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)