Single Parent Love Life and Influence on Their Children Essay

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Dating and Sexual Behavior Among Single Parents of Young Children and Effect on Their Children

Among the different difficulties encountered by single parents with young kids, a prominent one is dealing with possible trade-offs between personal romance and parenting. Usually, single parents have a primary responsibility to caring for and raising young children; however, this may be accompanied by a longing for a sexual/romantic partner, as well. Trade-off-related difficulties are especially prominent when children are too young and dependent (e.g. toddlers and babies) (Konner, 2010). Apart from time requirements linked with acquiring a partner, a parent will also be concerned with regard to any interference to their young child's emotional and social growth. This paper aims at determining the effect of sexual behavior/dating by single parents on young children, by reviewing relevant literature.

Single parent dating and sexual behavior

A single-parent family with young and dependent children constitutes a social niche that is separate from dual-parent families. A single parent may seek another sexual/romantic partner, who might fill in the shoes of the absent parent and assist with numerous demands connected with parenting young kids. On the other hand, dating a single parent having young kid(s) may seem relatively less appealing to potential partners (Goldscheider, Kaufman, & Sassler, 2009), owing to the added demands and responsibilities that the presence of children pose; further, single parents fear potential new partners will not be emotionally attached to their children owing to a lack of genetic relationship (Gray, Garcia, Crosier & Fisher, 2015).

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Difficulties associated with sexual activity/dating by single parents can be gender-specific as well; sexuality-childcare trade-offs will likely be more marked among single mothers than single men with children (Gray & Garcia, 2013). Emphasizing this, mothers will likely be given a larger share of child-custody time than fathers. As older men-younger women romantic partnering patterns are more frequent (with the men also likely having kids), single mothers might potentially be left with fewer prospective childless mates, thereby further hindering sexuality and dating resumption among single mothers looking for a partner (Gray et al., 2015).

Furthermore, data often suggests higher re-partnering rates among fathers (e.g., following divorce); hence, the number of available, unattached male partners for single moms gets further reduced.

Family structural influences

Family structure offers a significant developmental context, as children normally grow up by forming primary bonds with biological parents (one or both), and with/without younger and older brothers….....

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