smoky: From my experiences I dont think it is fair for children to be brought up by a single parent.
My brother and I were brought up by our Dad.... an excellent parent. We thought it was quite normal. When we got older, married and all that stuff, we found we had lost out on a "balanced" upbringing. My brother was short on understanding the Female side of life. Me too. I was always inclined to "think like a man" if that makes any sense.
Whereas, my younger sister, brought up by our Mother, seems to have a different outlook and handles her life, as a woman, more successfully. She also has very little patience with men....
Taking note of others thru life`s walk, I do notice that those brought up with a Mom and Dad in a union seem more capable of handling life`s problems..... more rational and level headed.....jmho....
I do also know, for a fact, that boys will seek a Mentor - they need one, and they may not necessarily find a "good" one - any older male who impresses them is who they will imitate.
Far better a single parent than parents who are unhappy together, my parents never had a kind word to say to each other and I lived in fear of there rows all threw my growing uo years..
I am now a single parent, I split when I realise my marriage was heading teh same way as my parents and I could see the efrfect it was having on my children.
We are a much happier family now without the rows and the tension and I feel I did the right thing for my children.
On the subject of men as single parents, I have a friend who has raised his daughter alone and she is a lovely young woman now.