The myths behind Single Parent families

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Single parenthood in India may be the result of many things. In most cases it is an unforseeable tragedy as in the death of one parent, divorce, or abandonment by one parent. On the other hand many independent youngsters choose to become a single parent as in adoption, artificial insemination, surrogate motherhood and extramarital pregnancy. However the sad part for the single parent family is that many single parents and their children often have to face stigma, violence and social problems based on myths, stereotypes, half-truths and prejudices. This article is a cross-examination of such myths and a revelation of actual facts behind those myths.

The traditional society believes that a family with both parents is normal or predominant and the single parent families will be alienated from the normal interactions. The real fact behind this myth is that single parent families are showing a sharp rise. In India itself around 49% children are living in single-parent homes and despite the divorce or remarriages both the parents may actively involved in parenting or offering their children two separate families. Since the single parent norm becomes a common phenomenon, the parents do not feel alienated in the common society.

There is a major scandal against single parent families that they are broken families. This may not be the real factor in all cases. Many of the single parents are avoiding those unwanted quarrels and arguments with their partners. In that aspect they are setting a peaceful and stable ambience for their children. Single parents are often more independent and multi-tasking and their children actually gets the training to handle greater responsibility from their homes itself.

The children in the single parent families are widely believed to have emotional or behavioral problems. Society expects those children to do poorly at schools and possess a low self-esteem. These conclusions are completely false and the living proof for it is Vivian Richard's and Neena Gupta's daughter Masaba. Children in single parents may possess the accused problems as their counterparts in two parent families. The low esteem of children in single parent families mostly related to the low income in the families. However this syndrome can be seen in children from low financial two-parent families also.

The financial crisis is a major area of dread for most of single parent families. One has to learn to be interdependent, give and receive; taking our own responsibilities and asking for support and engaging even professional help, when needed. However, this financial crisis may not be in some of the well-off single parent families and not a common feature of these families.
Single parent families are not shame to the society but a form of gradual variations from a joint family to a nuclear family and now to a single parent family. Single parent families should engage in volunteering within the community so that they learn the balance between nurturing and being nurtured to make each family member mature and independent. Then only the myths and prejudices against this family system will be a farce.