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Effects of a Single Parent or Double Parent Household on Children

Lauren Cedotal
The University of Memphis

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Children these days grow up in many different types of households. It is important

that we, as educators, try to study and understand where the child is coming from and
what he/she could be experiencing in a normal day as well as what those types of
experiences could bring to the classroom. The nuclear family, with a dad, mom, and kids
that people are used to seeing is now dwindling down almost to extinction. It is important
for educators to grow with the times and try to learn where these new types of families
come from and how the children are living in them. Educators need to see how these
different types of households will affect their classrooms because it is important to teach
to the students best interest. There are many different types of households such as double
parent household, single parent household, foster parent household, and many more. A
single parent household is when a child grows up with only one parent or guardian. This
is either because of divorce, death, or abandonment of the child. A double parent
household is when a child grows up with two parents. This is either a mom and a dad or
two moms or two dads or maybe two grandparents. Later in life, some children may go
from a double to a single parent household because of divorce or death of the parent.
Nationally, there has been an increase overall in single parent households. This essay will
be discussing the effects of single parent or double parent households on the childs
grades, the type of parenting style used and the stress that is put upon the child.
The stress a child undergoes every single day can affect whether or not they do
well in school and how that child will act in the classroom. Single parent and double
parent households both come with different amounts of stress for the child. Both types of
households give the child stress but the question that we as educators have to ask
ourselves is if the stress is productive or not. The type of stress the child is under in a

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single parent household tends to be more prevalent. This is because, in single parent
households, the poverty rate is higher. This means the parent spends more time at work
trying to provide for the family and less time working with their child on homework or
spending time with their children in general. A journal article states that single parents
often are over-burdened by all the extra work they have to do because they cannot rely on
another person for help, work like; over employment, home work, and caring for their
child (HertzandFerguson,1998;KendigandBianchi,2008;QuinnandAllen,1989;
SanikandMauldin,1986& Bakker, W., & Karsten, L., 2013). Thisexplainsthefactthat
singleparenthouseholdparentsspendmoretimetryingtosupporttheirfamilyina
financialwaythantryingtosupporttheirchildinanurturingwaythatmostchildren
need.The children in single parent households tend to stress more about their money
situation at home than to how they are doing in school. In contrast, children that grow up
in double parent households tend to stress less because their poverty rate is much lower.
This means that parents can spend more time with their kids on homework and other
things than to always be working all the time. This puts less stress on the child financially
but the children in these types of households are more stressed out about their grades and
how they are going to live up to both their parents expectations. Also, in the double
parent household, the child is more dependent on the parent because they always have
them to depend on. In contrast, the children living in the single parent household grow up
faster so they become more independent. In this instance of stress, children that living in
a double parent household live with less stress than children living in a single parent
household.

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There are many different types of parenting styles used in homes all across the
country in many different types of households. These different types of parenting styles
affect how children develop all throughout their lifetime. Single parent and double parent
households have a wide variety of types of parenting because of the amount of time they
can spend with the child. The amount of time a single parent or both parents spends with
the child can affect them throughout their whole life. Double parent households, meaning
with two adult figures in the home, tend to use a type of parenting style called
authoritative parenting. The authoritative parenting style is when a parent tries to enhance
the childs language and social, moral and cognitive development (Winsor, D.L., Murrel,
V.S.,& Magun-Jackson, S. 2015). The authoritative parent has high demand with high
response, so this means that the parent is setting high goals for the child while also being
there for the child to accomplish those goals. Children in this type of household tend to
be more verbal and more likely to question the rules set out for them by the authority
figures in their life (Winsor, D.L., Murrel, V.S.,& Magun-Jackson, S. 2015). Single parent
households, meaning with only 1 adult figure at home, on the other hand have a more
authoritarian parenting household or even a neglectful household. Authoritarian parenting
expects a lot from the child but does not give the child the necessary support to meet
these expectations (Winsor, D.L., Murrel, V.S.,& Magun-Jackson, S. 2015). Single parent
households do not necessarily choose to have this type of parenting but, in many cases,
have no choice but to because there is only one person they have to juggle work, kids,
and bills all by themselves. This has a negative affect on the child because children that
grow up in authoritarian households tend to be less verbal and anxious. This type of
parenting is not always bad because children that grow up in this type of household tend

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to be more responsible and respectful of authority figures. In this instance, double parent
households (authoritative parenting) are in the best interest of the child because this type
of parenting style promotes more language and cognitive development. This is more
useful in the long run for the child rather than in a single parent household (authoritarian
or neglectful parenting).
There are many different things that can effect how a child does in school like
home life, poverty, and other related factors. The factor that is going to be discussed in
this paragraph is whether or not living in a single parent household or a double parent
household affects the students grades. It is important that educators try to understand
why the student is not doing well and try to help them with that subject or see how that
student can try to get help outside of the classroom. One study states that the percentage
of children living in a single parent household has increased by fifty percent (Amato, P.
p., Patterson, S., & Beattie, B., 2015). This increase in single parent households mean
educators and researchers must start looking at how this statistic coincides with students
grades and how it helps or hinders the child. In single parent households, the child is left
home alone more often after school and does not receive as much help with homework
and other school projects. This is because the single parent has to work all the time to
support that family because single parent households are more likely to live in poverty
than double parent households. Students that live in double parent households on the
other hand have both parents to help them out with their studies, projects, or anything
pertaining to school. It is shown that students who have both parents at home seem to be
more focused on their grades and their schoolwork. Also, children that live in a double
parent household have a more solid support group to help them with their different

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emotional needs. One journal article states that, research shows that children in singleparent households score below children in two-parent households, on average, on
measures of educational achievement (Amato, P. p., Patterson, S., & Beattie, B., 2015).
This statement states that it is better for a childs education if they live in a double parent
household. This is not to say that children living in a single parent household will not do
good in school, but it does show that children living in a single parent household have a
more difficult time excelling in their studies than children living in a double parent
household. Children living in a single parent household just dont have as many
supporters to help them with their education at home as students living in double parent
households.
In conclusion, educators must look at many different aspects of a childs life to
see the best way to teach their students. In todays society, there is no longer what people
used to think of as the normal family, which changes how students study and the type
of support they receive from home towards their education. Children in double parent
households and single parent households have many differences in parenting style, stress
the child is under and how well they will do in school. In many different journal articles,
it has stated that children who live in single parent households undergo more stress, do
worse in school, and have a parenting style that doesnt help them accomplish much in
regards to education than children that live in double parent households. This is because
single parent households by large are more likely to live in poverty than double parent
households. There are many differences between the single and double parent households
and no one is to say which one is better because each persons situation can be different.

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References
Amato, P. p., Patterson, S., & Beattie, B. (2015). Single-parent households and childrens
educational achievement: A state-level analysis. Social Science Research, 53191202.
Bakker, W., & Karsten, L. (2013). Balancing paid work, care and leisure in postseparation households: A comparison of single parents with co-parents. Acta
Sociologica, 56(2), 173-187. doi:10.1177/0001699312466178
Winsor, D.L., Murrel, V.S.,& Magun-Jackson, S. (2015). Lifespan development: An
educational psychology perspective. Boston, MA: Pearson Learning Solutions.