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0 pointsbusterarm4y ago0 comments

You lost me at 'parents'. I grew up poor as shit in a single parent household. Food stamps. Hand me down clothes.

My mom made damn sure that I went to the best possible schools, did all of the afterschool programs (including the expensive ones like band) and went to summer camp. She had to beg, borrow, save and sacrifice to make sure that happened.

If you grew up in a two parent household you're already significantly ahead of the game by a huge margin.

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donatj4y ago

I've got no interest in playing "who had it worse" but I think two or four or even a hundred apathetic parents put a child at more of a disadvantage than a single parent that actually cares.

My parents had literally zero involvement in my education. I was never helped with homework let alone walked through the college application process. My friend literally paid the $50 application fee for me because I couldn't get it from my parents (thanks Paul).

busterarmOP4y ago

I can't speak to individual circumstances. I've certainly seen your situation and know that it happens. Just in aggregate though, children of two parent households overwhelmingly have better outcomes. In fact it's the single largest factor determining success in life, statistically. Certainly this can be in spite of, rather than because of your parents.

Also I probably mistakenly gave the impression that my mom cared. No. Her values were more that kids should be out of the house every day from breakfast until dinner. If she had left me to figure that out on my own in New York City I just would have been a kid on the street. As soon as I could get a permit to work and earn my own money was as soon as she stopped giving a shit.

I didn't get a higher education.

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