Caring Relationships: An Introduction

Many parents feel they are “going it alone” as they raise their children. Whether you’re single or have a parenting partner, you need people around you and your children who are supportive, affirming, and encouraging. Needing a team isn’t a sign of weakness or inadequacy; in fact, it’s essential. Seeking advice, help, and support from others gives your kids what they need to succeed—and gives you what you need to succeed as a parent.

Did You Know?

• According to Search Institute research, only 45 percent of middle- and high-school-aged youth surveyed indicate that they have three or more caring adults (other than their parents) who they can turn to for advice and support about important questions in life.¹
• Seventy-one percent of parents surveyed say it would really help them as parents to have other adults who they trust spend time with their kids.
• Many adults believe they should be supporting young people and want to find ways to do so. However, they worry about offending parents, being rejected, or not having what it takes to be a friend to a young person.
• Nearly 3 in 10 parents surveyed report no support from any source other than their spouse or partner—not even from extended family. Nearly 60 percent have only one source of support other than their spouse or partner.²

Parents with multiple sources of support are better equipped to handle the challenges of parenting­—and kids benefit, too. In fact, Search Institute research in Developmental Assets shows that kids who can turn to three or more adults for advice and support are less likely to engage in high-risk behaviors, such as underage drinking.