If we're serious about helping children, programs to reduce the conflict would be more constructive than continuing to disparage lone parents. The New Brunswickgovernment announced for later this year a new parenting program designed to help separated parents reduce the effects their conflicts have on their children. Two studies released in the last few months suggest that children in 'broken' homes where there is no conflict have fewer problems than children in two-parent homes where there is conflict. But separation is usually an attempt to lower the conflict and provide a better setting for the children. The tragedy is not always the separation but rather the relationship, or having children too soon, or a dysfunctional partner.
Separation is often a symptom and a solution.
Studies that link lone parenthood with some negative outcomes for children place much of the blame on the lower income and more frequent moves of lone-parent families. The other difference is that today we project on lone-parent families an aura of failure and blame. Often, teachers and other persons prominent in children's lives have attitudes akin to racism about children from lone parents, basing themselves on anecdotes and ignoring the effect of general societal attitudes, poverty and conflict. But there remain prejudices against lone parents. A two-parent family where one parent works 80 hours a week and the other does the parenting is a real family, in general opinion.