How often we say things without any regard for the potential and/or subsequent damage it may do to others.
Dear ones, those who believe that both a mother and a father are ultimately important severely... and unlovingly... discount those people in this world, who, in spite of not having one or the other, or both, still became decent adults. They also overlook the many, many people who had both, and still turned out wacky.
A woman CAN teach a boy how to be a man... IF she bothers to learn about men... and a man CAN teach a girl how to be a woman... IF he bothers to learn about women. In FACT, when a boy turns out negatively, it is very often due to the mother (if he didn't respect her, he most probably won't respect ANY woman), and vice versa for the girl (if he wasn't respectable and respectful, she most probably will seek out disrespectful men). There are, of course, exceptions to every rule, but this is the most truthful. It is also truthful that while two respectful/ respectable parents ARE better than one parent of any ilk, ONE respectful/respectably parent is better than TWO disrespectful/unrespectable parents, or three or four... or more.
Again, the BOTTOM line is that regardless of how many parents there are or aren't, the child must KNOW it is loved. By ONE parent, TWO... or TWENTY. The number truly doesn't matter. If there are two and the child perceives it is NOT loved... he or she will almost certainly have problems.
And for those who refer to statistics that say the lack of a father is the foundation of most of such children's problems, I would argue that it was the present parent who, rather than filling the void allowed it to cause such damage... AND/ORsociety's unfounded position that UNLESS a child HAS two parents... something is "wrong" with it. As implied by some comments here. It is THIS kind of societal judgment that undermines a child's self-esteem, second only to a parent's own corroding of it. Because it says that, in the opinion of those who supposedly "matter" (but truly, they do NOT), such child's existence is, ultimately, "wrong"... and so the child is actually "unworthy."
THAT is the message that is sent and I would implore those who think in this way to STOP IT. It is evil and dark as it sends TO such children the message that they are INFERIOR, UNWORTHY, MISSING SOMETHING... and missing out on something. It is cruel and unloving. And if YOU believe it... and voice it... most assuredly YOUR children believe it... and voice it... to children they know in this position.
You have NO idea who is lurking here, reading this... and I have no doubt that some are from single-parent families, for whatever reason. If you had the privilege of having two good parents, great! If you are in a situation where you are one of two (hopefully, good) parents, excellent! Wonderful! However, you are in NO position to decry those who are not or who come from such a different situation.
And the fact that many of the children who "come through the system" have fatherlessness as a problem is not indicative of anything, for there are many, many more who never even enter "the system."
Forgive me, but I tend to get a little incensed when it comes to undermining the worth of a child... ANY child.
I bid you all peace.
SA, a slave of Christ
You are so incorrect about interpreting what other people are saying, I truly don't know where to begin. Okay, here's what I want to say; I will not apologize for my position, that's the first thing. Secondly, I have never ever treated another individual with disrespect nor inferred that they were less than because of who their parents were, don't you get on a sermon and imply otherwise, you don't know me. But let me help you out, I have given the clothes out of my closest, the last dollars in my pocket, worked until midnight, hugged children and their parents, watched babies, went to battle so many times for others I have the scars to show for it and I mean that more than figuratively. I have the right to believe that when someone brings a child in this world that they need to start with the a great foundation. I mentored young females, I went in on my days off and spoke to them, they touched me right to the inner part of my soul, I shed their tears with them, I heard their thoughts because no one gives a damn about them because they are poor, are whatever blah blah society thinks or feels. But when I gave my presentations, when I spoke to them about womanhood, I took the time to encourage PROACTIVE parenting, I took the time to talk to them about BEST OPTIONS.
I so disagree with the assertion that a woman can teach a man to be a man. I will explain: There are fundamental things that any human being can give to another human being, but when it comes to certain types of bonding, certain types of situations and growing pains, there are some things only another man can understand because HE EXPERIENCED IT. My father couldn't tell me about facing the world as a woman, he could give me love yes, he could teach me strength yes, he could teach me fundamental human things, but gender specific, he was on the outside and I needed my mother to step in and guide me.
I don't just give the lip service, if you had any idea how many grown big behind men have collapsed in my arms, eyes get all hallow talking about missing their father or having one there in their lives to take them fishing or shoot a ball with them or listening to such anger and resentment and a type of detachment about their own manhood because a father wasn't there, you wouldn't even begin a sermon like this. Did I tell them they were less than because of it, no! Did I treat them any differently, absolutely not! And you are completely and I want to emphasize COMPLETELY incorrect about the world making children from one parent households feel less than, it's not the 1960's, the majority of children born today in the US are born to single parents. I won't even begin to talk about the status of children today in schools all over the country, inner city as well as suburbs. I have had my former clients tell me it is the "in thing", they want to have a baby, much like they are talking about getting another doll to have, hold and cuddle at night. As if that is all it is to have a child! Of course when the "cuddle baby" is too old for that, the parents gets resentful (I have seen that too many times) and generations of mothers in social services of every kind, still stuck in the flux of life because the one and only thing they know how to do is get pregnant and have babies.
Now if someone thinks I am attacking single parents, sorry I am not. I am saying that the best option for a child is to have a father and a mother in their life. If not, two parents giving them the support and love they need. Every study I have read confirms that. Of course in the real world, things happen and you adjust, but why start of saying, "I don't think a father or father figure (someone committed to being in that child's life) is important", I have a problem with that. And that is the crux of my entire criticism. Not that she shouldn't do it, because she's grown and can do what she wants, but I have seen way too many "statistics" and just wanted to highlight the importance of having a father in a child's life. And sorry they statistics are very high.
- 80% of all adolescents in psychiatric hospitals come from fatherless homes.
· 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes.
· 85% of all youths in prisons grew up in a fatherless home.
· 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes.
· 72% of adolescent murderers grew up without fathers.
· 71% of all pregnant teenagers lack a father.
· 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes.
(US Statistics)
An analogy: If you went in a situation and say, HEY I think I am going to just off this cliff without a parachute then I will not feel bad for saying, I think you need to plan to have a parachute before you jump, now sure some people can survive the jump, but I can guarantee that you are going to be at an advantage for having a parachute on your back.
Now, I remember one client I had when I first started, a young man that had gotten into a life of drugs, crime, etc. I helped him get into college, which was difficult, I helped him find a job and another counselor (male) and I, talked to him, encouraged him, he was very bitter about not having a father in his life, very bitter and he would say to me, "I am not going to do that to my kids". Right before I moved away, I ran into him, married, had a child and another on the way. Was in graduate school and had a great job, I swear I remembering driving home crying to myself because I had seen him scruffy, angry, scared, no money. I could go on but I won't. My point is sure there are good, no make it great examples of people that came from single parent homes that actually had a good life, I see him as an example of that, but even from his own words, if you are coming to a situation with a choice, why would you willingly choose to not have a father for your child, when a father is JUST AS IMPORTANT as having a mother.
Anyway, I am not going to go back and forth debating this, but because some things were insinuated that I felt were totally and completely incorrect from my perspective, I wanted to set it straight.