General news

The traditional image of the family as mum, dad and 2.4 kids no longer reflects reality. Ground-breaking new research shows that in modern Britain it's time to accept that successful families come in all shapes and sizes.
 
Government and church ministers might blame single parent families for society's ills but most parents in the UK recognise that the notion of family has changed. More than three quarters of mums and dads see the family as an emotional support network rather than as a physical presence and almost half of all parents think their family bears only a slight resemblance to the Victorian ideal according to the research by OneUP magazine.

The majority of parents and children recognise that lone mothers and fathers are just as able to bring up youngsters well as two parents. Nearly nine out of ten single parents believe they are equally capable of giving their children the love and support they need and their kids agree! A massive 80% of youngsters from so called 'broken homes' say their mums and dads do a good job and add they are very proud of them.

Stepfamilies also come up trumps. Debunking the myth of rejection and conflict, 79% of stepparents claim their stepchildren support them. Interestingly, children in families with stepfathers are more likely to see their parents as friends than the average youngster.

OneUp magazine's research reveals single parent and stepfamilies receive greater support from grandparents, aunts, uncles and even friends than traditional families. It's not an easy ride, though:  84% of single mums and dads and 71% of stepparents say they have overcome significant obstacles in bringing up their children.

Only 14% of single parents receive any assistance from the Government and just one in five feels supported by teachers or other members of their local communities. In fact almost three quarters of all parents, and 93% of single mothers and fathers, believe single parents are often wrongly used as scapegoats for social problems. Even more significantly, over two thirds of married couples agree single parents are often wrongly maligned or vilified.

For more information visit www.oneupmagazine.co.uk