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Reply 1 Tevin Shaw
I grew up in a single-parent household with five siblings. According to Tutwiler (2005), single-parent families are defined as those where children live with one adult who is divorced, never married, or widowed. In my case, my parents were never married and separated when I was in first grade. My mom took on the responsibility of working and raising my siblings and me until she met my stepdad when I was in fifth grade. This family structure brought both advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side, my siblings and I grew close because we spent a lot of time together while our mom was working. We also became more independent since my mom did not have the time to spend with us. However, one disadvantage was that my mom only had a high school education. Research has shown that an increase in maternal education is linked to improvements in children’s academic performance (Amato et al., 2015). I believe this affected us because education was never a top priority in our household. As a result, I did not put a lot of effort into school and struggled academically. Additionally, growing up with limited financial resources added stress to our life. She worked hard to provide for us and ensure we had enough money for the basic necessities such as food and rent. This financial strain also meant she had less time and energy to help with homework, attend school meetings, and assist in any areas I was struggling in.
Reflecting on these challenges I faced growing up, I find strength in the words of Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (King James Bible, 1769/2025). This verse reminds me that despite the disadvantages I faced, I was able to overcome and grow through Christ’s strength.
References
Amato, P. R., Patterson, S., & Beattie, B. (2015). Single-parent households and children’s educational achievement: A state-level analysis. Social Science Research, 53, 191-202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2015.05.012
Links to an external site.
King James Bible. (2025). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/
Links to an external site.
(Original work published 1769)
Tutwiler, S. J. W. (2005). Teachers as collaborative partners: Working with diverse families and communities. Taylor & Francis Group.
Reply 2 Cherry Baldwin
In reflecting on my family structure growing up, I was raised by my mother in a traditional African American family in Harlem, New York. My mother had help from my grandmother, aunts and close family friends with rearing us. Such occurrences are experienced by other American-American households in my era as well which was a practice adopted historically. As dominant-culture, families moved toward the nuclear family ideal, slave families relied on a kinship system of extended family that included both blood and community kin (Tutwiler, 2005). The adage that states,  “it takes a village to raise a child” was very much apparent for my family. Family life is also shaped by conditions and circumstances external to the unit, including the community or neighborhood where the family lives (Tutwiler, 2005).
 
Where I am from, African American families place a heavy emphasis on the importance of education. Although education is important to many black families, some don’t have the educational acumen or resources to help students achieve. WIth that in mind, some children succumb to the constraints of the environment and literally fall through the cracks. My story, however, takes a more positive turn being that I am well into my 60’s and working on my second graduate level degree.
 
I do attribute my educational progress to my mother as she instilled in me early on to have a good work ethic. This work ethic has carried me into my adult years. Mothering, as a social construct, is synonymous with the care of children. Not surprisingly, persons in mothering positions have evolved as the primary link between schools and the family (Tutwiler, 2005). Although my mother did not graduate high school she did take me to libraries and to Harlem’s culturally rich exhibits across the city. Mothers have traditionally been the family contact or liaison between the school and the family. Educators continue to look primarily to mothers as the individuals most responsible for the quality and adequacy of child and adolescent care as it influences school performance (Tutwiler, 2005).
Family support and encouragement is integral for the overall success of children.
The family plays an essential role in their children’s academic achievement. These roles include parenting, communication, volunteering, learning at home, decision-making and collaboration (Anyanwu, 2023). Together, parents, family, teachers, schools and community can successfully provide a means of optimal education for children.
 
“But Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me, my glory and the lifter up of mine head”. Psalm 3:3
 
References:
 
Tutwiler, S. J. W. (2005). Teachers as collaborative partners : Working with diverse families and communities. 
 
King James Version Bible. (2023). Tecarta
Anyanwu, J. (2023). Influence of family structure on student’s academic achievement in secondary schools.  International Journal of Research and Review. 

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