Motherhood looks incredibly different than it did 50 years ago. Not only are moms waiting to have kids, but more moms than ever are working full-time while also raising children. While some dads are stepping up and spending more time with the kids, that isn't always the case. In fact, statistics show that single motherhood is on the rise more than ever before.

What The Stats Say

According to 2019 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 80 percent of single parent households in the United States are headed by mothers. What's more, around half of these single mothers never married. While some older, more educated women make the choice to have a child on their own, that's not entirely what's happening here.

In fact, nearly 35 percent of households headed by single mothers live in poverty. This is likely because one-third of single moms spend close to half of their monthly income on housing. This is further compounded by the fact that only 44 percent of mothers receive their full child support payments, and as much as 30 percent receive no payments at all from the father.

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Why Is Single Motherhood On The Rise?

While the numbers clearly show that single motherhood rates have dramatically increased over the past 50 years, the reasoning behind these drastic changes in family demographics isn't as crystal clear. For some educated, upper-middle class women, having children without a father is obviously a conscious choice. However, these ladies make up a small minority of the total sum of single moms.

Well, part of the problem could be explained by looking at why fathers are absent in their children's lives. For starters, 2.7 million children in the United States have a parent in jail -- and 92 percent of those are fathers. Furthermore, some women choose to become single moms to escape abusive spouses or domestic partners.

However, another reason for the rise in single parenting may just be the fact that it's more acceptable to be a single mom. According to research by a team at Johns Hopkins University, 64 percent of millennial moms have given birth to at least one child out of wedlock. There's also been a 48 percent increase in births to unmarried women aged 35-39, and 46 percent of millennials believe that traditional marriages are becoming obsolete.

While these statistics are fascinating, there's still a harsh reality to face: Single parent households typically struggle more than ones with married parents. Single motherhood probably isn't going away, though, so it's time for us all to step up and make changes to help single mothers thrive. By closing the wage gap for women and by introducing more flexible working conditions, single mothers can make the most of their situation no matter how they ended up in it. And this will ultimately benefit not just moms, but children too.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Harvard University, Wall Street Journal, National Fatherhood InitiativeJohns Hopkins University

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