Why are there so many single parents

[Nowhereqw]

Don't mean to offend anyone but I am new to UK and noticed there are so many single parents.
I am from Asia and most families I know have two parents so I am just curious about it.

When I became a mum 10 years ago I became part of a group of 8 mums who’d do things together, there was only me and one other who were single mums, a decade on and only one couple are still together, ironically the ones who arent married.
1 break up due to her cheating, 1 due to the man cheating, 1 she realised what a controlling dick he was, 1 because he became a bit of a bore and she thought she’d be better off and 1 because they grew apart and decided they didn’t want to be together. In my case and other mum in that groups case both of the men we got pregnant by decided they didn’t want to be dads, my ex eventually changed his mind and became more involved, hers never did. So based on this group, there isn’t a reason, life just happens.

@PerfectYear321

No edit function for me!

It's not available

@CaptainMyCaptain

I'm in the same boat.

I wish people would think for themselves instead of reading the "Daily Rag"
AKA the cool aid acid test

Because men are allowed to walk away and act like they didn't create the life. The woman ends up holding the baby and has no choice. Well, technically she could walk away too by putting the baby in care but of course we don't. If the man doesn't want to pay for the baby he doesn't have to.

To be fair that poster has now said it was sarcasm. It wasn't obvious.

That's strange!

Edited to say I CAN edit my posts

Because we're all sexually unrestrained wanton floozies.

Ok, so that proves its not just women initiating divorce then?

I have to agree - sadly - i think having kids should be a joint decision and possibly to wait a few years before having them - and enjoying time as a couple and seeing whether the relationship is strong enough and in mutual agreement to start a family - sadly some men can’t handle being fathers

From my experience....a lot of women want children, but don't want hubbies.

A lot of women want children, but don't want their husband to be one.

fixed it 😂

I think a huge thing is the self worth of women.

Either some women don't have any or very little self worth that they end up in relationships with men who can be abusive - sexually, physically, emotionally, financially and these men either leave or have little input into their children's lives or the women in some cases through support of other people and organisation's find the strength to leave.

You then of course have young girls who perhaps had unhappy childhoods and all they want is a loving family so possibly have children at different life stages than their peers who had more stable and caring upbringing

There are some people that didn't actually plan and discuss expectations of family life and after possible years of misery and sometimes ending up with a partner who is like another child they go their separate ways

One night stands / poor sexual health planning
Widow/loss of partner
Partner in prison
Women's preference e.g. IVF baby via donor

Also a thing I think is the breakdown of the extended family - over the years it has become more accessible for people to attend university which for alot of people is away from where they grew up, this then opens doors to live and work in areas away from parents, meeting and forming families with people whose parents are in yet another area of the country
For example neither myself or my brother live near our parents or each other. We both have young families being raised away from 1 or 2 sets of grandparents, grandparents (can) play a key role in childcare thus reducing pressures on parents so for those families with no wider family help breakdown of relationship may be more likely.

I don't actually know any single parent families in my life currently but I assume in 10yrs time I will not be able to say the same thing

🤣🤣🤣 yes because single benefits are more than 2 parent income 🙄

I'm a single parent by choice (in other words, I chose to start a family without a partner) and it's GREAT!

this!

Op referred to their colleagues at work
So clearly not sponging

My school mum friend said 'it's because there's too much tinder and bumble' 😂

I’ve NRTFT but I assume it’s already been mentioned.

In some countries it is not so easy to separate from an abusive relationship.

Fortunately, in the UK it’s much easier and it’s not as frowned upon.

I know my grandma and mum stayed in abusive marriages because you’d be shunned for being a single parent else.

Whereas now, most people would encourage you to leave the unhappy/abusive relationship and become a single parent.

There’s also a massive issue with men creating children and then just waking away and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

Does this not happen in Sri Lanka?
Are there consequences if a man does this?

I think there needs to be tougher consequences for men who do this.

If I walked away from my child and didn’t ensure their needs were met, then I’d be in serious trouble but a man can do this and not have any consequences.

This is a really interesting question.

Although I do remember reading that the ain factor in whether women sought divorce historically was access to divorce. It did not correlate to increases in female employment or changes in married women’s property laws, but how accessible divorce is. In other words, if women can legally divorce, more will choose that route rather than stay in an unhappy marriage. The thing to remember is that women have always worked to some extent. They have run businesses, written novels and articles, been seamstresses and milliners, bakers, governesses, teachers, nurses and midwives, many things historically (in the west).

I am getting a divorce as my husband expected me to work 80 plus hour weeks and do all of the household jobs. He would work 3 days a week and spend no time with myself and our children, choosing instead to do his solo hobbies most of the weekend. Now we are going through the divorce from hell because he won’t let me have half even though I have put half in. He is an entitled, selfish person and I am worth more than this.

I was talking to an Asian colleague the other week who said affairs are absolutely rife among quite affluent people in her country, and she was really surprised that wasn't the case here. At leas, she commented that she wasn't seeing infidelity to the same extent. So perhaps more people are putting up with this whereas here they would separate.

@MaryMcI what does 'access to divorce' mean, do you mean they don't know how to get a divorce or they can't afford to divorce?

Really? How do I claim all this free money I wasn’t given when I was a single parent.

This...

And it is now much less if a taboo to get divorced. So women don't have to put up with it in the w y once did or may have to in other cultures.

Because many people enter relationships, see many red flags but carry on hoping they can fix partner until they have children, partner becomes useless or cheats or decides he is not interested resulting in mother having to raise the children alone.