Parenting

As the problems facing inner cities fill the news the importance of fathers in the homes takes center stage. Statistics show that children raised by single moms tend to have a more difficult time in society. Their teen pregnancy rate is higher as is their school drop out rate. They end up in gangs and in trouble with the law more often but this stat is deceiving. It is not the family structure but the lack of proper parenting that leads to problems. Many single moms raise productive citizens and many children from two parent families get into trouble. Having proper parenting skills is the determining factor and these are usually acquired from the parents of the parents. It evolves from good parent modeling and many young people have no such models. Circumstances arise beyond the control of young parents that leave them as single moms or dads and if they come from homes with capable parents they will raise their children accordingly. Statistics don't always tell the whole story or worse yet they tell a misleading story.