By TIFFANY WILSON
The warmth of their smile and the warmth of their touch should be enough to want to cherish every moment with them. However, I’m not one to judge, because I know every story is different.
Nonetheless, I find it hard to deny the fact that single parenting is a challenging job. Balancing work, housework, a child’s activities, visitation schedules, childcare and time with your child, are all significant factors single parents have to face each day.
According to new census information from Statistic Canada, about one out of every four families with children in the Toronto district is destined to end up with only one parent. This shows a significant decline in the alleged nuclear family. Statistics also show that 83.1 per cent of single parents are mothers, leaving the remaining 16.9 per cent as single fathers.
I personally cannot relate to this issue, but a close friend of mine, Miranda Kluka, struggles on a daily basis as a single mother. She attends school full-time in hopes of becoming a personal support worker. She also works at a tanning salon when she can and spends as much time with her little one. She challenges herself to provide her two-year-old with the best possible life “full of love and excitement,” limiting all the possible stresses that associate themselves with being a single parent.
I often ask myself the question, how can someone deny or walk away from a life that they created through such a sacred act?
Since the statistics show that there is a much higher percentage of women who are more likely to become the custodial parent, I believe this is ignited by the bond between mother and fetus. We are inherently nurturing creatures who seek companionship and love.
I am not suggesting men do not want to feel companionship and love, nor share it with someone else, but I do believe men do not have the same emotional connection with the fetus, making it easier for them to detach themselves emotionally and physically.
In addition, according to a new study done by researcher Kristin M. Swanson, a professor of family and child nursing at the University Of Washington’s School of Nursing in Seattle, a man does not consider himself a father until he holds the baby in his arms for the first time.
In saying this, I will rely on my gut feelings and say that there should be no excuses for either parent to walk away from their child or give up on the possibility of watching their child grow into his or her own person. However, many factors could play a role in a parent’s absence such as divorce, cheating, accidental pregnancy or immaturity.
When all is said and done, both parents should make the effort to care and love the child, for it is not their fault they were brought into this world of uncertainty. Take the time to embrace each waking moment of the new life you have created because time flies.
