Single Parent Families

By Gabrielle Bullock

Imagine being raised in a home where one parent is absent?

Take some time and think about the moments that you and that parent will miss and the experiences that you will forever wonder about with that parent?

Learning Targets

Students should be able to explain the Structure of Single-Parent Home
Students should be able to explain the Social and Emotional impacts of children that come from Single Parent Homes
Students will be able to list examples of how a teacher can be supportive to children that come from Single Parent Homes.

Understanding the Structure of Single Parent Homes:

Parents are so very important in the lives of their children. I believe that the purpose of a parent is to help cultivate the lives of their children and that a child functions and adapts to the world around them. I believe that being a parent is the most important rule that one could have. It is the most rewarding experience to be able to pour into and raise a little human. There are different types of homes that exist. A single parent family is a household in which one parent is responsible for raising and caring for the children(Frolo, 2023). In the United States today, more than 23 million children live in a single-parent family (The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2022). There are many reasons that one parent holds the responsibility of raising a family. Death, adoption, divorce, addiction, and donor insemination are a few reasons that single-parent homes exist(Team, 2022).

Image Created By :Gabrielle Bullock (Canva)

The Social and Emotional Impacts of children that come from Single Parent Homes:

There are many different kinds of single-parent homes that exist. Some homes are led by a grandparent, aunt, uncle or maybe even a foster parent(Mental Health).Living and adapting in a single-parent home can have many challenges. It is a known fact that children are affected emotionally and socially by growing up in single parent homes. Nearly one in every three kids across America live in a single-parent household, they are more likely to face emotional and behavioral health challenges when compared to peers raised by married parents or in two-parent families(Engage Therapy. (n.d.)).

I can speak on this topic with confidence because I was/am that child. Growing up in a single parent household while being necessary (because of the circumstances) was very difficult. There are things that I feel that I missed out on because my father was absent for the middle portion of my life. Emotionally, I feel as though there were conversations that I should have had with my father. There were Daddy Daughter dances that I never attended, lessons that he never taught me, and memories that we never made together. Socially,there were judgements that were made and insecurities that I had because my home did not look like others. However, experiencing this made me stronger.

How a Teacher can be Supportive:

Being an educator one has to be compassionate, loving and encouraging. Some students will need your help more than others. Teachers should be aware and in tune with their students and understand that they carry a lot from the Pre-K level to the college level. These obstacles can include a bad family dynamic or a different family dynamic. As an educator, one should be understanding and consider that their family dynamic may not be traditional. Students that live in single parent homes, already have an obstacle riding against them. Students go to school to feel safe and have a sense of protection. As a teacher that is one way that one can be supportive(HopSkipDrive. (n.d.))Another way that teachers can show their support is offering a time to just talk with your student. Sometimes it is important just for students to be able to vent and to express themselves to someone that can be a neutral party. Last thing is being encouraging and gracious with a student. A student that has a different type of home life just needs to know that someone is caring and compassionate(WeAreTeachers Staff. (n.d.)).

Conclusion:

As an educator one should be prepared to educate students coming from all backgrounds and households. Single-parent homes are just one type of obstacle that a student may face( Team, E. (2022, August 30). It is important to be compassionate and understanding. Also to remember that a student should not be judged based on their circumstances. As a teacher, you may be the only one that they are comfortable to come to. Without showing favoritism, be their peace(HopSkipDrive. (n.d.).

References

Engage Therapy. (n.d.). Do single-parent families affect children's mental and emotional health? EngageTherapy.https://engagetherapy.com/do- single- parent-families-affect-childrens-mental-and-emotional-health/

HopSkipDrive. (n.d.). How educators can support students in difficult home situations. HopSkipDrive. https://www.hopskipdrive.com/blog/how-

educators-can-support-students-in-difficult-home-situations/

Mental Health America. (n.d.). Mental health and single parenting. Mental Health America.https://mhanational.org/mental-health-and-single-parent

RSS. (n.d.). What exactly is a single parent family? Frolo.

https://www.frolo.com/blog/what-exactly-is-a-single-parent-family

Team, E. (2022, August 30). The lesser-known causes of single parenthood. Marriage Advice - Expert Marriage Tips & Advice. https://www.marriage.com/advice/parenting/causes-of-single-parenthood/

The Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2022, August 1). Child well-being in single-parent families. The Annie E. Casey Foundation. https://www.aecf.org/blog/child-well-being-in-single-parent-families

WeAreTeachers Staff. (n.d.). 10 things schools can do to support single-parent families.

WeAreTeachers.https://www.weareteachers.com/10-things-schools-can-do-to-support-single-parent-families/

How I used AI:

I used AI for all of my photos and to assist and check my sources. I used ChatGPT to assist with my sources and I used Deep Ai for my images. I also used Ai to help me to understand the role of an antisipatory set. For this I used Google Gemini.

Quiz Time:

What kinds of things as a teacher could you do to support your Student:

A. Nothing

B. Give them support, compassion, and understanding

C. Fail them

D. Report them

If a student has hardships, what hardships do you think that a single parent may have?

A. Financial Hardships

B. Addiction Hardships

C. No hardships at all

D. A&B

Answers: B&D

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