The Importance of Fatherhood

Fatherhood is often overlooked and under appreciated in our country today. Many people no longer believe that fathers are necessary or important for the well-being of a family. In fact, the percentage of single mother households in the United States is extremely high. Millions of children are raised by only their mothers, and more than half of African Americans grow up without fathers in their lives. Though it is possible for the people raised in single mother homes to lead successful and happy lives, their chances are significantly lower. Let's discuss some of the statistics relating to single mother households, as well as how children are affected by growing up without fathers, and then further expound on the reasons of why fatherhood is so important.

As of last year, approximately "1 in 4 children under the age of 18 — a total of about 15.7 million — are being raised without a father [in the US today]" (Single Mother Statistics). I was very shocked by this number. Due to this, two thirds of these mothers must work outside the home, which means their children are growing up not only without a father, but with limited time with their mother as well. However, only half of single mothers are able to work full-time year round, and a quarter of single mothers are unemployed for the whole year. This leaves many of these families very poor, and about 40% of children in single mother homes grow up in poverty, with Native Americans having the highest rate, followed by African American and Hispanic families. Almost one third of these families struggle to even get food on the table (Single Mother Statistics). This is so saddening, yet there are many more statistics showing the hardships that single mother households have to face. More information is linked below.

Single mothers have to go through so much to raise children on their own, yet how are the children affected by living in a fatherless home? Not only do many of these children already live in a low income home, but they also do not have a father to look up to. Fathers can often be wonderful role models, and in my Child Development class, I learned that research shows they play a big part in teaching their children how to regulate and express emotions, especially their sons. Boys that grow up without fathers are often more violent and have a harder time controlling their emotions. They are also more likely to commit crimes, do drugs, and join gangs. Girls that grow up without fathers are more likely to become sexually active at younger ages and often have many more different sexual partners than other women. It is heartbreaking to see how much children can be so negatively affected when they grow up without a father and that these situations are growing more and more common.

Even though fatherhood is becoming less common, fathers are so so important. Research shows that married couples have a median income more than twice as high as that of single mothers (Single Mother Statistics). Not only do fathers help bring about a much higher income for the family, this also allows more opportunities for mothers to spend time raising and nurturing their children. This brings families so much closer. It also allows for mothers to take a break for a little while when their husbands come home. Fathers often get to be the "fun parent", and research shows that fathers are more likely to make their children smile and laugh. Even though mothers can make excellent parents on their own, fathers have the ability to fill in for what they cannot always do. Fatherhood is so important in providing stability in a family and plays a big part in the raising of children. I really hope that in the future the US will once again understand the importance of fatherhood because it plays a much bigger role than most people realize.

https://singlemotherguide.com/single-mother-statistics/#:~:text=%20Snapshot%20of%20Single%20Mother%20Families%20%282019%29%20,well%20below%20married%20mothers%20in%20the...%20More%20