According to a recent study by DREES, a quarter of children under 6 years old living with their mother have no contact with their father. Julie Scouppe, psychologist specializing in childhood, explains to us how this situation can have an impact on the development of toddlers.
- At the end of 2021, 130,000 French children living with single -parent family have no contact with their father.
- “In the absence of a parent, there is bound to be an” emotional impact “since it” exists a lack “, according to the psychologist specializing in childhood, Julie Souppe.
- To overcome the lack, she advises to help young people create and “feed other emotional ties” by letting them spend more time with their comrades or family members.
517,000. It is the number of children under 6 years old living in a single-parent family, that is to say made up of a parent or a person who alone assumes the burden of at least one private child ‘Help of one or both parents, at the end of 2021. This data was unveiled by the Directorate of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (DREES). In a reportpublished on January 30, she clarified that for these young people, alternating residence, that is to live in a balanced way at the home of both parents, is not widespread, because most often, toddlers live mainly at their mother (83 %). “In this case, the child care by the father is very variable. Thus, 25 % of children under 6 years old living with single -parent family – about 130,000 – have no contact with their father. For The latter, the separation of parents is more often early and the economic situation of families, more precarious. “
In this context, the development of the child can be put to the test, according to the psychologist specializing in childhood, Julie Souppe. “In the absence of a parent, here of the father, there is a lack. Thus, there is necessarily an emotional impact. However, its magnitude will depend on the way in which the parent present talks about this situation. For example , if the mother tells her child that her father is a horrible person, abandoned them and left alone in difficulty, it will not help him. are more in love or That the father is sick, so he cannot, and not, does not want to be with him and take care of it, the impact is not the same. “
Grandparents, uncles, cousins: the child needs to create “links with other attachment figures”
Another factor to take into account: the entourage of the mother. “If the woman is isolated, the child will be more affected by the absence of her father. However, if the little one is surrounded by his grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins, he will create links with d ‘other attachment figures, and that’s what he needs “, explains the specialist. This is the case for 35 % of young children from single -parent families who are entrusted to a loved one at least once in the week, according to the French study. More specifically, it is the grandparents who are asked in 25 % of cases.
“The care of young children by their brother (s) and/or sister (s) is a minority situation but much more widespread in single -parent families”, underlines the Drees. Julie Smouppe indicates that it is not so serious if a 17 -year -old teenager, stable and mature, keeps once in a while, without it being up to him to see his friends, his little brother or her little sister. “Nevertheless, if this enormous responsibility is carried by an 8 or 10 year old child, it is not good, because it is far too young. By giving him this type of concern, he is removed his carelessness and he will mature more quickly.”
“Visit duty” for fathers: “It’s delicate!”
Questioned by the magazine She In May 2024, Emmanuel Macron had revealed that he wanted to replace the “right of visit” with a “duty of visit”, that is to say a “duty to support until adulthood”, for fathers of single -parent families. “It’s delicate! It can be beneficial to make fathers aware of the consequences of their absence, but forcing him to see his child is not a good idea. This condition is not the best to create a link, Because the young person will feel that the latter does so by obligation, and not to be sanctioned, which will lead the child to lose confidence in him and have a bad esteem of him, which can be problematic for his future relationships. “
If a child is too affected by the absence of a parent, the psychologist advises, at first, to determine what upsets him and how he saw the situation. “Some children feel responsible for the separation of their parents. In this case, it must be made to make him feel guilty and reassure him by explaining that it is not his fault.” In parallel, the person who assumes alone the burden of the child can try to register him for extra -curricular activities or make him spend more time with the other students. “Although it does not replace a father, feeding other emotional ties can help the child. If distress persists, a specialist should be viewed.”
