FYC3101 PCS CH. 7 PGS. 165-195

divorced moms

-(worries are commonly due to financial worries) financial limitations of directly influence things such as housing, food, clothing, transportation, medical care, childcare, and the opportunities for recreational and/or leisure activities -stressors and strains associated with divorce also affect emotional health, and oftentimes mothers experience increased levels of depression, anxiety, stress, self-doubt, and pessimism about the future -the demands make it more likely that mothers will have alcohol abuse issues

single mother health issues

-Being poor also places single mothers at extremely high risk for anxiety, depression, and other health problems -Feelings of helplessness and despair are common -vulnerable to stress -psychological adjustment is linked to their ability to parent

social and emotional differences in single mothers and single fathers

-Fathers were more bothered than mothers by high blood pressure and frequent drinking and drug use, whereas mothers seemed more bothered than fathers by insomnia, fatigue, and crying spells

common challenges children face as they enter into this new family system:

-Loss of Power and Control: Children lose more than a parent when their nuclear family dissolves -Guilt: Children often blame themselves for their parents' divorce. -Loyalty Conflicts: When a parent remarries, children often feel that if they become close to the new stepparent or if they "love" the stepparent, they are unfaithful and disloyal to their biological parent—they feel they have betrayed that parent.

primary divorce stressors

-Provisions such as custody arrangements, visitation, and child support -exert strain on the entire family

risk and protective factor model

-Unlike the family deficit model, which assumes at the outset that the only "ideal" family structure is the traditional nuclear family, the risk and protective factor model does not assume at its base that single-parent families are out of the norm -assumes that every family form has strengths, or protective factors, and weaknesses, or risk factors

step-families

-When one or both of the married partners bring children from a previous relationship into the new marital relationship -rapidly becoming the most common family structure in the United States -stereotypical view that these marriages are not as functional as "traditional" marriages -"integrated family," "complicated family form," "merged family," or "reconstituted" or "combined family", "blended family"

Family deficit model

-dates back to the 1970s, when single-parent families were far less common than they are today. This model promoted the idea that single-parent households were negative experiences for children for the sole reason that the family structure was not nuclear - one-parent families are not the ideal family situation for children, much of the research yielded while using this theory supported this

tasks associated with establishing new parental roles following divorce include

-developing a parenting plan -Establishing methods of discipline that do not rely on the other parent's input or aid

Divorce and children its impact on children (3 areas of impact)

-divorce is one of the most common stressors experienced by today's children -Post-divorce effects on children and adolescents are broken down into three areas: acting out, emotional problems, and problems in school -lower levels of intimacy with parents and friends and experience interpersonal relationship problems, including difficulty in trusting others -more difficulties in the classroom and performing academically bc the emotional aspects negative affect their ability to concentrate -lower SES

Findings about divorce (hetherington and kelly)

-divorce only has two outcomes: win or lose -> not always -children always lose after a divorce -> not always, over time children become reslient

divorced fathers & their children

-more depressed, stressed, and disheartened than mothers after divorce because of their inability to be with their children, and because they miss their children so much -children who experience a warm post-divorce relationship with their fathers have higher self-esteem, fewer behavioral problems, and better social, academic, and cognitive skills

sources of stress for single fathers

-negative affect, job/family conflict, financial concerns, and parenting issues -financial status is the key to a man's performance and satisfaction as a single father.

single mother coping strategies

-poor mothers move their families out of poverty by marriage, and another one-third through employment -he extended family, especially the single mother's mother, is an important part of the single mother's support system -Social support networks also contribute to positive coping by single mothers, and these networks vary by ethnicity

Single parent family

-refers to the living arrangements of a family structure consisting of one parent with dependent children living in the same household -many families instantly become single-parent families when a spouse is called to war, or when a spouse dies in combat.

single mothers

-share common concerns, including income inadequacy, role overload, parenting and childcare, social isolation, and emotional and psychological problems -"poor" or "near poor," despite the fact that they work, many of them full time -More than half of the single mothers did not have education beyond high school -Single parenting affects the economic well-being of women and children -black and hispanic mothers are for worse than any other group

how single fathers and single mothers differ

-single fathers are more likely to be employed -few single fathers receive child support from the mother, whereas many mothers receive child support from fathers -single fathers are more likely to live with other relatives in the household.

single mother parenting

-single mothers are ineffective in their discipline practices, are more negative, issue more commands, and employ more dominating and hostile styles in interacting with their children -transitions to single-parent, stepparent, and nonparental living arrangements are linked to lower academic performance, lower probability of high school completion, behavior problems, decreased probability of postsecondary education, earlier movement toward residential independence, earlier marriage and subsequent divorce, and cohabitation

Ways that step families and nuclear families differ

-step families usually have six or eight or more grandparents and biological families usually only have 4

Certain characteristics distinguish stepfamilies from first families

-step family is born of loss -there are loyalty conflicts (children are afraid to become too emotionally tied to their step-parent because they feel like they are betraying their biological parent)

mutual child

-the child (or children) who is born to the remarried couple -some researchers refer to this as the "cement" child, as they are thought to cement the relationship.

secondary stressors

-things that occur following the divorce -the "fallout" associated with divorce -divorced individuals experience more depression, are less happy, and are at greater risks for health problems than married individuals are

reasons for increase in single-father households

1. Current divorce laws and "gender-neutral criteria" for rearing children have made it easier for fathers to gain custody of their children following divorce than in years past. 2. Mothers may choose to grant the father custody of the children to allow themselves the opportunity to pursue career or personal goals. 3. Divorce courts' are taking a more favorable view of the role of fathers in childrearing, resulting in an increase in joint custody arrangements following divorce. 4. An increase in fathers' willingness to take a more active role in parenting than in years past.

factors affecting parenting following divorce

1. parents education level 2. income level 3. duration of marriage

preteens and adolescents reaction to divorce

Although children of this age understand the permanence of divorce, they don't like it, and they don't readily accept it. It is not uncommon for children of this age to act out and become rebellious. Parents need to talk about the adolescent's feelings and concerns, not about the problems the parents are having with their ex-spouses. Parents need to make sure the child's responsibilities are age appropriate and not so demanding that they have to grow up too soon.

biological mother/step father

In this family form, the household comprises the father's biological children and his stepchildren (the children of the stepmother).

biological mother/step father

In this family structure, the household comprises the mother's biological children and her stepchildren (the children of the stepfather).

complex step family

In this type of stepfamily, both partners have children from previous relationships or marriage, although the children may reside in different households.

infants reaction to divorce

Infants may react to their parents' distress by losing their appetites, changing their sleep patterns, or exhibiting changes in other routines, such as being fussy during play time. Parents should try to maintain a daily routine, and relate physically and emotionally to the infant.

preschoolers reaction to divorce

Preschoolers are often called the "forgotten mourners." They know something is wrong and they grieve the loss of the absent parent, but they do not know how to put their feelings into words. They often blame themselves for their parents' breakup. Parents should reassure them that the children did nothing to cause the divorce, and that they will always be loved. Regular contact with both parents is essential.

Single parents

Single parents are not a homogeneous group; they exist in all socioeconomic levels, in all racial and ethnic groups, and in all age groups from younger than 15 to older than 50 -mostly mothers

problems for most single fathers

The synchronization of work, supervision of children, and household management

toddlers reaction to divorce

Toddlers may react to the absence of the parent by crying more and becoming clingy. They may have trouble eating and sleeping, and they may regress to behaviors they had as infants, such as thumb sucking or needing diapers. Parents should reassure their toddler that they will always love her or him. Regular contact with both parents is essential.

joint biological step family

Within this household, the couple has at least one biological child that is the product of both married parents, and at least one biological child of either parent (meaning the other parent would be the stepparent).

things that contribute to the success of single mothers in the workforce

Women's access to educational training, job training, and support programs that provide skills such as life management and work readiness -major barrier to employment is childcare

examples of risk factors

a family member's employment status, mental health, poverty, educational level, mother's age at first birth, or number of siblings

shared legal custody

both parents have an equal say in the child's upbringing

acting out

children and adolescents externalize their feelings about the divorce, typically through aggressive misbehaviors, noncompliance, disobedience, delinquency, increased absences from school, and increased aggressiveness -boys have greater post-divorce adjustment difficulties than girls

alimony

commonly referred to as spousal support, is a monetary payment, typically paid monthly, that one spouse pays to the other spouse during and after the divorce proceedings. -not mandatory by law -rehabilitative alimony payments (based on such things as the length of the marriage, the number of children, and the needs of each ex-spouse) are short term in nature, rather than permanent alimony payments.

family law

establishes policies and regulations to ensure that married or divorced couples fulfill their obligations to each other and to their children.

An interrelated family factor that affects children's and adolescent's long-term adjustment to divorce

he state of family economics before and after divorce

supervised visitation

if one parent is deemed unfit for reasons such as substance or alcohol abuse or physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or neglect

One of the single greatest adjustments required for family reorganization into a binuclear family is

incorporating a noncustodial parent into the family dynamics.

bird's nest

joint legal and physical custody with a bit of a twist: rather than have the children move between two different homes, the parents take turns going back and forth to their separate homes -most expensive type of custody because 3 different residences are maintained

sole custody

one parent is the primary parent—legally, physically, or both legally and physically

physical custody

parent is granted the legal right to have the child live primarily with him or her, making this parent the custodial parent

joint custody

parents share in the decision making on behalf of their children -joint legal custody (both parents share equally in decisions in childrearing, but the child resides primarily with one parent) -joint physical custody (children spend close to equal time with each parent but one parent has primary legal custody) -joint legal and physical custody (both parents share equally in decisions and physical custody)

child support

payments are typically paid out as fixed, monthly payments -guidelines: 20% of gross income for one children, 25% for two children -collected by withholding wages, intercepting unemployment compensation, and intercepting federal income tax returns

disneyland dad

phenomenon of fathers taking on the "friend" role following divorce is so common

legal custody

refers to which parent has the right to make decisions about how the child is reared, such as decisions concerning education or religion.

custody

refers to who is responsible for the children's financial, physical, and emotional well-being

internalizing difficulties

result in emotional problems such as worry, feelings of unhappiness, anxiety, depression, distress, guilt, and poor self-concept.

earning potential

the income that the parent could potentially earn, payment is based on this is the family court believes that the paying parent is not earning as much money as he or she could

temporal influences after divorce

the passage of time and the child's age at the time of divorce, may play a role in children's long-term adjustment to their parents' divorce, though there is conflicting evidence.

binuclear family

the separate, distinct households that form after marital separation or divorce

the greatest change to which children and adolescents need to adapt post-divorce

their relationship with their parents

diminished parenting

to describe this new relationship that takes place during the first few years following divorce

school ages children's reaction to divorce

understand that their parents don't love each other and that they can't live together. Children may fantasize about ways to reunite their parents. They feel a tremendous sense of loss and rejection, and they worry a lot about the future, about who will care for them and what will happen if their remaining parent dies. They may have physical symptoms such as headaches and stomach aches, and they may have problems sleeping. They may show signs of depression, such as withdrawing from friends and activities. Parents need to be good listeners and reassure children that the divorce is not the children's fault. They need to have predictable contact with the absent parent.

There are also racial and ethnic differences in the numbers of custodial mothers

white mothers have the highest percentage of being custodial (52.7%)