Emotional Effects
Having only one income earner in the home puts single parent households at risk for poverty, finds research compiled by the University of Washington's West Coast Poverty Center. Living in poverty is stressful and can have many emotional effects on children, including low self-esteem, increased anger and frustration and an increased risk for violent behavior. Besides financial constraints, other emotional effects of growing up in a single parent household may include feelings of abandonment, sadness, loneliness and difficulty socializing and connecting with others. Effects vary from child to child, however, and the individual parenting style of the single parent is also a big influence on the child’s development.