Rethinking the Myths of Single Motherhood

[mamajoan]

The latest "news" as of yesterday is that a new study has found the rates of single motherhood in the USA rising dramatically over the past few years. As of 2007, it's estimated that nearly 40% of all babies being born in the US are born to unmarried women. Significantly, this includes women who live with partners but simply haven't chosen to get

Comments

[orbitalmechanic]

You're looking at this section?

"But others said the trend is disturbing because children who grow up without stable, two-parent families tend not to fare as well in many ways. "I look at this and say, maybe this trend is what young adults want or stumble into, but it's not in the best interest of children," said Sarah Brown, chief executive of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy."

Because I read that first sentence as, "Some people say children don't do as well, like this one woman we found." Maybe it's my own biases, but I read the article as throwing in one counterargument out of obligation, and then moving on! Not to discount your point--that opinion is obviously out there and I agree that it's foolish--but I just assumed the WP agreed with me.

(It's also pretty striking that the woman who's objecting is part of a campaign to prevent *teen and unplanned* pregnancy. So even that group is officially working on specific situations that are likely to involve fewer resources, less money, etc.)

[frightened]

It is ridiculous, they way they say "single mother" as a homogenous mass. Technically, I'm the child of a single mother. My parents have been together since 1971, but due to their political views, they never married. My brother and I were both planned and wanted, and my mother's even hinted that she had some problems getting pregnant and it took them a while.

Plus there's the whole thing where it's more difficult to be a single mother by choice than it is to be an accidental mother in a heterosexual relationship. The one involves planning and the other can just involve a broken condom. Not every child born to married parents is planned or wanted!

[tiggrrl]

Hey, can I put this up on the CA NOW blog under your name?