mixed findings on how single-parenting impacts children's physical health and development; some studies showed that these were due to the co-varying differences in socioeconomic status, and others reported a negative impact of single parenting on factors such as child mortality, homicide, and childhood stunting. 28 Infants and children younger than 3 years of age may reflect a caregiver's distress and grief, manifested as irritability, poor sleep-wake rhythms, separation anxiety, feeding disturbances, or even developmental regression. 27 Adverse neonatal outcomes, such as low birth weight, preterm birth, small for gestational age, and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit, are more likely to occur in children born to single mothers.…”

“…These children tended to hide more from their parents, had higher rates of dropping out of high school, and had higher rates of alcohol and substance abuse. 28 Boys from single mother headed families showed impaired masculine development, sort to criminal behavior, and had difficulty controlling impulses due to lacking of a male figure. It has been reported that the experience of the divorce process is the one that affects juvenile delinquency.…”

“…Higher rates of delinquency among children from single-parent households are due to attention-seeking and yearning for affection. 28 Parental divorce is one of the parental factors related to the increased risk of suicide among young people. Studies have found higher rate of depression, suicidal attempts, and higher risk of suicide among girls, compared to boys of divorced parents, whereas suicidal ideation among boys of divorced parents was common.…”

“…Compared to the children whose fathers were less involved, higher paternal involvement in school was associated with better academic function and behavior, including higher scores, fewer absences, and a positive attitude towards school. 28, 32 Children from divorced homes have less language stimulation, are more likely to have lower grades, are made to repeat a year of school, have lower math and science scores, and more likely to be diagnosed with learning disabilities. 33…”

“…33 These children are stigmatized and disrespected for not having a family and are constantly reminded of the missing parent. 28, 47 The stigma, lack of social support, lack of social acceptance faced by single-parent children and constant negative judgments by extended relatives may lead to a socially challenging experience, reducing their motivation to seek social support, lower participation in social and recreational activities, experiencing sadness, vulnerability, and lowered sense of belongingness. 48…”