I think single mothers do a wonderful job. It is hard enough being a parent but to do it alone must be so hard. I cannot imagine not having anyone to share the good and the bad times with. single mothers have my utmost admiration
I am a divorced mother...although I am now single and raising my child alone I did not set out to do this..there is a difference..my son's father left us when my child was 6 months old for someone else and has had no input in my childs life since. I have always worked and provided for my son on my own and am very proud of that fact. But because I am doing this I am put in the same category as a 19 yr old onto her 4th child living off benefits and standing in the post office queue getting her money so she can get some cans of beer and fags while her kids get a Greggs pasty shoved in their hands. Not that I'm trying to say I'm better than her but I have put back into society and am trying to bring my son up to be a considerate, responsible and worthwhile individual...the fact that I am doing it on my own shouldn't be a bad thing...
I think because society in the world has made it more acceptable to have random sex and also to raise a child alone. I am not judging or choosing just saying that I believe the change in societies attitudes, standards have caused the increase in solo mothers. In all honesty in the 30's if you became pregnant the boy was expected to marry you or you went away to have the baby and came back without it, also society did not consider it acceptable to have pre marital sex which also greatly decreased the chances of unmarried women becoming pregnant. I am in my 30's and don't think it would hurt us to reclaim some of the older values around abstinance and chastity especially with the quickly increasing STD and VD rates.