There are two single parents in my home. My father and I. The third generation has decided not to be a parent. At least for the time being, I hope.
For all practical purposes, my siblings and I consider ourselves as having been brought up to be what we are by a single parent, our mother. The father’s presence was and is there, but more or less accepted as a necessary evil. I have also seen and continue to see other single parents, both fathers and mothers, bravely carrying on and have a lot of admiration for their commitment. I have also seen very successful step parenting as I have seen failed step parenting.
It is therefore a difficult subject to generalise but, there are many others faced with other approaches to parenting and love as well as various forms of feminism. For instance, Delirious and Nick have recently written about it and I think that their posts and the comments on them need wider readership. I hope that you will spend some time reading them.
What provokes this post however is a stunning article in the Mail Online by Rebecka Walker which throws a completely different light on the subject. It is worth a read. As a counterpoint, another article by Kate Bolick in the Guardian is also worth a read.
Human relations is a complex subject and we come across so many different hues that it is very difficult to generalise on it. It is however fascinating to observe and wonder at our frailties.
Is mankind moving towards an increasingly difficult situation where relationships is concerned?