14 DAY TRIAL // Being able to juggle motherhood and a successful career is often seen as a major achievement for any woman. Yet, it is precisely being a single parent, as well as the soaring rate of divorce that are pinpointed as the two most important factors in the corrupted development of a child, a new study carried out by the British charity Children’s Society has pointed out.
The study has learned that more and more children are growing up without a father figure, while the mother is always at work, which is why, by the time they reach teenage, they are more prone to depression, anxiety, to suffer from behavioral difficulties and be less likely to be accepted by their peers. Speaking concrete numbers, the study has unveiled that one in three 16-year-olds lives separated from the father, with no other male role model to follow. These are also the children more likely to perform poorly at school and in life, the study has indicated.
The explanation for the erosion of the traditional family is not, however, due only to the mothers looking to have a career (or simply forced to work, depending on the situation) or divorce. Another factor found to play a very important part in it is that most couples these days choose to just live together, without making their relationship official. They, it is said, are more likely to split in the years following childbirth, a fact that does not fail to leave a strong mark on the development of the youngster. Since the former two partners have not been bound by marriage, it’s very rare that the father sticks around to see the child grow and be there for him.
“Compared with a century ago two changes stand out. First, most women now work outside the home and have careers as well as being mothers. The second change is the rise in family breakup. Women’s new economic independence contributes to this rise: it has made women much less dependent on their male partners, as has the advent of the welfare state. As a result of family break-up, a third of our 16-year-olds now live apart from their biological father.” the report following the study, called “A Good Childhood,” says.
At the same time, the report stresses the importance of a father figure, which has been somehow overlooked for so long. “Fathers are no less important than mothers in a child’s life. The closeness of fathers to their children influences the children’s well-being, even after allowing for the mother’s influence. If fathers are more closely involved, children develop better friendships, more empathy and higher self-esteem, are more satisfied with life and achieve more educationally.” it is being argued.
Among the many recommendations it makes, the “A Good Childhood” report also advises a three-year break of unpaid leave after childbirth, with the guarantee that the woman can return to her former position once the period is over, the introduction of emotional report cards for children aged 5, 11 and 14, and better support from the state for married couples with children.