More recently, single fathers, unwed teenage mothers, other single parents and the adjustment processes of single parents and their children have received more attention. Although the common assumption from early research was that single-parent households are a pathological family form, these units today provide a viable alternative to the nuclear families. Yet, social development, in a traditional sense, has not prepared either males or females to be single parents. Single mothers and fathers need to establish strong support networks, personal friendships, and new social networks, and work on improving their self-esteem. Many single parents learn to live on reduced incomes, find acceptable ways to deal with a non-custodial parent, and redefine their relationships with their children.
Single parents report differences in parent-child interactions in their new family structure.
They see themselves as more respectful and more able to encourage individual opinions from their children. They find themselves utilizing reason and threats, but not following through with physical punishment. Although they are more likely to report feeling angry toward their children, single parents more often take the children's preferences into account. Single fathers have found synchronization of work, supervision of children, and household management to be the major focuses of concern. They are able to perform homemaking tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and shopping without considerable difficulty.