Are two parents better for kids?

Are two parents better for kids? October 1, 2009

I’d like to see your reply to this:

Are Two Parents Better for Kids?


I completely agree that stability is a pivotal part of providing a positive upbringing for children. There are many single parents doing a wonderful job of this. There are also many two-parent families in which stability lacks due to a variety of issues (i.e. marital conflict, violence, child abuse, tension, etc…). Obviously the ideal, is a two-parent stable family. But when this is not a possibility, it is helpful to know that single parents can also excel in their parenting roles.
Things that I think are important to note as far as the specifics of this research (make sure you take the time to listen to the actual researcher on the video) are the following:
  • The study was done comparing children who grew up in a single-parent household from day one, to children who grew up in a two-parent household from day one. The main point is that there is no major change in the structure of the family as the child grows up (i.e. divorce, remarriage, or the introduction of other significant and/or co-habitating relationships).
  • She is not trying to imply that a two-parent household isn’t still the most advantageous to have. However, she is trying to give kudos to the many single parents out there who do an incredible job providing a stable environment and rearing wonderful children who excel in our society.
  • I think her advice for single mothers (or fathers) to not begin to co-habitate or bring in multiple relationships to the family structure is incredibly wise. And even when there is a commitment to remarry, there needs to be an awareness that this structure change (albeit a good one for the adults) will more than likely affect the children in non-predictable ways.

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