The nuclear family type has been the acceptable form of family in the society. The family type consists of two parents and their children. This has the basis of the conventional society where nuclear families form an extended family then a society. Changes in the society have contributed to the emergence of single families that have increased over the last century. Single families have been caused by death of spouse, teen pregnancy, and divorce among other factors. Single families where the mother is the family head are more compared to families where the father is the family head. Single families have a higher risk factor compared to nuclear families. The single families face more challenges compared to the stable families despite their increase.
One of the risks facing the single families is stigma. The society fails to accept the single family as a family unit. The parents and children in such a family feel out of place during social gatherings, which may result to stress and depression. The pressure of bringing up children may be huge for a single parent, as responsibilities are not shared like in the nuclear families. Children tend to emulate their parents who they consider as their first role model. Children in nuclear families tend to pick up traits from two parents, which is not the case in a single parent family. A single mom with a son will bring up the child without a father figure, which may affect the child in the future.
The current economic times are tough on single parents. The nuclear type of family is ideal for the economy where the parent work to sustain the economic needs of the family. Single families have to straggle, especially in case of unplanned events. Sickness, disasters or uncertainty in the work place will always affect the single family. The finances available also influence the quality of life enjoyed by a single family. Most single families have one provider whose fate directly affects the well-being of the family. A general comparison shows that most children from nuclear families attend better schools that children from single families (48).
Security provided by two parents places the nuclear family above the single family. The increase in crime in many area of the country requires families to have a security system. The system may be expensive for the single family, which is prone to attacks compared to the nuclear family. The presence of a man in the house is a deterrent factor to criminals compared to a single family where the woman is the leader of the family unit. The availability of two parents ensures that the child will always have a parent available in case of an emergency. One parent can acquire a maternity leave to take care of the child when the other works (77).
Children who have grown up in a single family tend to be independent compared to children brought up in a nuclear family. Independence may be negative or positive in the society. Independence …