There are 2.3 million American fathers raising their children solo. The U.S. Census Bureau says that among single parents living with their children, 18 percent are men. Among these fathers, 11 percent are raising three or more of their own children under 18 years of age.
According to Single Parent Magazine there are approximately 13.6 million single parents in the United States today, and those parents are responsible for raising 21.2 million children. And, the amount of single fathers has grown by 60% in the last ten years alone.
Whether you are a single father raising your children full-time or a non-custodial father with regularly scheduled parenting time one thing is for sure, you are in the minority. There are more of you than 10 years ago but you still have to deal with the cultural phenomenon devoted to nourishing single mothers.
The good news is, in spite of the statistics and all the attention paid to single mothers, gender has no say in a person's ability to raise and positively impact a child. And when it comes to meeting a child's needs you single fathers are as important as us single mothers. In some ways more important.
Mothers and fathers complement each other. Mothers provide emotional warmth while fathers provide a strong sense of security. Mothers soothe a child, fathers stimulate a child. All parents play an important role in their child's life. Showing a better appreciation of the role single fathers play will lead to happier, healthier children. In the end, it isn't about whether or not you are a single parent, married parent, custodial parent or non-custodial parent. It is about parenting and the impact you, as a parent can have on your child.
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