Say what!?

‘Study of Men’s Falling Income Cites Single Parents’

This article posted in the NY Times really puts a hair across my you-know-what.  An Economics Professor says “there is growing evidence that sons raised by single mothers appear to fare particularly poorly.” The article does a very poor job convincing me of anything, never mind that single mom parenting is to blame.

From what I can tell, the biggest argument is that boys raised by single mothers are less likely to attend college than girls raised by single mothers, but there is zero evidence noted that these boys are earning less, despite what the title says.  Professor Autor says “male workers, whose earnings generally declined in recent decades, and female workers, whose earnings generally increased.” Could it be that there is less discrepancy between men and women in the workforce and women are winning jobs that were otherwise dominated by men 10-50 years ago?

Of course a single parent home is not ideal, but I don’t believe “single moms are causing boys not to graduate from college.”  At least, the evidence is certainly not strong enough in this article.

What strikes me about this article, including ‘Who Wears the Pants in this Economy‘ is that Professor Autor is not more concerned about the educational system that is failing us. Regardless of having a college degree, people are losing jobs left and right, a Bachelor’s degree is pretty much obsolete and the majority of America hasn’t a clue how to accumulate money. Furthermore, there is a long list of well-known millionaires and billionaires who never graduated college, so we certainly cannot assume that it takes a college education to create intelligence and financial security.

I would argue that a child’s environment is far more important than family status; the environment including their education at home and in school.  I believe a child is born with insatiable curiosity and our job as parents is to protect and nurture that curiosity.

The breakdown in families is only part of the problem because families who stick together are creating some dysfunctional kids too.  Dysfunction begins in the mind. It’s what breaks families up in the first place.  A curious, self-accepting inspired parent will produce a curious, self-accepting, inspired child, regardless of marital status.

A curious, self-accepting, inspired child will contribute positively to humanity, whether he goes to college or not.

I should mention that I do not deny the dysfunction that resides in the minds of some single moms (single parents).  I believe it’s scarcity mentality (in parents) that discourages learning and growth in children (and adults). The word ridiculous came to mind when I first read the article, but now I’m fascinated to learn more and help the single moms raising our boys and girls.  I’m not surprised that children of single parents fare worse, but not necessarily because of the family breakdown, rather the breakdown in the mind (that causes the family breakdown).

My mission: “to help single moms maneuver the unique emotional and mental blocks that every single mom must inevitably face, to achieve financial freedom and create wealth in all areas of their life.” 

Join me on Facebook!