single parent
Facing parenthood can be scary at the best of times, but the anticipation of single parenthood can be particularly frightening. In today’s world, however, an increasing number of women – and men! - are finding themselves as single parents – for a variety of reasons. Modern Mum takes a look at how - and why - many women, in particular, are opting for single parenthood.
Going it
pregnant’ without a partner in sight. Equally, an increasing number of celebrities are going down the line of adopting a seemingly endless number of babies and children – again without a significant other in tow. Te message that such actions is
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repeatedly giving is that single motherhood can be just as rewarding and enjoyable as that spent in the bosom of a secure relationship or family. Tere have been single parents in ROI for
over a hundred years. Previously this would have been put down to the fact that mortality rates tended to be higher, but the numbers of single parents in Ireland is definitely on the increase. Tirty years ago there were about 3000 single parents. Tis number has now jumped to around 100,000. In the year 2000, non-marital
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ardly a day goes by, it would seem, without some celebrity or another announcing that they are ‘delighted to be
births accounted for 31.8 percent of all births (Vital Statistics 2000) and the majority of these births were to women in their twenties and older, with the average age of unmarried mothers 25. In Northern Ireland there are around
92,000 lone parents with 150,000 kids and it is estimated that between 20-25 per cent of families in NI are one-parent families. Forty-six per cent of these people have
become lone parents due to separation or divorce (Census 2001), with seven per cent becoming lone parents due to bereavement (DHSSPS). Perhaps most interestingly – and contrary to media portrayal – less than three per cent of lone parents are teenagers, while 80 per cent are aged between 25 and 49! (Census 2001).
Unplanned pregnancy It is estimated that about one in five pregnancies is unplanned. For any single woman, who is not in any form of committed relationship, finding out that
you are pregnant cannot help but lead to a major life change! Sometimes a woman will find herself
pregnant just at the point when she is considering ending a relationship. Taking on the sole responsibility for a child can be difficult, but can be ultimately rewarding for both parent and child.
Te modern choice Choosing to be a single mother – or a Choice Mum as the Americans call it – wouldn’t have been even considered a few decades ago. Yet a recent YouGov survey found that two-thirds of women questioned found it acceptable for a financially secure, single woman to have a child by herself ! It would appear that many women,
particularly those in their thirties and forties, are now choosing to enter the world of motherhood alone: whether by a partner, with whom they have no intention of creating a family environment, or with a perfect stranger.
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