Write two pages, formatted in MS Word and written in a professional manner (cite your sources) where you describe a past, present, or future event where you apply a concept, theory, and/or topic from this week’s textbook reading in a professional setting. Analyze the outcomes (good or bad) when applying these concepts and determine whether they are practical or too theoretical. Defend your stance using examples, evidence, and other scholarly materials.
Essay about Family
I remembered when I was a child; I had a friend named Robert who used to live a few houses away from mine. He used to visit us a lot, and my mother always treated him with care and affection as his parents were then getting divorced. I did not understand it at that time, but he looked stressed all the time and why wouldn’t he be? Now, as I look back, I realize how much of a trauma he would be facing alone as he was the single child of his parents who did not seem to get along at all. After the whole divorce process, his mother got his custody, and his father used to take him on weekends, but that incident left a mark on his innocent mind forever as he witnessed his two most favored companions break their love and marriage commitment.
The divorce of one’s parents develops a sense of mistrust, insecurity, and instability in any child as they move back and forth all the time with both of his parents. He looks forward to a parental reunion and the parents who are trying to recreate family closeness on special occasions only add to his fantasy making it more difficult for him to adjust. All this frustration leads to aggression and anxiety. This family crisis leaves a long-term impact on his mind, and he becomes anti-marriage and tends to face commitment issues in the future (Pickhardt).
Another aspect that is related to single parenting is poverty. Not only is the child exposed to psychological problems after a divorce between his parents but the parent who seems to get his custody also has to go through a period of struggle. A study shows that single-parent households are more likely to face poverty, and this seems true in the case of my friend, Robert. His father remarried, and all his financial responsibilities were taken care of by his mother. She went through a difficult period herself, working day and night giving even less time to his son. Robert had to start working earlier alongside his studies to bear all the high school expenses and fees (Samuelson).
The remarriage of Robert’s father resulted in even more complex psychological problems for him. Watching his single mother struggle day and night while his father was busy making new relationships was a devastating experience itself. Both of his parents seem to have little or no time for him. The idea of having two mothers is itself very complicated. A child starts making comparisons and feels that liking his stepmom would be a betrayal of his original one. On the other hand, Robert never got a chance to like his stepmother as soon after his father’s remarriage; he started neglecting them, which resulted in him developing a feeling of hatred towards his father and his stepmother which was not healthy for him (Thies).
All these challenges lead to mental health disorders in children and very insecure people. The use of alcohol and drugs is a common problem found in such children. Their educational achievements are lower and are most likely to drop out of school earlier. They are at risk of getting involved in violent crimes and sexual activities quite sooner. They become antisocial and need emotional and psychological support. However, single parents themselves feel very isolated. They had to make a lot of decisions on their own with absolutely no help and had to deal with numerous financial responsibilities. They find it difficult to maintain discipline in the house and feel devastated.
Work Cited
Pickhardt, Carl E. “The Impact of Divorce on Young Children and Adolescents.” Psychology Today. Psychology Today, 19 December 2011. Web. 20 December 2018. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/surviving-your-childs-adolescence/201112/the-impact-divorce-young-children-and-adolescents.
Samuelson, Robert J. “Don’t deny the link between poverty and single parenthood.” Washington Post. Washington Post, 18 March 2018. Web. 20 December 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/dont-deny-the-link-between-poverty-and-single-parenthood/2018/03/18/e6b0121a-2942-11e8-b79d-f3d931db7f68_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f546c1c4b864.
Thies, Jill Matthews. “Beyond divorce: The impact of remarriage on children.” Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology 6.2 (1977): 59-61.
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