Chapter 14 New Beginnings: Single-Parent Families, Remarriages, and Blended Families

private safety nets

support from social networks that the fam can fall back on in times of financial need

communication

through goo communication a single parent can develop trust

successful single parenting

-accept responsibilities and challenges for single parenthood -parenting ad first priority -consistent, non-punitive parenting -emphasis on open communication -fostering individuality supported by fam -recognition of the need for self-nurturing -dedication to rituals and traditions

benefits for children

-additional role models and exposure to new ideas -greater flexibility -gain the extra support of a stepparent and step or half siblings -gain an extended kin network -improved economic situation -happily married parents

blended families structural differences

-almost all members have lost an important relationship -one biological parent typically lives outside the family -the relationship with the parent and his/her children predates the relationship between the new spouses -stepparent roles are ill-defined and lacks models -many children are also part of a non-custodial parent's household -children also have at least one extra set of grandparents

negative outcomes in single parent fams

-behavioral probs -academic performance -mental and physical health -children may need to cope with their parent's loneliness, depression, and increased stress

positive outcomes in single parent fams

-child learning more responsibility -spending a large amount of time with their custodial parent -developing strong bonds with not only the custodial parent but extended fam networks and their community -feeling less pressure to conform gender roles

blended families aka stepfamilies

-consist of two adults and their children attempting to blend into one fully functioning family -usually remain hidden or invisible

later stages

-contact stage -resolution stage

developmental stages of stepfamilies

-early stages -middle stages -later stages

early stages

-fantasy stage -immersion stage -awareness stage

men in stepfamilies

-fathers are not as likely to have custody of their children - this can result in guilt that they are not parenting their own children -stepfathers tend to have more limited and less positive relationship with their stepchildren

conflict in stepfamilies

-favoritism -divided loyalties can force children to take sides against one that they love -discipline can be difficult to manage among biological and non-biological parents -money, goods, and services can be divided unequally among family members

remarriage

-marriage in which one or both partners have seriously been married -60%of divorced women and 75% of divorced men will remarry -men tend to remarry at higher rates than women -divorce rates are higher for remarriages than for first-time marriages

gay and lesbian single parent fams

-may arise too out of heterosexual relationship or be intentionally planned -adoption, donor insemination, IVF, surrogacy -Mississippi does not let GL adoptions -second parent adoptions

middle stages

-mobilization stage -action stage

marital satisfaction

-people seem to be as satisfied in second marriages as they do in first marriages yet divorce is more like in second marriages -remarriage lacks societal social norms and behavioral prescriptions -remarriages are subject to different stresses than first marriages -children from previous relationships can complicate things

women in stepfamilies

-research indicates that stepfam life is more difficult for women than for men due to the cultural expectations for women as parents and caregivers -due to the likelihood of contact with children's biological mother, child rearing becomes very difficult for the stepmother

creation by divorce or births to unmarried women

-single parent fams created by birth to unwed mothers are more common than those created by divorce -fams receive little social support -stereotypes and negativity aimed at this type of single parent fam due to misunderstandings and moralism that condemns women for bearing children outside of wedlock

diversity of living arrangements

-single-parent fams take many forms and that includes the parent's outside romantic partner or live-in partners -social father -private safety nets

intentional single-parent fams

-some women who have not found suitable partner will intentionally become single parents usually in their 30s-40s

second parent adoption

allows each partner to adopt a child without the other partner losing their rights to the child and allows child to have two legal guardians

sibling, step-sibling, and half-sibling

children must accept one another as family and share the attention of their parent

many divorced persons choose to

cohabit with their partner before remarriage or in place of it however eager as they are to find a new partner single parents usually keep their children as the central figures in their lives

personal growth

developing a positive attitude helps single parents

awareness stage

each family member must understand that their family has changed

single parent fams are often

economically disadvantaged

former spouses subsystems

ex-spouses must put aside any anger and resentment felt during the divorce and focus their energy on working together to raise their children

resolution stage

family becomes solid and is no longer characterized by earlier troubles

mobilization stage

family members recognize differences and openly resolve conflict

courtship differs between

first marriages and remarriages

child-parent subsystem

former single parent must change their roles as they incorporate a new adult into parenting their children

85% of single parent fam are

headed by single mothers

stereotype of single parent homes

it's a broken home

social father

male relative, fam associate, or mother's partner who demonstrates father-like behavior

fantasy stage

new stepparents expect to instantly love and be loved by their stepchildren

financial support

parents develop new abilities of self-support

immersion stage

reality set in

remarried couple subsystems

remarried couple must navigate the complexities of married life while also considering the ex-spouse

binuclear fams include both

single parent fams and step fams

family functioning

stepfams can successfully fil traditional fam functions

family management

successful single parents develop ability to coordinate many activities

parenting skills

successful single parents have ability to take new roles

action stage

the family takes steps in recognizing themselves as a family

mother/ stepmother-father/ stepfather subsystems

the relationship between new spouses and former spouses influence the new family

contact stage

the relationships between family members become genuine

remarriage courtship may

trigger old wounds, fears, or regrets, but the partners may have more realistic expectations for this relationship

many single parent homes contain

two cohabitating adults, one of which is the parent

binuclear fam consists of...

two nuclear fam - the maternal fam headed by the mother (ex-wife) and the parental fam headed by the father (ex-husband)