Children living with a step-parent or a lone parent are as happy as those living with two biological parents, the British Sociological Association’s annual conference in Leeds heard today [Thursday 24 April].
In a major UK study on wellbeing, researchers from NatCen Social Research analysed data from the Millennium Cohort Study on 12,877 children aged seven in 2008 and found no significant difference in happiness.
Whether the children lived with two biological parents, a step-parent and biological parent, or in a single parent family, made no difference to how they rated their happiness: 64% said they were happy ‘sometimes or never’, and 36% said they were ‘happy all the time’.
Even when the researchers statistically removed the effects of other factors such as parental social class so that the effects of family type were isolated, the results showed no significant differences.
Jenny Chanfreau, Senior Researcher at NatCen, told the conference that, in contrast, relationships with parents and other children were strongly linked with how likely the seven-year-olds were to be happy. For instance, factors such as getting on well with siblings and not being bullied at school were associated with being happy all the time.
Ms Chanfreau said they found a similar result when analysing another set of survey data on 2,679 children aged 11 to 15 in the UK – this also showed no significant statistical difference in the level of wellbeing among children in the three types of family when the effects of family type were studied in isolation.
Ms Chanfreau told the conference: “We found that the family type had no significant effect on the happiness of the seven-year-olds or the 11-15 year olds.
“It’s the quality of the relationships in the home that matters – not the family composition. Getting on well with siblings, having fun with the family at weekends, and having a parent who reported rarely or never shouting when the child was naughty, were all linked with a higher likelihood of being happy all the time among seven-year olds.
“Pupil relations at school are also important – being bullied at school or being ‘horrible’ to others was strongly associated with lower happiness in the seven-year-olds, for instance.”
Ms Chanfreau worked with Cheryl Lloyd, Christos Byron, Caireen Roberts, Rachel Craig and Sally McManus of NatCen Research on the analysis and report, and Danielle De Feo of the Department of Health also contributed.
Results summary:
In the Millennium Cohort Study survey, data were gathered in 2008 on 12,877 children aged seven, and their parents.
Of those children living with two biological (or adoptive) parents: 64% said they were ‘sometimes or never’ happy and 36% said they were happy ‘all the time’. The exact same percentages were found for those living with one step-parent and one biological parent, and for those living with a lone parent.
The researchers then statistically controlled for other factors, such as their parents’ class and the level of the deprivation in the area where the home was, so that the influence of the family type on the seven-year-olds could be studied in isolation.
After doing this they found that those in living with a step-parent and a biological parent, and those living with a lone parent, were marginally less likely to be in the ‘happy all the time’ category, but this result was negligible and not statistically significant, and so was discounted.
Instead, factors such as relationships with others were found to be both important and statistically valid, including getting on with their siblings, having friends, having fun with the family or not being bullied at school.
A fourth family type – those not living with either a natural or adoptive parent – was linked with reduced happiness, but there were so few children in this category (forming only 0.3% of the total) that no further statistical analysis could be carried out.
The researchers also used data from the Understanding Society Study survey, gathered from 2009-2011 on 2,679 people aged 11 to 15. After removing other factors to isolate the effect of family type, the researchers found that those living with one step-parent and one biological parent were slightly more likely to be happier than those living with two biological (or adoptive) parents, and that those living with a lone parent were slightly less likely to be as happy as those living with two biological parents; however neither result was statistically significant and both were discounted. In effect, the family type had no effect on the 11-15 year-olds’ happiness.
In this century it is more often seen that children will not grow up with both their biological parents and yet these children grow up perfectly normal. There are still a lot of people that believe that children from broken homes tend to be resentful and resemble anger towards the people raising them. Children are actually very easily adaptable to change in circumstances; all they want is a save environment and love and affection and they will be happy thus I agree with this research.
A lot of children live daily within a “broken home” and yet they do not tend to suicide thoughts because they are unhappy with their care givers. There are some cases where children do not accept their step-parent but this is sorely because of abuse by this person. If a teenager is involved it might be because of rebellion. In almost all of the cases where a child does not get raised by both his/her biological parents he/she will adapt to their new circumstances. Children needs stability and stability is not only provided by living with both biological parents.
I know a lot of people who grew up successfully despite not living with both biological parents and this research only confirms that if you grow up in a loving home it does not matter how that family is synthesized.
In this century it is more often seen that children will not grow up with both their biological parents and yet these children grow up perfectly normal. There are still a lot of people that believe that children from broken homes tend to be resentful and resemble anger towards the people raising them. Children are actually very easily adaptable to change in circumstances; all they want is a save environment and love and affection and they will be happy thus I agree with this research.
A lot of children live daily within a “broken home” and yet they do not tend to suicide thoughts because they are unhappy with their care givers. There are some cases where children do not accept their step-parent but this is sorely because of abuse by this person. If a teenager is involved it might be because of rebellion. In almost all of the cases where a child does not get raised by both his/her biological parents he/she will adapt to their new circumstances. Children needs stability and stability is not only provided by living with both biological parents.
I know a lot of people who grew up successfully despite not living with both biological parents and this research only confirms that if you grow up in a loving home it does not matter how that family is synthesized.
I agree to an extent with some of the points brought forward by the article, still feel though that there are a few factors that researches can look at.
For example, yes children of a young age who only have one parent figure are ok and happy at the moment, but i feel that is because they don’t have a real understanding of what has just happened. so testing it on children between 7 and 15 is all good and well but what about kids who are now 18 and over, what if they only start feeling the emotional effects, caused by growing up with one or no parent at all, now?
Another thing is that we, especially children, are easily made happy, so to test whether children are effected by growing up with a single parent is not accurately shown by whether they are happy or not. Researches should have a look at other things that are effected by unstable emotions.
A good article. Feel it is just the beginning though at looking at how kids are effected by growing up with a single or no parent at all.
Quite an interesting read as I too am as happy as a teenager can be given the fact that I have been raised by both my biological parents. The romanticism associated with having to grow up with different families does at times beckon especially when my points of view are challenged or not supported when raised. This melodrama is I suppose associated with most teenage whims.
Michael does however shed an interesting perspective, supportive of my own family experiences associated with not having to grow up with one’s own biological parents. Case in point; the passing of my aunt during childbirth and the rearing of my baby cousin by my gran over the years, demonstrates the point that in the absence of a single parent, happiness is directly related to the amount of love and encouragement a child will receive.
Case in point: The untimely passing of my dad’s own father in his childhood shows also that with a traumatic experience, given appropriate time to readjust one can find happiness in ways contrary to the norm. By this I mean that in the conservative background in which my dad was grown up in, he says that his misfortune allowed him ways to express his emotions through mechanisms not appreciated by his peers and those within his family circle. In the absence of a father he sought to find a father figure or role model in strong influences he encountered in his early years. Anyone from an uncle to even a favorite superhero or a strong personality like the late Bruce Lee would influence his psyche. This is evident in his love for the martial arts and appreciation for the European Arts; paintings and the like as well as his passion for the great classics by Thomas Hardy and comparative religion.
The happiness of the child can be tempered through mutual respect and love which the guardian exposes the child to, and the key is to be supportive and conscious to not only the well-being of the child but to channel all energies towards the stimulus and direction in which the talents and interests of the child gravitates.
This article immediately caught my attention as I was also raised by a single parent. I agree with the article that the fact that a child is being raised by a single parent does not have an influence on a child’s happiness. A child’s happiness depends on the quality of the parenting. If you have just one parent, that is a good parent, a child will still be very happy. I also have to add that I do feel the absence of one parent does have an influence on a child’s development in the long run. But being raised by a single parent definitely does not mean you will be less happy than those children with two parents.
This article is very interesting when considering the dynamics of family and how it affects people.
The surveys that were conducted on children aged 7, and children aged 11-15, on whether or not the number of parents as well as whether the parents were biological or adoptive showed interesting statistics. The components that made up a family were less important than the relationships between the family and members of the society.
Happiness does not necessarily depend on the number of parents you have, as I have seen many kids raised by one parent appear happier than those raised by two. Happiness is something that not only depends on your wellbeing but also on the wellbeing of critical family members like parents and siblings. Relationships are a huge factor when considering happiness, not only with family but with members of the society as well.
Relationships form the basis of any child’s support system, helping them develop, ensuring they grow up to be the best they can be. A child’s happiness doesn’t depend on the amount of parents, but on how the child is raised and what that child experiences that adds to his perspective of what happiness is.
I personally think that relationships with siblings and especially parents have a huge affect on a child’s happiness. Spending time with family, having good relationships and having good relationships with school mates and your society influences how happy you are. My happiness certainly depended on my relationship and support from my parents. they provided me with everything I needed to be successful thus far and I am grateful every day.
This is an interesting article. I agree that the number of parents a child has or whether it the biological parents won’t have a influence on the child’s happiness at the age of seven. I feel that the factor that determines the happiness of a child at the age of seven isn’t the quantity of parents but rather the quality in wich this child has been raised. At seven years, a happy child is one who knows that he or she is loved and accepted. A happy child at the age of seven is one who knows he or she belongs somewhere and that he/she has someone who is taking care of him/her. The care taker doesn’t even have to be a biological parent. A happy child is one who knows he/she is loved.
After reading this article, I must say that I am pleased with the results obtained from the studies that took place. Personally, I had a much happier childhood being raised by a single parent since I was not being exposed to a toxic environment at home. I think that people, and especially parents, need to let go of this idea that not raising a child with both parents living under the same roof will ruin the child’s happiness. Being raised by a single parent should not be seen as a disadvantage. People need to stop looking at the child being raised by a single parent with pity or saying that the girl being raised without a father has “daddy issues”.
I have friends who grew up with both their parents and I had the same opportunities that they had, in fact, some of those friends were unhappy at home even though they had both parents there.I am glad that this article validates what I have always believed, that being raised by one or both parents does not determine how happy you are as a child.
This article has indeed shed some light on many household situations.I agree with the study in the fact that children with one parent are just as happy as children with both biological parents.I think in many cases children become unhappy in these cases when they are constantly made aware that thy may be disadvantaged in some way,however if children are in an environment where they are taught that they are not at all disadvantaged by having one parent ,I believe they will be equally happy.As people are known to behave according to what they have been taught or told.Although I agree largely with the study I do think that the study should be carried out on older children as well.As older children are more likely to display and interpret their true feelings on a certain matter and produce more accurate results for the study.
I found this article to be one which I could quite easily relate to due to personal experience. My parents divorced when i was thirteen years old and i have ever since lived with my mum. I am proud to say that i am more than 100% happy living entirely with one parent only! i have absolutely no contact my father and prefer to keep it that way. Personal experience has taught me that it is entirely upon a person of what they make of their circumstances.
Being a happy person does not entail having both your parents. Although it may be influenced by various factors such as your relationships happiness is also dependent upon factors such as stability and support and if this is offered by one parent only, it is all that a child needs.
Now that I am at varsity, I find it difficult to live without my mum as she has been the one offered me the support when I needed it the most. This article was truly an inspiring one, one which was easy to relate to and most certainly brought a smile to my face!
I agree with this blog, as i am one of those children that have been living with a single parent for majority of my life. I must say for these years I was not a depressed, sad or even a child that will retaliate impulsively. I was brought up correctly with a lovable mother, who cared and did the most that she could do. However because my mother was not the bread winner in my earlier years, When my father left we had to soon adapt to the changes, and this is the part where many separated families can struggle and where the child will become a rebel and would start disliking the mother because he will retaliate by saying, “its all your fault”. In some instances the child may even think its their fault that their parents divorced and thus may live with depression. This could also effect the child’s later years as he/she would not have had a proper upbringing as the father would not have been their as a role model.
However this was not my case as I was inspired by what my mom was doing to turn her life around and i was glad that I could do it with her as it strengthened our relationship, but at the same time I was not going to leave my Father as it was a time where he also needed support and therefore I saw him regularly and also the father and son bond was strengthened. And now I am as happy as I could be.
Therefore I would just like to say to those who are or who have been in this same situation that all you need is patience and to give your parents the support they need.
While this article does have a certain degree of merit to it, i feel that it is flawed. I feel the study was not in depth enough.
I have had experience in this regard myself as my parents were both killed when I was very young. i have subsequently lived with two different families. From my own experience, i am happy, possibly as happy as i would have been had my parents still been alive, but i have always felt that there was a part of my life missing. One’s surroundings are in essence what makes one happy or unhappy, but this does not mean that having one’s biological parents or not makes no difference. Additionally, I feel that the studies were done on an children that were too young. When one is 7, one often doesn’t comprehend much about family and family dynamics. From experience, as i got older – specifically in teenage years – I started longing for my parents. When i was younger, the reality that i would never know my parents or see them again had not quite registered in my mind. While this does not necessarily make me feel more or less happy, i feel that it does influence my life. I feel that when one has both one’s biological parents, there will always be a sense of belonging – whether conscious or subconscious. When one stays with parents other than one’s biological parents, one feels that there is always something missing from one’s life.
I feel that this study should be redone on children who are older, who can give a more mature emotional response.
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This article is quite relevant in this advanced era of social reliability; where social satisfaction doesn’t originate from our paternity but rather from the world around us, being our siblings, friends, hobbies, school etc.
Single and Step Parented families and Adoption have become a typical social norm in our times, such that being raised or parented by your two biological parents has seized being a factor in determining how happy or a well-grown individual you grow to become.
Children’s happiness comes from the attention, security and love they receive from the environment around them regardless of how how they are parented.
Thank You.
This article is very relevant to a lot of people in our generation as there are more divorces than marriages.
To a certain extent I agree with this article, a child can be happy whether they have both their parents or just one present in their lives. I have done some community service and have been to orphanages and I have seen how even the children without parents can be happy. I believe that all a child needs to experience happiness is love and obviously the essentials that a human being needs. When a child feel that they are loved and cared for there is a certain happiness that they feel. Having both their parents or just one present does not influence their level of happiness. there are other factors that influence a child’s happiness as mentioned in this article.
I have a lot of friends who grew up in single-parent homes and they sometimes even seem happier than those who live with both their parents. Happiness is a state of mind, it is a choice that one makes.
There are other factors that may influence a child’s happiness later on in their life but like I said before it is a choice one makes. The way that child was brought up is the ultimate decider of their mindset, which will make them decide whether to be happy or not.
A very interesting article in regarding to todays times as it seems that more parents are divorced leaving children with single mothers- or fathers raising the question if these children grow up as happy as their friends with both parents together.
The research provided indicates that there are more factors than just parents which could influence a childs’ happiness. I agree with this as your environment plays a key role in happiness. I was for example raised only by my dad and I did not find any difficulties in being happy, but I did go to a private school, was raised in a well-off part of town and my dad also never neglected me, he raised me with good values and was my hero.
The only part which I don’t agree 100% with is that the statistics were based on childrens’ answer, this for me is not very reliable as a child could easily be influenced or feel happy today and forget everything that happened yesterday.
In a short summary I think the way you are raised and where you are raised can have an effect on how happy you are, thus parents should try and be the best parents they can be (single, married or even not biological) and make sure that the kids are not exposed to bad surroundings.
I don’t entirely agree with this study that children living with a step-parent or a lone parent are as happy as those living with two biological parents. There are a few reasons why I have this view. Nowhere in the study is it mentioned that the research distinguish between the effects gender differences between children and the single parent might have. And how will boys opposed to girls experience life in all its aspects with the support and guidance of merely a single parent? As the existence of a child can only occur with the combination of a female and male’s cells, the education, support and upbringing of a child by a mother and a father are equally essential.
In 2011, psychologists Sarah E. Hill and Danielle J. DelPriore, both at Texas Christian University, took note of the subtle fact about Tennessee that nearly one in four households was headed by a single mother. Researchers have revealed a robust association between father absence—both physical and psychological—and accelerated reproductive development and sexual risk-taking in daughters. when I first read the article “Where’s dad” I couldn’t believe how the change in a girl’s environment—the departure of her father—influence something as central to biology as her reproductive development?
The results of Hill’s study brought the following results: “When Dad is absent, it basically provides young girls with a cue about what the future holds in terms of the mating system they are born into. When a girl’s family is disrupted, and her father leaves or is not close to her, she sees her future: men don’t stay for long, and her partner might not stick around either. So finding a man requires quick action. The sooner she is ready to have children, the better. She cannot consciously decide to enter puberty earlier, but her biology takes over, subconsciously. The conclusion was that growing up with emotionally or physically distant fathers in early to middle childhood could be “a key life transition” that alters sexual development. “This would help facilitate what we call, in evolutionary sciences, a faster reproductive strategy,” Hill said.
Thus a girl raised in the absence of a father constantly lives in a fear of rejection or loneliness and therefore couldn’t possibly be as happy as a girl raised in the presence of both her mother and father (providing the absence of abuse or any other negative household influences).
The other question I have is doen’t boys react differently to the absence of a father than girls? Have someone considered this view?
I found this article very interesting as I have experienced two of the different family types in my short eighteen years of life. My parents got divorced when I was two years old so for my early childhood years I lived mainly with my mother and saw my father every second weekend. As the studies suggest, this did not hinder my happiness in any way as I knew no different. I grew up with the mind set that my situation was normal and thought nothing of the fact that my parents were not living together. I had many friends at school as well as in the complex I was living in and so I was never lonely, despite being an only child.
When my parents reconciled, I was eight years old and therefore had the mental capacity to understand how this would change my life. However, I adapted very well and was grateful to have our little family together again. My parents are still happily married today.
I agree with the study as it implies that a child’s happiness will not be negatively affected as long as certain factors are present, such as stability, support and love. In hindsight, I recognise that these factors were present in my life and for this reason I could be happy.
This article caught my attention as I have many family members and friends with lone parents or step-parents. I have generally, yet ignorantly, believed that one would always be happier with two biological parents. I am delighted to see some facts for a change! It is now clearer to me that there are many strong lone parents out there and that factors such as health and school make the difference between happiness and unhappiness. I understand that a child with step parents can live a perfectly happy life; my question is: a child growing up with a lone parent, do they receive all the roles and life lessons learnt by that of a child with two parents? For me, there are different lessons learnt from a mother and a father. What I have learnt today is that happiness is only enhanced by a parent, be it a biological parent, a lone parent or a step parent. I am fortunate in my circumstances and also pleased to hear that there are truly inspirational parents out there who make there lives for their children so special! Thank you for the factual research.
This article immediately caught my attention. Although I am now in university and in a hostel, I used to live with only my mother. Therefor I found this article very interesting.
It is most certainly true that a person’s happiness is influenced by several factors. Still I would agree with the article and say that a single parent is not a factor that influences happiness. Due to my personal experiences, I believe that a single parent can provide the same amount of happiness as two biological parents or even a step-parent can provide.
I am now eighteen years old and I am still happy with my life and my family. My mother gave me just as much reasons, if not more, to by as happy as a child with two biological parents. Happiness is a choice and your parent or parents can only enhance you to make the choice of being happy. Therefor you would not be less happy with one parent or step-parents.
The way you are raised by your parent or parents is the factor that may influence your happiness. Thus if you are a child of a single parent, know that you may be just as happy!
This article truly brought a smile to my face when I read it as I have personal experience with friends and family who only live with one biological parent. I always felt sorry for these people as I could not think of my life without one of my parents. I always believed your parents help form you into the person you will be in your life and I wondered if this would effect my friends and their future, but to read this really brought a sense of relieve now knowing there is scientific evidence that proves the state of your family does not alter the sense of happiness we experience at home with our parents. I still believe that not having a specific parent in your childhood will have an impact on how you develop and handle specific situations and will effect your personality in later stages of your life. I am blessed with wonderful parents, but it is really good to hear that children with only one parent are also happy and enjoys their childhood just like I do. u14063329