So it appears that because scientists have done an experiment with mice the Daily Mail is now reporting that children brought up by two parents are more intelligent because they develop more brain cells than children brought up by one parent. Way to go Daily Mail in demoralising the children of single parent families and angering the single parents. Its thoughtless reports like this that fuel the medias sweeping interpretation that all single parents are bad and now children of single parents are bad too.
I fail to see how experiments on mice mean this is the same for humans or how they know for sure that the mice were less intelligent without the aid of a time machine but nevertheless the article is out there. It’s angered some (me included) but also going on some of the comments on the articles supporting some peoples beliefs that single parents are bad.
Ideally children are brought up in the loving home of a two parent family. But this isn’t always the case. Some children lose their parents through bereavement. Some divorces are due to violence or volatile marriages so are in the children best interest. Some divorces are from parents not being happy or suited. Whatever the situation no one should be made to feel bad for the choices they have made.
My own children have been brought up by two single parents. They live half with me and then half with their Dad. When they are with their Dad they have his devoted time and spend it out and about doing lots of activities. When they are with me they have a more sedate quieter life. They are getting a balance from both of us. BUT because they are being brought up by two single parents there are a lot of things they are learning that some of their peers from two parent families aren’t learning.
They have had to learn to be organised –things like… having two homes means they have to make sure the right clothes, school books etc are at the right house. They have to plan what they want to wear and where they will be.
They have had to learn that money doesn’t grow on trees and they can’t have everything. – again unlike what the media tells everyone single parents are not rolling in money from all the benefits they get. Quite the opposite. My children have had to learn the meaning of money and that they can’t have everything.
They have learnt that you don’t have to be normal to get on. – My children have learnt that in life you can still be successful even if you’re not everyone’s else’s assumption of normal.
What I have learnt in the 10+ years of being a single parent is that whatever your situation be the best you can and hold your head high and ignore stupid reports like that of the Daily Mails.
The Daily Mails article is here
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