There is no doubt about the fact that growing up in a single parent family has some profound psychological effects on a child, but these effects are not necessarily all bad; there can be some really good effects too! In days gone by parent s always "stayed together for the sake of the children" so there was less divorce than there is today.
The negative effects of growing up in a single parent family were probably more common at that time than in the society of today where divorce is more acceptable.
Positive psychological effects of a single parent family Reduced Stress The child or children undergo a lot of stress and anxiety when there is conflict in the home.
Without conflict a child will fare far better academically even in a single parent home.
Stress in the home also affects other parts of children's lives, so they will definitely have an improved outlook on life if the cause of the stress is removed.
Improved parent-child relationships Once the cause of conflict has been removed and the home is peaceful, the child will begin to see the parent in a new light and a closer relationship can develop.
The parent will also be more relaxed so can pay more attention to the child and able to show more love.
The inter-dependent relationship normally leads to better communication.
More Responsible Research has shown that children in a single parent family tend to take on more responsibility and help out more around the house.
They do this partly because they learn to appreciate the effort and sacrifices that are made by the parent with which they live.
It is up to the parent to make sure that the children do not take on too much responsibility too quickly and still enjoy their childhood.
Unfortunately it is not all good though; there are also some negative psychological effects of a single parent family, as much as the parent may try to ensure that all goes well and that the child or children have everything that they need.
Negative psychological effects of a single parent family Resentment Children may feel resentful because they feel that they have lost out and cannot have everything they did before, mainly due to financial constraints.
Children might also resent the one parent for leaving and moving out of the house.
This resentment may lead to behavioral problems and should be discussed as soon as possible.
Abandonment If the child does not see the non-custodial parent enough they may develop feelings of abandonment and this could lead to feelings of guilt (that they were to blame for the divorce).
Feelings of abandonment occur often when the reason for the single parent family is the death of one of the parents.
These feelings could also lead to the child having a very low self-image.
There will be other psychological effects in a single parent family.
The most important thing is to have open communication with your child and for your child to feel loved.
It is sometimes difficult to get children to understand that the divorce was not their fault and it is normal for a child to go through some degree of psychological trauma after a divorce.
After all, their security and family life has drastically changed.
As long as they know that their parents still love them very much and care for them deeply - then the foundations for a happy child have been laid down.
The negative effects of growing up in a single parent family were probably more common at that time than in the society of today where divorce is more acceptable.
Positive psychological effects of a single parent family Reduced Stress The child or children undergo a lot of stress and anxiety when there is conflict in the home.
Without conflict a child will fare far better academically even in a single parent home.
Stress in the home also affects other parts of children's lives, so they will definitely have an improved outlook on life if the cause of the stress is removed.
Improved parent-child relationships Once the cause of conflict has been removed and the home is peaceful, the child will begin to see the parent in a new light and a closer relationship can develop.
The parent will also be more relaxed so can pay more attention to the child and able to show more love.
The inter-dependent relationship normally leads to better communication.
More Responsible Research has shown that children in a single parent family tend to take on more responsibility and help out more around the house.
They do this partly because they learn to appreciate the effort and sacrifices that are made by the parent with which they live.
It is up to the parent to make sure that the children do not take on too much responsibility too quickly and still enjoy their childhood.
Unfortunately it is not all good though; there are also some negative psychological effects of a single parent family, as much as the parent may try to ensure that all goes well and that the child or children have everything that they need.
Negative psychological effects of a single parent family Resentment Children may feel resentful because they feel that they have lost out and cannot have everything they did before, mainly due to financial constraints.
Children might also resent the one parent for leaving and moving out of the house.
This resentment may lead to behavioral problems and should be discussed as soon as possible.
Abandonment If the child does not see the non-custodial parent enough they may develop feelings of abandonment and this could lead to feelings of guilt (that they were to blame for the divorce).
Feelings of abandonment occur often when the reason for the single parent family is the death of one of the parents.
These feelings could also lead to the child having a very low self-image.
There will be other psychological effects in a single parent family.
The most important thing is to have open communication with your child and for your child to feel loved.
It is sometimes difficult to get children to understand that the divorce was not their fault and it is normal for a child to go through some degree of psychological trauma after a divorce.
After all, their security and family life has drastically changed.
As long as they know that their parents still love them very much and care for them deeply - then the foundations for a happy child have been laid down.