The Ups and Downs of Parenting free essay sample

The Ups and Downs of Parenting Patricia Johnson ENG 121: English Composition I Instructor: Karen Lawler May 23, 2010 Ashford University The Ups and Downs of Parenting Single parents compared to two parent families are more challenging. Single parents have become a lot more common in society today. There are varies reason people become single parents; abandonment, divorce, death of a spouse and choosing not to be married. There are often many daily struggles and disadvantages that a single parent encounter on a daily base. Single parents has to deal with balancing work and family duties, daycare cost, daycare services, quality of time with children, economic struggles and sick children (Golden, 1999). The majority of single parents are female and the economic struggle is greater that single fathers. Singles parents typically earn less income than single fathers. In some cases single mothers has the same job title but are paid less than the male. Low pay for work farces single parents to work overtime and this takes time away from their children leaving them home unattended or passing their children on to another person to care for the children. We will write a custom essay sample on The Ups and Downs of Parenting or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This can mean that a single parent is away from their children for long hours up to 16 hours in a single day (Golden, 1999). Compared to a two parent household the children are with one parent if the other is working long hours or overtime to support the family. Single parent families are faced with economic challenges. Many single parents in 2002 earned less than $30,000 compared to two parents income. Sometimes frustration can get the best of a single parent not being able to provide the basic needs for his or her families. The two parent families earned more that $75,000 (Fields, 2003). Most single parents live on one income although some have been awarded child support. Compare to two parent families who live off two income of have a choice to live off one check and save the other. Single parents are faced with missing work because of sick children. Finding coverage for a sick child can be hard at times. Some single parents have a support team but there are some that does not and this can sometime be a very stressful time. If a single parent has more than one child this can be very stressful because of the time they have to take off work. Two parent families have each other to depend on to cover each other when their children are sick as well as their support team. I am a single parent I have one child. I must admit it has not been easy taking on the challenge of single parenting. I was a mother working 16 hours a day with a new born. This made me very depressed not spending time with my newborn. I worked for three years on a job that required me to be away from my child 10 to 16 hours a day until I realized that my child did not know I was her only mother. My child was calling my sister and the lady that was keeping her mother also. This made me feel bad because I was allowing other people have more of input than I in my child life. Most of my her needs were supplied by others so she had a bond with her care takers. I only spent an hour or two with her before she went to sleep. I gave up this job because I realized that I wanted to the person that bath her, put her to bed, comb her hair, take her to school and be the positive role model in her life. Single parents must make parenting their first priority. This is a lesson that I learned the hard way. The times parents spend with your children are precious memories that will stay with them a life time. Most single parents do their best a parenting. Single parents must be consistent with discipline. When a single parent has to discipline a child they must stick to it. In a two parent household they decide together how to discipline the child. Single parents compared to two parent families are more challenging but with the right plan of action in place single parenting can work as well as a two parent family. Single parents must turn the disadvantages into advantages and focus on their children. References Golden, M. (1999). A Miracle Every Day Triumph and Transformation in the Lives of Single Mothers. New York: Doubleday. Fields, J. (2003, June). Children’s Living Arrangements and Characteristics. Retrieved May 13, 2010. from http//:www. census. gov/prod/2003puds/. html