Single Parenthood and The Economy
By Jeremy Cole
Many people grow up in a financially stable household, with both parents present and working, making decent wages and financially supporting their families. Both parents are able to care for and spend time with their children when they get home from work or have a day off. Now imagine: a tiny 2 bedroom apartment, with 4 siblings. The 2 sisters share a bedroom, and the 2 brothers share the other one. Mom sleeps on the couch, after she gets home from working 16 hours. She works 2 jobs, and each one pays minimum wage. The kids are left to care and defend each other because mom’s too busy with work and trying to make sure she can pay for food, bills, and rent, even though it’s still not enough. It’s environments such as this lead households that are unstable, both socially and financially. Single parent families are a direct and heavy factor to the high poverty rate.
A single parent may have trouble supporting themselves and a single child financially, let alone 2 children or more. Single parents who lead households often have to work multiple jobs to try and support their children, and sometimes that’s not even enough. Not to mention, not having the parent at home enough can also create more and more strenuous relations between the child(ren) and their parent/legal guardian. Children who grow up in poverty tend to live their lives in poverty, and that can lead to a poor economy, which has the potential to crash. If the economy were to crash again, the life of every American would be in shambles. That’s why we must find a way to combat the poverty rates; and one of the best ways to do that is to find a way to keep single parent families away from poverty, such as by assisting them financially if needed, or providing some sort of compensation for getting married and staying above the poverty line.
Sources
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/09/marriage-america-s-greatest-weapon-against-child-poverty
I don't necessarily agree. I think people need to work to support their families in this country, not just get hand outs from the government. If somebody wants to support their family- two minimum wage jobs is not the answer. It isn't that hard to find a job that makes more than that. I made $10 an hour when I was 15, I feel like a grown adult can be capable of finding that work- getting a certification or degree to be more qualified to make more money. The government spends $668 billion dollars on welfare programs every year, money that comes out of tax payers pockets that are actually working. I feel like the government shouldn't be in charge of helping out the financially needed- if anything they can try to create more jobs for those people to take on. I don't think anybody should have to live under the poverty line, but I don't feel as though hand outs are the way to achieve this.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that it must be very difficult for single-parent families to support their families, I thought you could have gone more in depth. Yes, you had a good description of what single-parent households are like, but I wish you would have explained more about what could be done about this issue. How can we help to keep them out of poverty? How are we able to assist them financially? Because I am sure that there are many people that would be willing to help, however, we need more information as to how exactly to help out. Because I agree that if there truly is a way to help this issue, then yes, we probably should do it, but I’m just not exactly sure how we would get there or how we would determine which families truly needed our help.
ReplyDeleteI like how your article analyzed the effects of single parenthood both socially and economically. Although this is a situation usually out of our control, it is interesting how much these type of households can actually affect the economy. Those who are not provided or cared for properly in their homes tend to not develop as effectively as others. A result that comes out of this is an increase in poverty for the future, as you said. Poverty is a huge problem in the US and families born into it typically are destined to stay in poverty. However, we could perhaps stop this trend by implementing programs and policies that protect and service those in single parent households. This way, the children affected can have the chance to receive help both financially and socially, and develop properly so they can secure a future that is away from poverty. The costs in the long run do not cancel out the high number of benefits in adding a program like this, as it will spur economic growth and help combat the huge issue of poverty in society. The quality of life also would greatly improve for those in these households.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with this because I know people who live like this. And it is just extremely sad to think that they could end up on the street in this Wisconsin winter weather. But I did feel however that this was all rushed. You never really went too in depth and explained the question to “How?”. So without the full explanation of how, we only see a glimpse of something that could help while leaving it in a very vulnerable state which could lead to people disagreeing with it because it sounds like an argument beginning and end with zero context. And when there is no context, people start to say that it isn’t something that should be done because there is zero research, and we really don’t want that for the people who cannot deal with having one parent or being in poverty.
ReplyDeleteI like how you talked about the life of single parenthood and I agree that a decent portion of the money should be put in programs to help them but I think it should also be put to jobs for those people who need it. And there is always that case where the parent can't work and/or leave their house due to a disability or something of that nature, so we should create jobs for those people that they can preform in their house. If they provided them with the basic computer and internet, they could do something online.
ReplyDeleteThis post definitely could have included evidence to support your argument, but it was clear nonetheless. From an economic standpoint, I believe that single parents should receive some financial aid from the government, especially if the other parent does not contribute at all. Some people may argue that single parents should not receive handouts because then they would be considered “lazy”. But, those who work to provide for their children without the help from the other parent are far from lazy. The government does not have to give much, but I think single parents who are working but still unable to make ends meet are just as qualified for financial aid as other people, such as those who are homeless. It would be difficult to determine which families are qualified and the specific requirements, but it should be possible to give some financial help. It is not the government's responsibility to provide a chunk of money so that single-parent families can buy a new car, or eat out every night. Each person is accountable and responsible for the work they choose and how hard they work; but, a little help from the government can go a long way.
ReplyDeleteIn my comment I will be referring to the first comment made as well as the article itself. I disagree with Kendall. I agree with her rebuttal that "People need to work to support their families" and should not be granted "handouts" but that's not the point that this article is making. This article is stating that where there are single parent families that continue to struggle when the parent is already working MULTIPLE JOBS that we should help provide financial aid. I feel that it is extremely important to point out the difference in the term "handouts" versus helping a family who is already doing the most they can to provide for themselves. And you made 10$ an hour at age 15? good for you- I would like to see a written out budget of how one would be able support themselves, along with multiple children with that salary.
ReplyDeleteIt is true, there are plenty of single parent households struggling to make enough money, and there amounts of people that have a hard time finding jobs that pay over minimum wage. But I agree with Kendall. Jobs that start over minimum wage are out there and achievable. Also jobs that allow somebody to earn raises are out there. The solution to this problem is not having the government hand out money to people, because they haven't found a good enough job yet. If somebody wants to make more than minimum wage, they either need to do more than the minimum work necessary or increase their skills. Minimum wage is meant for people doing little jobs with minimum skills. Being a high school student, I know many kids who have jobs. Lots of these kids make more than minimum wage. This proves that higher paying jobs are possible. If the government gave out money to these households, it would increase the already high debt we have. If someone wants to make more money, then they need to find a way to make more, not ask for free money. I am 17 and only work about 3-10 hours a week, but I still make $8.50. I could make more if I wanted to, but I don't feel like it's necessary right now. It's possible for people to dig themselves out of the minimum wage hole.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who lived with a single mother for a couple years, we did live in a bit of poverty. It put an enormous amount of stress on the family, but I was optimistic enough to believe that it wouldn't stay this way. However, my family was still productive: my sisters and I were successful in school, my mom had friends that supported her, and my mom made enough for us to just get by. I want to argue against how you said that single parent families of poverty will raise children who will live in poverty the rest of their lives. Our life has completely turned around since my mom got married and found a new job making awesome cash. I plan on going to college next year too. It's important to be optimistic in these situations, because although there are families who do struggle like you said, there are also families who learn to push through the hard times.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I feel bad for those who live in poverty and the children who could possibly live their entire life in poverty, I think the parent needs to work hard to get one stable, higher income job instead of two, lower income jobs. I know some single parents, or really a lot of grown adults working at minimum wage, would like to have an increased wage of like $15. However, I don’t think it’s necessary to raise this minimum wage for people who work at say McDonald’s or any fast food place. As Sam said, these jobs are for the people with minimum skills, so they should receive minimum wage. If they want to earn more money, then they either should have worked harder for an education or try harder to get a higher paying job.
ReplyDeleteSingle families with multiple children definitely have a rough time adjusting to the evolving world around us, simply because they don’t have the resources, time, or money to make a significant impact. Although I agree that it is hard to change the ways of current single home families, it is also a very hard task for everyone to live that “perfect” life people dream of. While government assistance may help in the short-term, it is impossible to recover the time and effort a single parent puts in to simply provide. We will always have single families with low assistance and minimal pay, there must be something done about it, but there isn’t one rock solid conclusion is. Seeking help is the first step for many of these families, while we may feel it is a problem, they are often too embarrassed and emotional to find help. We may eventually fix the economy, but nothing can replace what happened to these mothers, fathers, and children.
ReplyDeleteI understand that single parenting is a very difficult situation and agree that it can be incredibly strenuous on our government as well as the individual family. Although, I don’t necessarily believe in handouts from the government (being that we spend hundreds of billions of dollars on welfare programs annually). I think we need to keep into account that there are thousands of nonprofits that work with families are in the lower class financially. There is also benefits for single-parents who need daycare for young children and places that are safe and will watch young children. Although the United States has a poverty rate, it is far from the poverty rate in countries across the world. The United States pours enough money into welfare, and although a lot of these single-parent households are struggle to pay the bills, when too much is given it no longer helps, it hurts by allowing these families to become entitled to the “white-picket fence” American Dream that really most Americans don’t have. Hard work pays off, although these families should get help, I truly believe that most have the help they already need.
ReplyDeleteI know that, since I'm currently living with a single mother, that we live in some degree of poverty. Especially with two children and a small apartment, it's hard to live in those conditions. Most of this post connected to my life because my sister and I have to "defend ourselves" when our mom is working for 16+ hours in a day. Although her job is a lot better than those with minimum wage, we still struggle with everyday issues. To me, it seems that most single parent families struggle no matter what, and it mostly leads to these poverty issues. I do believe that working hard gets you places, but in some cases, it doesn't. My mom has one of the best paying jobs, but we are still living in poverty. It just doesn't seem like there's a good answer for these problems to be resolved.
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings with your blog post. Some people who grow up with single parents may end up growing up to follow the same path, but not all. There are many opportunities for one to achieve a better lifestyle than their parent/guardian with the right attitude and mindset. With the right attitude, the parents as well, could also achieve a lot more than they are. All people have to do is try and believe that they can do something more. BUT they have to be willing to put in the work to do so or they will never make it.
ReplyDeleteSingle parents with multiple kids are obviously at a disadvantage. When someone is at a disadvantage, it is very easy to be discouraged. Even if people have personal examples of pulling through, they don't speak for the entire population, and quite frankly, most of that demographic follow in the same path of their parents.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I feel for single parents and families that live in poverty, I don't think that they should rely on government assistance. Besides rape cases, it was their choice to have a child, and if they weren't financially ready to have a child, other people should not have to bail them out. People should not be rewarded for having babies when they don't have the money to afford one.
ReplyDeleteMaybe a way to avoid this problem is by trying to minimize the amount of single parent households. With two parents able to bring in income, it increases the chance that a family will be able to get out of or stay out of poverty. With two parents in the resource market, it will increase supply in the work force, which would both decrease unemployment and poverty rates, as well as increase productivity within different markets.
ReplyDeleteBeing the second child in the house hold I have seen my mom get tossed around from job to just looking to provide for me and my sister in our two bed room apartment and it wasn't easy. If the economy does more for single mother like if they do have low income with two or more children then they shouldn't have to pay as much taxes as other people with two incomes. Also provide good food stamps, people shouldn't be mad because they are not getting enough food for their house especially with a food stamps car. Over the years my mom has gotten cheated by the government and had to ask for help from other sources that are not necessarily good. Single parents in general should get more help then what they get now only if they need it.
ReplyDeleteIt is clear to see that a single parent household is generally a detriment to the parent him or herself and the children in social and economic varieties. However, it would seem that a child would develop in a better scenario with a single mother or father rather than a scenario with two parents but one is a deadbeat and/or abusive. Later, you discuss that aid should be given to those families with only one parent. That may be a solution, but it allows the problem to perpetuate itself and grow over time. As the amount of children born out of wedlock grows, I believe there must be a way to encourage not having children out of wedlock to diminish or end the problem outright.
ReplyDeleteSome have stated that helping children who live in poverty may make them culturally dependent on welfare. However, they are wrong. Children of welfare recipients have much better chances of moving the the economic ladder than children who live in poverty who do not utilize welfare. This is partly because poverty damages the brains of children. Welfare helps mitigate the effects of this by providing aid like food and clothes that can help the child develop. In addition, children have more time to think and study if they're not wondering where their next meal is coming from or when their parent is coming home. While, you may not like that we pay taxes to help people, our duties as human beings and Americans requires us to help people we will never meet. Many of them have nothing and were it not for welfare would die.
ReplyDeleteIn addition by trying to punish the parent for "being lazy" your're hurting the children which is simply horrendous.
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting read, coming from a mother who is single and supporting two children, there is a lot of financial aid that is given out to support the child's needs, like EBT cards and rent vouchers. With that being said, there are people who take advantage of opportunities that single parents could potentially have, like food stamps and other things. Single mothers are disadvantaged by the fact that they not only need to feed themselves, but another human as well. Some may argue that a woman who has kids shouldn't be working a minimum wage job in the first place but the fact of the matter is that 1. They still are going to. 2. They need help regardless of one's ignorant statement. Something needs to be done about the high poverty rates, especially among single mothers who are doing everything they can but is still enough.
ReplyDeleteI was very interested in the topic you chose, I also really like the position you took on the issue. You brought up very important issues that are direct cause of money (or lack there of). The fact you brought in the relationship of the family and how money can effect how much time they can spend together really made me start thinking about what other factors money can effect. I do really think that our system needs change, it needs to be easier for people who work so hard but still cant seem to get out of poverty. Although there are many systems in place to help those in need. There are still many many people who are not thriving or even floating above the water of poverty but merely sinking.
ReplyDeleteI think a key to help this issue would be to increase the amount of two parent households which would bring in two incomes, decreasing the issue of one parent incomes and taxes raises. This would also help the market. With more people in the work force, the supply of labor is increased, and the unemployment rate would be decreased making the economy as a whole stronger.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this is an issue that needs to be taken care of, but the answer to this dilemma is not to provide for them financially. It is their job to fend for themselves. Nowadays, the social welfare has increased dramatically, and single parents use this social welfare as an escape route to not go and get a job for themselves. Instead of charging higher taxes from the more wealthy, the government needs to provide the lower class with more incentive to go out and get a job for themselves.
ReplyDeleteIt said in the article that the mother was already working two jobs. In addition, even if the mother was not working, would it really be right to punish her by taking her welfare? After all, it's really the children who will hurt the most by it as they need to eat.
DeleteSingle parents have a very hard time adjusting to the world around us because they don't have the resources to adjust. It's extremely difficult for the government to give all children the same opportunity. We will always have single parent families who live in poverty, this is in part because there isn't enough support but, also because people are to embarrassed to live of government welfare and food stamps.
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