Expenditure Decisions in Single-Parent Households

Abstract

This chapter aims to extend existing knowledge about differences in parental investments across different family structures. Single-parent family structure is recognized as a significant risk factor for children's well-being. Children from single-parent homes are more likely to display lower educational aspirations and school achievement, increased psychological distress, greater susceptibility to negative peer pressure, increased vulnerability to health problems, and greater likelihood of engaging in problem behaviors or deviant activities. The economic deprivation perspective hypothesizes that substantial economic differences between single-parent and two-parent families produce differences in child well-being. Some research suggests that single parents are also at risk for psychological distress and social isolation and this may also affect the parenting investments they make in their children. The consistency in the expenditure data, both in terms of levels and shares, suggests that the single parents in the sample might be visiting more bars and clubs than married parents, perhaps because they are looking for potential partners.