I have actually sat down to think about this issue, times without number. The truth is that, there are so many sides to it. To start with, Parenting is not an easy job. It involves a lot of discipline, patience, unconditional love, perseverance, strength, wisdom, and a host of other attributes. Parenting is life long and it takes grace to be successful.
A child could feel abandoned, not wanted, lost, useless and rejected, there by seeking love where there is none. They may say my mom or dad didn't want me, I'm nothing to them. They may also make hurried decisions that could affect their future.
Having one of both parents absent from the upbringing of a child could lead to so many things if the one raising the child is not careful. I know this could cause a lot of things in the child's life both physically, mentally and emotionally but with the right intentions, I also believe that there may not be any negative impact of the absence on the child.
There are thousands of children raised by both parents that didn't turn out good at all. Many of them ended up doing the things their parents tried to stop them from due to the pattern they were raised and for some others, their parents are the evil influence in their lives that destroyed the children's future with their own useless attitude.
At the same time, I have seen children by single parents thriving in all aspects of life. I will use my friend as an example. My Friend, Fola's dad traveled out of the country in search of greener pastures when she was just six years old and her younger sister was four years old. Their mom went about borrowing the money he spent on the trip so that he can go, make it, settle down, and come for them but the man didn't look back.
Few years after he traveled to the United States, he got married to another woman and also had two kids with her. He never looked back to check on his family back here in Nigeria, neither did he ever send them money to pay back the loan he used to travel or for his children's school fees. He just forgot about them.
My friend's mom on the other hand, concentrated on taking good care of her children. She worked hard and paid back the loan and gave her children her best. She made sure they attended good schools, lack nothing and she dedicated her time to them. She taught them good morals and the word of God. Fola and her younger sister were outstanding anywhere they went.
My friend and her sister made their mom proud in every area. They are both married and doing great in their various careers. They were raised by a single dedicated parent who was focused on the best for her children and they came out well.
I will like to state that, they didn't come out well because they were raised by their mom. They came out well because they were properly guided, they had a proper upbringing which shaped their lives. This could be done by either a man or a woman. I've also seen men who singlehandedly raised their children and they came out well because of the good upbringing they had.
In all, raising a child to come out well is simply a case of upbringing, regardless of how many parents are in the child's life. Proper upbringing and the grace of God will put a child in the right path regardless.
This is my response to Hive Learners community weekly featured content week 153 episode 1 on the topic: A Parent Absent
Thanks for stopping by, I really appreciate you.
Photos used are mine
Yours truly 