Choosing single motherhood - do you think it will become more common?

[FlowersAndShit]

This is something I have seriously considered and I'm interested in other people's thoughts.

Due to a lack of men that are ready to settle down in their 20's/lack of commitment, do you think that more and more women will choose to go it alone and use a sperm donor or even co-parenting to achieve their dreams of motherhood?

Society has come a long way and with gay marriage and gay parenting, do you think that alternative family set-ups will be the 'norm' a decade or so from now?

What about the consequences, though? Children growing up without fathers, being resentful of their mothers, rebelling during teen years and getting in with the wrong crowd.

Am I right in thinking that motherhood is just a big gamble - you can do your best, raise them right but it's no guarantee as to how they will turn out?

Having been the child of a single parent (although not one who chose it) I know it can be done well.

Hypothetically, yes I would have chosen to be a lone parent if I hadn't found a partner. But only with a support network. I know (from experience) that you don't need a father present to raise a child well, but you need people around you to rely on. Whether to share experiences, call on for occasional babysitting, restore your sanity, etc. I think it will become more common and I don't have a problem with that. Always better for children to be wanted, whether by a couple or a single person.

I think the OP is talking about the choice to go alone from the outset not as a result of family breakdown.

Personally I hope this isn't the case because I strongly feel children do better with two parents. Within our family we have a member who chose to go alone from the outset. The child is now an adult and has expressed sadness at not knowing a father figure. They've said they feel there was always something missing although they've never said it to their mum as they don't want to upset her. Although interestingly when I was pregnant she did express regrets.

I think the herculean effort that some of the ladies on here have made to compensate for absent waste of space fuckwits fathers should be recognised by society not villified.

My friend is 30 next year, has only ever had one boyfriend and not really interested in a relationship but is desperate for a baby. She is starting to look into artificial insemination using donor.

No, I don't think it will. Most women who are single parents are because their partner walked away, either when they were pregnant, or after the child was born.

Paul thank you - OP qualified backtracked their remark while i was posting.

all these resentful teenagers without fathers, whose mothers wanted them so much, gave them everything they could, worked two jobs so they didn't go without - who gave them a firm set of morals and enough love for two parents, who decided going it alone was better than not having that child. Who brought them up to have better manners than to be resentful who gave them a strong sense of right and wrong, so they didn't fall in with the 'wrong crowd,' who relied on brothers, grandpas, uncles, teachers to be good, strong positive male Lrole-models for their kids.

My mum was a single parent. My dad left when i was just five years old and i don't remember him at all - maybe that's why I'm a fan of single parents.

FWIW I think the OP is genuine

Everyone seems to be getting the wrong end of the stick, oh well.