Two mums better than dad (Amazing longitudinal study) -not going to make the fundies happy

[depakid]

n a new study published in the online edition of the journal Pediatrics on June 7, researchers found children born to and raised by lesbian couples were better off socially, academically and more competent than their peers.

Co-investigators of the http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/peds.2009-3153v1?hits=10&FIRSTINDEX=0&FULLTEXT=bos&SEARCHID=1&gca=pediatrics%3Bpeds.2009-3153v1&">National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Survey (NLLFS), Nanette Gartrell, MD and Henny Bos, PhD, began following 154 pregnant lesbians between 1986-92 to create the world's "largest, longest running, prospective, longitudinal study of same-sex-parented families."

The researchers set out to follow the babies from conception to adulthood and to date 93% of the families are still participating in the study that includes interviews, questionnaires and Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklists. (CBCL).

"According to their mothers' reports, the 17-year-old daughters and sons of lesbian mothers were rated significantly higher in social, school/academic, and total competence and significantly lower in social problems, rule-breaking, aggressive, and externalising problem behavior than their age-matched counterparts in Achenbach's normative sample of American youth."

Gartrell told US magazine Time that she "was surprised to find that on some measures we found higher levels of competency and lower levels of behavioral problems. It wasn't something I anticipated."

Bos and Gartrell noted that there was no CBCL differences within the lesbian family sample based on the family unit whether separated, together or any knowledge/relationship of sperm-donor/biological father.

"Our findings show that adolescents who have been raised since birth in planned lesbian families demonstrate healthy psychological adjustment and thus provide no justification for restricting access to reproductive technologies or child custody on the basis of the sexual orientation of the parents," concluded the authors.

Both also explained that the key was in the mothers' active engagement and oddly the same diversity that caused their children stress due to teasing at age ten served as a solid foundation for broaching challenging critical issues as they grew up - making for better-adjusted 17-year-olds.

More: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/two-mums-better-than-dad-20100614-y7h6.html

[Brooklyns_Finest]

1. Good for them

However, lesbians get to plan their pregnancies, thus they probably have more of a "plan" on how they want to raise their kids. Heterosexual couples, more than likely, get knocked up and just go with the flow. I don't think you can compare the two types of parents.

[Hello_Kitty]

2. Tell that to the fundies.

I do think you have a point re planned vs. unplanned pregnancies but to hear social conservatives tell it, hetero nuclear families are Teh Awesome and every other kind is inferior.

[depakid]

3. The comparison is against an age matched normative sample

and the results are reported after a long period of childhood development.

Any effects of the type you've identified would be very limited and not account for the differences.

[Gormy Cuss]

4. That's along the lines of one of the study authors' theory on why the outcome was better

The Pediatrics article has a lot of detail for those who wish to read it:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/reprint/peds.2009-3153v1

[depakid]

6. The lesbian couples tended to be more committed and engaged parents throughout

the child's life.

From the discussion:

These findings may be explained in part by the NLLFS mothers’ commitment even before their offspring were born to be fully engaged in the process of parenting. During pregnancy, the prospective mothers took classes and formed support
groups to learn about childrearing. They were actively involved in the education of their children and aspired
to remain close to them, however unique their interests, orientations, and preferences may be.

To the extent that the NLLFS mothers may have achieved this goal, numerous studies showed that having a satisfying
relationship with one’s parents is associated with a more favorable adolescent adjustment.

The lower levels of externalizing problem behavior among the NLLFS adolescents may be explained by the disciplinary
styles used in lesbian mother households. The NLLFS mothers reported using verbal limit-setting more often with their children. Other studies have found that lesbian mothers use less corporal punishment and less power assertion than heterosexual fathers.

Growing up in households with less power assertion and more parental involvement has been shown to be associated with healthier psychological adjustment. Also, adolescent boys who are close to their parents are less likely to engage in delinquent behavior.

[Gormy Cuss]

12. Yes, I read the article.

This would be an important study for the simple reason that it's such a long panel of a family type that hasn't been observed adequately, but there are some study limitations that may be significant, not the least of which is that it wasn't a randomly selected study group. The 93% retention rate of the panel over such a long period speaks to a high commitment to the study by these parents.

Still, it's a great piece of work to debunk the notion that there's something essentially unhealthy about children growing up with lesbian parents.

[eridani]

5. This is simply common sense

Lesbians can't get pregnant accidentally, so the researchers selected a pool of parents with a lot of extra motivation. I'd expect similar results for straight adoptive parents. And by the same logic, gay men should turn out to be best of all, because the biological barriers to parenthood are even higher.

[roguevalley]

7. also, two moms to beat your ass and keep you in the straight

and narrow. :) Dads are getting better nowadays though I will say.

[eppur_se_muova]

8. Obvious extrapolation: One dad, many moms, even better!

Sure it wasn't the FLDS that sponsored this study?

[Bonobo]

9. Lower economic lesbians probably don't have the means to marry and adopt.

So the "study" is hopelessly flawed to begin with unless it accounts for that.

Think about it.

Researcher found what they wanted to find.

[yewberry]

11. Lesbians in general can't marry regardless of means

and the study doesn't address adoptive parents but sticks to pregnant women.



Thanks,

yew: daughter of low-income lesbians

[Gormy Cuss]

13. That's not a study flaw.

It's not a study of whether lesbians can marry and adopt. It's a study of some children raised by lesbian parents. The study does have limitations, not the least of which is there was no control group, but there are several strengths including prospective data collection, high retention of the panel, and the use of standard measurement tools. It's adding to the very thin literature on outcomes for children of gay/lesbian families. That was the goal and the goal was achieved.

[krispos42]

10. I always thought the fundie's reasoning was full of BS anyway.

Kids go to "guy stuff" with their dad and their dad's friends and/or male relatives, and they also do "girl stuff" with their mom and theirm mom's friends and/or female relatives, just as a normal part of growing up.

There's balance. Fundies worry too much about the "damage" caused by gay couples and not enough about the damage from pro-corporate economics.