Stress and Adaptation Among Male and Female Single Parents

Abstract

The reconciliation of work and family demands places unusual stress on many single-parent families. Using a 1995 random sample of single fathers ( n = 346) and single mothers ( n = 364) in military communities, we explored the relationship between gender and the ability of parents to manage work and family responsibilities. Using ANOVA and discriminant function analyses, we found no gender differences in the proportion of single parents who perceived they were successful at managing family and work responsibilities. However, there were significant gender differences in how men and women use supportive, financial, and organizational resources and how each parent adapts to the inherent demands of competing work and family roles.