Single-Parent Households

Definition

A single-parent household is a family structure where a child or children live with only one parent, either due to divorce, death, abandonment, or out-of-wedlock births.

Analogy

Think of a single-parent household like a bicycle. Most bicycles are designed to be ridden by one person at a time. The rider (the single parent) has to balance the bike (the family), steer it in the right direction (make decisions), and pedal hard (work) to keep moving forward.

Related terms

Nuclear Family: This refers to a family unit consisting of two parents and their children.

Extended Family: This term describes a family that extends beyond the nuclear family, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives who live together in the same household.

Cohabitation: This is an arrangement where two people who are not married live together in an intimate relationship.