Being a single working mother
Single mothers who work hard for their families face various obstacles, which are not particular to them (apply regardless of their geographical location). Most of the misconceptions made about a single parent household are that it is a form of exercising the adventurous side of oneself as well as wanting a feeling of emancipation or liberalism. This paper seeks to identify how single working mothers in Illinois cope with challenges of raising their kids and how this affects both mother and child in this scenario.
This is very prevalent in the developed countries due to high divorce rate. Studies have shown that two in every ten adult American women are single parents. This has also been multiplied by the rise of feminism in American and European countries (although it is becoming a global trend) (Chris par.7).
Single mothers in Illinois
In Illinois, most single working mothers have been forced to work longer and less flexible hours due to the changes in welfare policy (“Urban Management “par.3).
According to the researchers Gary Orfield of the Civil Rights project and Malcolm Bush of University of Chicago single moms earning less than $30 000 annually are working with more and more numbers going to school through help from organizations like Illinois Organization for Mothers of Twins Club (IOMOTC) and elearning by Project Working Mom (Perkins par.4).
The Eleanor Foundation president says that 90% of the single mom population in Chicago have no access to public benefits or practices such that more pressure is exerted on them to take up jobs with less flexibility and more working hours.
Single mothers have no option but to work because of the current state of the economy and sometimes work overtime to make ends meet since the burden of household necessities falls on only them. This therefore brings me to the effects of single parenting on the mother and on the child.
Effects of being a single working mom on childcare
The effects are two-fold for the mom and for the child. First, we shall look at the effects on the child. The child is affected socially, emotionally and psychological effect on the child.
According to psychologists, the social effects include suffering angst and humiliation while growing up. Kids are generally cruel to each other. A child with one parent is seen as different from other normal kids and therefore suffers ridicule and ostracization. This leads to the child exhibiting signs of aggression and rebelliousness.
This same ridicule fosters feelings of humiliation, worthlessness and insecurity with their identity (identity diffusion). This therefore becomes a psychological and emotional imbalance for the child.
The child also finds it hard to cope with the social environment since the mother who is the prime nurturer and source of early socialization is rarely at home. Studies by professors at University of Illinois suggest a correlation between the child’s educational developments since the family is the foundation of socialization.
The psychological and emotional issues that arise due to the effects of single motherhood and having to work include these:
- Feelings of inadequacy and self doubt
- “Daddy issues” where girls mistrust men and boys exercise excessive machismo or feminism
On the part of the mother, feelings of guilt and a struggle of whether it is prudent to choose to work more times than they are at home is the is the main impact.
On the other hand, it also has some benefits. It gives the mother a feeling of independence and self-esteem. This reflects positively in the interaction with the child and helps create a feeling of mutual happiness for the mother and the child because as seen in studies by American Psychology Association which suggest that happiness and satisfaction are the key proponents to a good and stable family environment regardless of whether it is headed by 2 parents or by one (Bergman 1).
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is clear that single working moms suffer many challenges in building their careers and in trying to provide their families. The crux of the paper is that that single parenting in Illinois especially in the area of Chicago is affected or influenced by the welfare system, economy and the access to public services. Furthermore, it is influenced by the zeitgeist of emancipation and empowering of women worldwide through advocates of women rights.
The effects of pressure of being a single working mom include feelings of guilt, selfishness and inner struggle. The effects on the child are much more adverse because they form the child’s personality and include feelings of insecurity, humiliation and daddy issues. In addition, the child’s educational development may be affected through a lack of basic form of socialization and obtained from the nurturing of a mother and family bonds.
These effects are not all negative as seen earlier as they can boost happiness in the family through a high self-esteem from working to be independent. It strengthens the mother- child relationship.
Finally, these effects can be solved by job flexibility and upgrade of the education among single working moms through scholarships. Chicago moms have been benefiting from these organizations even through elearning sponsored by Project Working Mom and IOMOTC.
Works Cited
Bergman, Mike. Single Parent Household Showed Little Variation since 1994. U.S. Census Bureau, 2009.Web.
Chris, Matthew. Various Effects Single Parenting on a Child. Buzzle, 2009. Web.
Perkins, Michelle. Scholarships for Single Moms in Illinois –Single mother can Win up to $10 000 in Scholarships. Articles Base. 2009. Web.
Urban Management resource Center. Education, Daytime Hours, Job Flexibility Most Help Single Moms of Preschoolers. Urban Management Resource Center. 2009. Web.