As new generations are arising, so are the new mindsets and viewpoints that come with them. These new viewpoints and mindset can variate between eating habits, gender roles, and who they choose to raise a family with. In particular, the view of family has had many modifications over the generations. The traditional American family that majority people have seen as the default family is starting to become more and more less common. The mothers are working more, gay marriage is legal, cohabiting is on the rise, marriage rates are decreasing, and this new generation is more open minded to change. Children are a huge factor to the future of our country, so we want to make sure they are being raised in the best way possible to continue and improve the legacies of the United States. It all starts with the parents and how they raise their children. Although these new ways of thinking are becoming more common and accepted among society, these are not the best influences on the future of our country and can cause negative effects on children's lives that will continue to influence the rest of their lives. 

The wellbeing of the children all begins with the parents who raise them. It's important to know the background and history of the parents to fully grasp the impact they have on the next generations. The traditional family that was seen as the default or foundation for the ideal family included a mother, father, and children. Instilled gender roles played a huge part in the actions and responsibilities of each family member. The mother was ideally expected to stay home with the children and take care of the household. This was called the "homemaker". She bought the bacon, cooked the bacon, and served the bacon. All while having a baby on her hip. These stay at home mothers did not work a paid job but were full time workers of the home. The work of these mothers often went unnoticed and over looked as the easy end of the bargain. According to studies, women started to become unhappy with this arrangement. Many suffered from depression, isolationism, domestic violence, and unhappy marriages. The American Psychological Association conducted interviews of 1,364 mothers over the span of ten years. Throughout this study they found that mothers with jobs tend to be healthier and happier than moms who stay at home during their children's infancy and pre-school years (Buehler 1). The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists consisting of researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. These credentials alone make their studies pretty trust worthy. 

The father on the other hand is expected to provide the money that the mother uses to buy that bacon. His associated gender role was to be the bread winner for the family. The father spent most of his time away from the home at work so he can be the sole provider of the family. They do not spend much time with the family, especially the children. Surveys show that men believe they don't spend enough time with their children due to their long work weeks. During the time where this was the ideal setting, caring for a family was possible from the support of just a single income coming in. As generations passed, the cost of living has increased drastically and have now called for the need of a dual income. Where would this money come from? 

The mothers have been called to duty. They are now starting to be called into the work force to help support their families financially. Since studies show that mothers actually enjoy working, the majority of women had absolutely no problem going back to work. A problem arose when women realized that not only were they working paid jobs but also working a "second shift" when they came back home. The mothers noticed that they were not receiving much help from their spouses and therefore picking up the second shift of caring for children and keeping the house up when they got home. They wanted the fathers to help pick up the slack, but having those gender roles instilled into their minds the men felt like it wasn't their place. This caused a lot of tension and problems in the marriage therefore increasing divorce rates between married couples with children. Mothers typically gain custody of the children so this creates a rise in single mothers. 

The single motherhood lifestyle is risking the well being of their children. Women who raise children on their own risk the higher probability of their children performing poorly in schools, early pregnancy, juvenile behavior, and drug abuse. The mothers are confident in their decision to raise a child without a spouse. Many agree that they can play both mother and father role to their children but that is not the case. Children need a two parent household to further encourage vertical mobility in social class. Vertical mobility in social class includes secondary education which equates to a higher paying job.

