The Children of Single Parents Are Doing Better Than You Realized

Here are some ways the children of single parents are doing better than the kids of married parents

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Rick Santorum was just fired from CNN after repeated expressions of bigotry toward Native Americans and other groups, too. That reminded me that he has also been bashing single parents and their children for quite some time. When I wrote Singled Out, I used one of his blanket statements about the supposed superiority of the children of married couples as a starting point for my discussion of what the research really does show.

In the chapter, on the myth that the children of single parents are doomed, I first discuss a very disappointing PBS Frontline segment on single parenting in which the award-winning correspondent, Alex Kotlowitz, profiled a single mother, Janny, and obsessed about her marriage prospects.

Here’s what I said next, in Singled Out. At the end of the excerpt, I’ve listed links to other research and writings published later. They are all consistent with what I said in Singled Out.

Frankly, I don’t like Senator Rick Santorum’s views. But I’m going to grant his wish. Santorum, you may remember, said, “Every statistic that I’m aware of — and I’d be anxious to hear if there’s one…