SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES

It's a sad fact of modern life that the number of single-parent families has augmented. Consequently, more and more children are deprived of one of their parents.this has created a great deal of problems, but with appropriate action solutions can be easily found.

No matter what the reasons are for having just one parent(for example, death, divorce, adoption) youngsters face the same problems. One major problem is the need of two role-models. In other words, youths not only want someone from the same sex to imitate his/her behavior but also the warmth and care of the opposite sex. What is more, it is true that the large number of working hours of parents result in the lack of communication and quality time between parents and children. This phenomenon is more intense in this kind of families. These teenagers are so vulnerable and unprotected in this age; for this reason, they require support,help at schoolwork and adequate supervision. Added to this, perhaps the great problem is the effects of that situation on their mental health. These may lead to depression, alienation, hatred as well as rebellion.

But despite these problems, there are also various ways to remedy this situation. In case of a parent working, for example, parents can demand flexible work timetable and be willing to cooperate with the younger generation regarding schoolwork. Additionally, it is vital that parents be supportive, understanding and communicative, also, trying to instill values to the child. This can be done by discussing and devoting time to sharing opinions and doing activities together everyday.

In short, with just few efforts many problems can be solved. Regardless the family state, children can be equally well raised as the ones of traditional families.