Single-Parent Families Can Succeed -Single-Parent Families on the Rise

"Many nights I would pray to God in tears and say to him: 'I don't know what to do tomorrow.'" -GLORIA, A SINGLE MOTHER OF THREE.


SINGLE-PARENT  families have become a permanent and noticeable feature in many societies today. As the traditional structure of husband wife, and children gives way to other forms of family life, demographers and sociologists  in many parts of the world are asking why.

Sociology professors Simon Duncan and Rosalind Edwards note that "long-term changes are taking place in family patterns and gender relations."  Why?  Some observers state that this is the result of people choices about how they live their lives, within a context  of economic, cultural and social change.  

Note: What about what God wanted and intended for us?  People do not respect the fact that when you get married, it suppose to be forever, with the exception of one situation, and that is adultery of one of the spouses. I believe that  if one of them beat their spouse consistently, that that would be another, because Jehovah did not intend for one or the other of the spouses to be mistreated in such a way. Married couples see movie stars that married get divorced for literally no reason, and society seems to accept it. Well, society is WRONG!   The couples do not want to talk it out like they should. Marriage is not a game to where if you don't win an argument, its okay to get divorced or whatever they feel like doing.  This marriage is why they say at the ceremony; "For better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer; And at the end, let no man put asunder.  No one goes with the said vows anymore, so therefore when they say them, they don't mean them, because they think it is old-fashioned and is not important. Talk about a bunch of ignorance/stupidity!  It is not old-fashioned. It is the way it was suppose to be. If you are in love,  notice I said; In Love, the way you should be, the marriage would work. Married couples need to work together and solve their problems. Marriage is a give and take, not take, take, take.   Like God and Tim on project runway would say: "Make It Work!  No one wants to bother though and that is very, very sad. Marriage is  where two people  give 100% of each other and work it out, IF they truly are IN-LOVE with each other. Love alone is not love. You need to be IN LOVE. No One truly knows what that is or they would still be together. You really need to know one another for a while before you make that big step to start with.  Likes dislikes, habits, personality etc,.

Let us consider some of these changes, as well as the choices being made. Pressures of life are a major factor affecting people's lives. The outside world intrudes on their every waking  hour. (Note: Do not let it intrude!)  Time formerly spent on family activities is now spent on the Internet, in front of the TV, on the phone, in the car, on the run.  

 Note:  Make time for family! Make rules and go by them; no excuses, downsize your life, so you can spend time with your family. As for your children, hey, who is the parent here? You, so act like a parent and quit trying to be your child's friend.  Start with rules and discipline while they are very young. If you start late, it won't do any good, it may not anyway, but you need to try. Teach them not to listen to what society says.  They are not your family.  

Economic pressures also take a toll. Modern conveniences come at a cost, so more parents are working.  Being a part of a mobile society has led many family members to live and  work far away from the support system of their extended family and in some cases even far away from their spouse. In many lands popular culture is not helping either, as it often focuses on tearing down institutions that provide a sense of stability, such as marriage and family. 

Note: Do you really need all that stupid technology? That is one of Satan's things as well, that is  how he breaks up families. He gives the inventor ideas, because he knows where it will head-into  breaking up families, making them debt ridden, making your teenager angry with you because they HAVE to have something and if you don't give it to them, they will yell, abuse or cause problems. Too many people have been spoiled by all this stupid technology.  When  I was growing up, we did not have that.  We used dial phones, we added sums up on our fingers and in our heads.We did not have computers in school. Everything, everywhere things were done on paper.  We all did good without all that garbage; and families ate together,  did things together, the kids had bedtimes, even as teenagers, we had curfew.  And if you make curfew, you did not get to go out for a long time. I guess you could call it grounded. Not all of us kids had cars. I did not have my first car, until I was 40 and my first Drivers License, and I was very proud and happy that I accomplished that part of my life.  No one appreciates anything anymore. They take everything for granted and take too much much advantage taking us away from what we need to do. Worship Jehovah God.  Loving God and doing his will, is what is most important right now, if you want him as a friend and to be able to have the hope of everlasting life on a new Paradise earth.

Next time: Single-Parent Families on the Rise - The New Single Mother

From the jw.org publications