This study explored the dynamics of successful single parenting through in-depth interviews with 26 single parents who were identified as successful by qualified professionals in a two-state region of the Midwest. The following themes for successful single parenthood emerged: (1) acceptance of responsibilities and challenges of single parenthood; (2) prioritization of the parental role; (3) consistent, nonpunitive discipline; (4) emphasis on open communication; (5) ability to foster individuality within a supportive family unit; (6) recognition of need for self-nurturance; and (7) dedication to rituals and traditions.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AtlasS. (1981). Single parenting.Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
2.
BarryA. (1979). A research project on successful single-parent families. American Journal of Family Therapy, 7(3), 65–73.
3.
BogdenR., & BiklenS. (1982). Qualitative research for education.Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
4.
ClayP. (1981). Single parents and the public school.Washington, DC: National Committee for Citizens in Education.
5.
CurranD. (1983). Traits of a healthy family.New York: Ballantine Books.
6.
FullerM. L. (1986). Teachers' perceptions of children from intact and single-parent families. School Counselor, 33, 365–374.
7.
HerzogE., & SudiaC. (1973). Children in fatherless families. In CaldwellB., & RicciatiH. (Eds.), Review of child development research (vol. 3) (pp. 141–232). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
8.
HetheringtonE.CamaraK., & FeathermanD. (1983). Achievement and intellectual functioning of children in one-parent households. In SpenceJ. (Ed.), Achievement and achievement motives (pp. 205–284). San Francisco: W. H. Freeman.
9.
HodgkinsonH. (1987). All one system: Demographics of education—kindergarten through graduate school.Washington, DC: Institute for Educational Statistics.
10.
McLanahanS., & BoothK. (1989). Mother-only families: Problems, prospects and politics. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 5, 557–580.
11.
NunnallyC. (1988). Variant family forms.Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
12.
OlsonM. (1991). Considering children from single-parent families. Insights, 24(2), 1–7.
13.
ShinnM. (1978). Father absence and children's cognitive development. Psychological Bulletin, 85, 295–324.
14.
WallersteinJ., & BlakesleeS. (1989). Second chances.New York: Ticknor and Fields.
