In today’s time single parent families are no longer few in society.

Parents becoming single

is not anymore solely by destiny like in cases of death of the partner but oftentimes it is already by

choice, meaning married couples sometimes decided to part ways and to go separate lives through

annulment, divorce, abandonment, and even not marrying their partners.

Single-parent families can be defined as families where a parent lives with dependent

children, either alone or in a larger household, without a spouse or partner. There was a rapid and

drastic increase in the number of single-parent families in the latter half of the twentieth century.

This change has been used by some to argue that we are witnessing the breakdown of the family

(defined as a married couple residing with their dependent offspring) with negative effects for

children, families, and society (Popenoe 1996). Others suggest that single-parent families have

been present in all societies over time and should not be viewed as deviant or problematic, but

rather as an alternative family form (Coontz 1997). Regardless of how family diversity is viewed,

the increase in and prevalence of families headed by one parent has a major influence on the social,

economic, and political context of family life.

Many scholars view single-parent family formation through the lens of weakening family

norms. Captured in such concepts as “the deinstitutionalization of marriage” (Cherlin, 2004), the

“post-familial family” (Beck & Beck-Gernsheim, 2002) and the “second demographic transition”

(Lesthaeghe, 1995) this approach emphasizes change in family life and the acceptance of once

stigmatized family forms, such as single parenting. Other scholars emphasize continuing

commitment to marriage as a value and personal goal—albeit one that is not always realized (Edin

& Kefalas, 2005; Goldstein & Kenney, 2001; Lichter, Batson, & Brown, 2004; Oppenheimer,

1988). These two views are not necessarily incompatible, and some scholars explicitly recognize

change in norms and continuity in values (Cherlin; Thornton & Young-DeMarco, 2001).
 It is common to talk about single-parent family problems and their disadvantages to

children which lead some single parents to think that there is little they can do to have a successful

family. Yet, not all children growing up in single-parent families experience negative

consequences.

As a single parent, specifically a father, it is important to know that he is not alone in this

struggle. While the responsibilities of child rearing and care may rest heavily upon his shoulders,

there are many resources available to help lighten his load. One thing that can help lighten his load

is by forming a support group because becoming involved in a support group is essential since he

does not have a support partner at home. Support groups allow him to bounce ideas off with other

single dads and encourage one another through the difficulties they face as single parents. This

provides single fathers with access to parenting resources and information to help them get

through those tough times. In the contemporary, parents, especially single parents, seek to be more

clingy emotionally and physically detrimental due to reasons of either not having a spouse or lack

of financial resources, but even with this crisis, some single parents are still successful in their

lives.

A person who goes through a crisis in life has the initial reaction to fight and survive the

painful reality by coping in whatever ways and means he knows to make the self adjust to present

condition. Single parenting is a condition that is stressful to the single parent especially the ones

who are being left with the children to care for. The emotional pain, physical absence of the partner,

new living set up, children difficulties adjusting to single parent family set up, financial constraint,

and many more to mention have negative impact on single parents, so it is important for these

parents to adapt coping strategies to cushion them from all these pains brought about by this broken

relationship.
 Coping refers to strategies to deal with problems, real or anticipated and any possible

negative emotions that may arise (Siason, 2004). There are many suggested ways to cope with the

painful reality of separation as well as rearing and raising active children all alone. But single

parents first need to decide to make it through these tough times of their lives and come out

successful at the end of their journeys.

Recent statistics backed by observations indicate that there are a high percentage of fathers

who also act as mothers to their kids. Yes, that is right. Single parent fathers are on the loose not

that they are wild and uncontrollable but because there is an increasing number of couples parting

ways for reasons too many to enumerate. The number of single parent fathers is escalating as well

along with this increasing number of single parent mothers.

Single parents and their children constitute a rapidly increasing population. Much of the

initial research on single parent families focused on single mothers due to the father's absence.

More recently, single fathers, unwed teenage mothers, other single parents and the adjustment

processes of single parents and their children have received more attention. But for this research

study, the researchers would like to focus on the single fathers of today who are separated from

their spouses either due to marital discord or death.

Thus, it is in this context that the purpose of this study is to determine the characteristic

strengths and coping strategies of single fathers that help them satisfactorily and successfully

do their obligations in raising their children as solo parents.