| Can You Raise
A Child Without Two Parents In The Home?
With one-fourth of American children growing
up in single-mother homes, this question is becoming
more prevalent: Are the lives of children who
are raised without a father negatively affected?
Today’s guests have some strong opinions
on this very topic. Learn more below:
Wesley says her family is living proof that single-parent
homes are capable of rearing high-achieving children.
As the lone parental figure to four children,
Wesley maintains that as long as a parent is fully
committed to raising children alone that it is
possible for the children to thrive. To illustrate
her beliefs, Wesley proudly reports that her daughter
Jessica has received more than a half-million
dollars in college scholarship money. Wesley is
currently pursuing a doctorate in leadership so
that she can spread her approach to other single
parents.
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Joan isn’t quite as confident as Wesley
that single mothers can be superwomen. In raising
her 19-year-old son AJ, Joan has had a very difficult
time with discipline, which she believes may have
been eased by the presence of a father figure.
She says that AJ’s bad behavior has ranged
from stealing her car numerous times to underage
drinking. Based on her own experience, Joan believes
that the intangible benefits of a two-parent home
are a must for all children while growing up.
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Michael and Jeanette sit on opposite sides of
the single-parent debate. Michael is a divorced
father who is fighting for more time with his
children, while Jeanette is a single mother who
has had to do it on her own. Jeanette believes
children with just one parent are better off than
those in 2-parent homes in which one parent is
a deadbeat dad. However, Michael maintains that
women who feel children don’t need fathers
are sorely mistaken. He says that all children
deserve a father figure and he resents being robbed
of the opportunity to do so for his children.
Trilina and Kintay have been together three years,
but Trilina says Kintay needs to step up his involvement
in their son’s life. Though he lives just
five minutes away, Kintay only sees his son on
an occasional basis. Kintay says he wasn’t
prepared to be a father, but he is working on
improving his parenting skills.
Brian says he can’t relate to Kintay’s
mentality. As a father of two, Brian says his
children mean the world to him and that any dad
who doesn’t embrace his responsibility is
less than a man. He urged Kintay to open his eyes
and realize that his son is still young enough
that he has time to change his ways.
Michael and Jeanette sit on opposite sides of
the single-parent debate. Michael is a divorced
father who is fighting for more time with his
children, while Jeanette is a single mother who
has had to do it on her own. Jeanette believes
children with just one parent are better off than
those in 2-parent homes in which one parent is
a deadbeat dad. However, Michael maintains that
women who feel children don’t need fathers
are sorely mistaken. He says that all children
deserve a father figure and he resents being robbed
of the opportunity to do so for his children.
LA-based attorney Jhayne has such strong feelings
on this topic that she has founded The Wealth
of Nations Foundation and Father’s Heart
hotline, especially for children growing up without
fathers. According to Jhayne, “marriage
is a privilege but having a father is a right.”
She believes that all children need positive male
role models to function in the real world.
Quick Clicks
Special thanks to Helen O’Brien, President
of Pacific Rim Counseling Services,
for providing counseling for today’s guests.
For more information on Pacific Rim, call (253)
841-4284.
The Father's Heart Heartline
is a round-the-clock (24/7), confidential phoneline
for children/teens who want/need to talk to a
dad about real-life problems and other issues
in non-emergency situations. To call the hotline,
dial 1-877-716-8000.
For more information on the Wealth of
Nations Foundation, visit:
www.wonfoundation.com
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