Can there ever be enough for me?: reparenting the young single parent

ABSTRACT

This paper is concerned with group-work with young single mothers and their children. It describes such group which met regularly for two and a half years, and whose members, mainly West Indian late adolescents, had suffered a considerable degree of both social and emotional deprivation. Attention is paid, both to the group members as individuals, and to the group process as a whole, and these two strands are seen to place constant conflict and stresses upon the group. There is a sense in which the group can provide the opportunity for its members to regress and receive some primary caring; together with an opportunity to move from that position towards a growth of self-esteem and self-confidence. The concept of the group acting as both "good' and "bad" parents is examined, a model which reflects both individual members' life experience, and the life of the group. (Summary)