Providing wants and not needs such as fancy cars, designer clothes and ski trips is a great way to lessen their motivation and lower the work ethic. A parent's gift of an education can not be compared to what's in or not. It can never be taken away or broken. It does not go out of style. It leads to self-sufficiency and contributes to a better society.
More educated parents provide more educated offspring.
I will pay for my own childrens college if they go. In the early twentieth century, many children were raised in single parent homes, or with relatives, due to the death of a parent or parents from war, disease, childbirth, and industrial or farming accidents. These situations were unavoidable, and were so understood by society. Today, the single parent family arises from divorce, unwed mothers, teenage pregnancy, and desertion. This is a totally different set of circumstances that doesn't warrant compassion to either the single parent or the children.