"Denmark's Social Research Institute says single fathers are calmer and less likely to punish their children than lone mothers, who are often dogged by money problems."
I guess, Ann, the findings reported in that news article are further proof that parents are pretty much the same all over the world. -- N.Y. Reader
Dear N.Y.: Thanks for sending on the article. The study underscores the importance of providing financial support and job training for mothers. Your assessment regarding the similarity of people all over the world is correct.
The article also spotlights the fact that single mothers are more stressed than single fathers not because they are women but because of financial problems. Thank you again.
"The daily Berlingske Tidende said yesterday a study of 1,200 children aged between 3 and 5, half living with a single mother and half with only a father, showed that the mothers were far more stressed and the depressed than the men.
"'The single mothers have more psychiatric problems than fathers. Their self-confidence is lower, and they suffer more from nightmares, insomnia and anxiety attacks,' the paper quoted the state-run institute as saying in a report.
"'Mothers have far more conflict with their children and are quicker to hit or punish their children,' the report said.
"The paper quoted researcher Mogens Nygaard as saying women were not genetically more irritable than men but were under greater economic pressure, being more likely to be jobless or, if employed, generally lower paid than male workers.
"Women also perceived society as having a more favorable attitude to men caring for their children alone than for single mothers.
"Nygaard added that only 6 percent of all single-parent children aged 3 to 5 lived with their fathers, implying that the relatively few men who actively sought responsibility for their children were strongly motivated to meet the challenges."