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.
I agree 110% with this article! Coming from a broken home and living with one parent has made me realize that having two parents living with you doesn’t equal happiness. A bond between a parent and child is very important, especially when the child is being faced with “your family is different”. For me, happiness is not how many parents you have, how much money is in the bank or if you are getting good grades – happiness is taking advantage of the moment and loving those close to you.
I am incredibly pleased that this subject has finally been broached and that science has proven what I’ve known all along. The stereotype that children need two parents when growing up to become a ‘whole person’ is an absolute myth.The fact that society is moving away from this opinion is even better. If you look back 40 or so years ago,couples would stay together for the sake of the child so they would not be ‘scared’ of not growing up with married parents. The eventual situation would be that the child would grow up in sad home witnessing a dysfunctional marriage,leaving the child bitter with resentment toward their parents. That is more damaging than experiencing two separate and happy parents. If you grow up in a positive environment, you’ll be a more joyful person,no matter what the external circumstances are.
It is agreeable that the happiness of a child is not dependent on the number of parents the child has but it depends on the quality of the parenthood offered to the child. Children that are raised by single parents have the same capabilities as those that have both parents but the reports on these are one sided, i.e. a child that is raised by the mother may not behave the same way as a child that is raised by a father and thus their happiness may not be the same.
I fully agree with the article and S.Heuer(u14233802)’s comment. A child having a single parent and the one having both parents may share the same happiness provided that there is there is sufficient love and love, but there will be a minor differences in behavior. I have observed that girls who were raised by single mothers tend to have a slightly different view of men than those raised by both parents. Those raised by single mothers often either try to please other males(in an unapropriate manner) due to their lack of having a male role model who shows them love and how to behave around males. Others tend to be reluctant to the male species. Being raised by a lone parent does not affect one’s overall happiness if there is enough love and support from both the parent and entire family.
Where there is love, there is happiness and joy. it does not matter whether you are raised by a single parent or both parents, what matters mostly is how tight your bond is with your parent/s and how you have been brought up.
This article is exceedingly relevant in today’s society, seeing as there are many factors which can contribute to there being just one parent bringing up a child or children. Divorce, car accidents, robberies, fatalities can be prevalent and no one knows if or when something could happen. Yet, it is a choice, decision, consequence and outcome that people have to live with every day.
Being raised by one parent definitely doesn’t make you less happy than if you had both parents. Happiness is made up of many pieces. Physical things like a house, food and money do play a slight role, as without these things it is quite difficult to just focus on the positive things in life when there is a constant worry about where you’re going to sleep tonight or when you’re going to eat next. But these things don’t make up the bulk of your emotional wellbeing and happiness. Family, be it immediate or distant or even a foster family, friends and the known feeling of being loved and appreciated will give you happiness. Happiness is a state of mind, a choice, an explicit decision to make the best of any situation. So it doesn’t matter if you have 1 parent or 2 parents, every person has the divine decision of wanting to be happy and making their happiness come true.
A child is taught through lessons when being brought up. Certain lessons are taught by each parent, and if a parent is absent, each child reacts differently. For example: Generally a boy reacts differently to the absence of his father than a girl would. So in this case, the mother would have to show and teach the boy what she could and this doesn’t mean the boy will HAVE to be unhappy because the mother had to “teach” him, but he could make the decision to see it in a positive light and decide to be happy with his situation. And he mother could have helped the child to have a nature like this through quality parenting and how she has raised her child to give him/her perspective on happiness in their lives.
The only comment on this article that I do not totally agree with was that the age group they choose to question, was extremely limited and they were all young. If the age group could have been more children from other age groups as the ones just chosen here generally have higher levels of fluctuating happiness from day to day in the form of how they are feeling on that day rather than an overall “bigger picture” feeling of happiness, encompassing all aspects of their life and not just for example what they had for breakfast or whether or not they got the toy they wanted.
Overall this article makes valid points and highlights many aspects for people to think about especially in today’s social standings.
As I go through this article and the comments that are coming through,i notice almost all of us agree on one point,that it doesn’t matter if you’re living with both parents or not.
Sometimes you may find that when living with both of these parents or step-parents,children are not as happy.You may find that parents are constantly fighting,calling each other names.This does of course have a negative impact on a child’s life,You may find that these children are growing to be arrogant,aggressive and often bully.This is just to emphasise the fact that it all depends on the responsibility,the love and care that you receive from your parent(s).
From my point of view I believe that family type does not have any effect on the happiness of a child.The happiness of a child is instead determined by the the type of treatment from any individual they living with and the tender loving care from those individuals.Weather the parent are biological or lone If they do not give the child love or treat the child well he/she will never be happy.How can one be happy without love?We all know that love is the root of happiness ,therefore everyone need love to be happy.
In other words a child’s happiness is determined by the kind of love and treatment they get from the people surrounding them.Children can be happy with both biological and lone parent(s) as long as they get right treatment and the love they need.
I also agree with the findings of the article in the level where they say that there are many factors contributing to the child’s happiness because I personally think that a child’s happiness is influenced by whether she/he get attention from the people around him/her,whether they are well-taken care of,whether they feel comfortable and safe in the environment they live in and whether they are allowed to explore the world rather than being denied many opportunities that children enjoy.And as longs as children have all of these then they will be happy regardless of whether they actually get these from both parents,adoptive parents or single parents.I also agree with what has been said about the comparison between children from a ‘family’ and those from an orphanage homes
When I saw this article I couldn’t be more happier or either agree more with it. I personally think that children living with lone parent are happy as those with two parents.
I think that being happy is not really influenced by whether you are raised by one parent or either two, but yet it is actually influenced by the relationship one has with the people around him or her. I mean if you have a parent or parents who love and support you, then obviously you are going to be more happy, especially because you have a great relationship with them and all you need.
If a child is raised by a lone parent or parents who loves them, provide much support, care and provide that particular child with all that he or she need that other children wish to have, and mostly listen to that child when talking then I really don’t see why that particular child won’t be happy.
The are many children out there who were raised by lone parent and they are much more happy like I am, because of the love they got from them. I think that despite being raised by one or two parents as long as they are willing to go an extra mile for you in order to have anything then you will remain forever happy.
I was raised by two parents and I have a friend who was raised by a lone parent and we are both happy and no one can tell who was raised by who. So children who were raised by lone parents are much more happy like those raised by lone parents.
Although I believe it is better to have both your parents to take care of you (especially later in a child’s teenage life) there are cases where the amount of parents cannot be helped.
Most of the comments are by students who can relate to the article and agree to with it. Having grown up with both my parents, I cannot think about life without one of them. They each had a different role to play in my life that would have been impossible for the other one play.
Either way, I think each person is responsible for his/her own happiness. Do you have a positive outlook on life? Do you stand up for yourself when others trample on you? Do you care for your relationships with the people around you? These are all things that have an influence on one’s happiness.
At the age seven, children won’t know these things yet and their happiness is determined by whether they are loved at home. But later in life children with both single and 2 parents will determine their own happiness because it’s the life they were given and the only life they know and have. Make the best of it.
I completely agree with the research as I have grown up in a lone parent environment myself and I can safely say I am a happy person . A child’s happiness does not depend on who is around but on how much love , affection and attention they get from whoever is around. That is why , I believe children who have grown up in orphanages are more likely to be unhappy . They do not receive a lot of love and affection as there are just to many of them in most of those orphanages. However such children tend to be happier after they are adopted as they now receive a lot of the attention and love that generally constitutes to a child’s happiness. I agree with the above comments as they all support my opinion that happiness does not depend on who the child has around.
However 14035279 does make an excellent point in stating that sometimes there is a gap that is created when a biological parent is replaced by a step parent or an adoptive parent . In this case there is a bond that has been created between parent and child and that parent not being there creates a void that may lead to unhappiness.
I totally agree with the fact that you don’t need a house full of a thousand people in order to be happy.It all depends on the kind of love and happiness you receive from those taking care of you.I lived with both parents until I was ten years old when they got divorced.I must say,I’m much more happier right now living my mother as a lone parent.Single parents are capable of ensuring that there is a hundred percent happiness in the house.
I totally agree with the fact that it doesn’t really matter if you’re living in a house full of a thousand people,what matters is the kind of love and happiness you receive from those taking care of you.I lived with both parents,until i was ten years old when they got divorced.I must say,I’m much more happier right now living with a lone parent,my mother.Single parents are capable of bringing a 100% happiness in the house.
I totally agree with most of the findings in this articles because I believe that a child’s happiness does not depend on the number of parents he/she has but what type of relationship he/she has with the parents that are there in his/her life. What I like about this article is that it eliminates the believe that most people have that a child must have both biological parents in his/her life to be happy. There are many households today where children are raised by single or adoptive parents and they are living very happy lives and also households where both biological parents are presents but the children’s level of happiness is very low.
although the golden standard tradition in communities is that a child is happier with both parents,i totally disagree with the norm.i was interested in reading this article because i can relate to it. my dad has never been around but that never stopped my siblings and i,from waking up each day with a big smile on our faces. there were struggles,especially financially but by the grace of God my mother was the woman and the man of the house. in fact,based on the latest census Burea statistics,there are over 14 million single parent households with children under the age of 18. that is a lot of people and it gives me a reason to celebrate. at the end of the day,what matters is the quality of the relationship among the family,and not the composition of the family. if there is love,caring,sharing and laughter,then the family type has no significant effect on the happiness of the child. good article indeed,i like it!
I agree with the views expressed in the article as well as the above comments. From my personal experience being raised by a single mother, I am no different from my peers. The quality of the relationships between guardians and their children determines the level of happiness within the home, not the quantity. A happy parent makes a happy child and in turn a happy home.
I think the article is very insightful and for me personally, confirms something that has been apparent in my life. I’ve been in situations where I’ve had a stepfather and times where my mother was single and in both those situations, my levels of happiness didn’t change. I think that’s because my mother didn’t change or started treating me differently in both those situations,so it made the changes much easier to adapt to and also my step-dad was a decent person. The quality of the relationships is what makes one happy,not just in a family situation but also in friendships,romantic relationships etc. I think that if everything that happens in the family is properly explained to the,there will be reduced levels of unhappiness for the child,in any type of family.
There are very insightful comments on this article. I agree with most of them. The article isn’t accurate enough since it doesn’t take the role that the gender of the parent plays in the later years of the child’s life into consideration. Especially if it is a father and a teenage daughter.
For example: how will a teenage daughter be able to discuss topics like the physical and emotional changes she is going through with her father? How can a teenage boy look at his mother as a rollmodel as to “what it is to be a man”?
The gender of the parents play a large role in the emotional growth of a child’s life. At the age of seven it doesn’t matter that much yet.
But in the later phase of child’s life he/she will need both the gender’s as rollmodels.
I fully agree with the findings on the forth family-type. I believe the presence of biological parents and their contributions in the up-bringing of a child is of utmost importance in fulfilling the ideal amounts of happiness a child must have. Adoptive parents and other guardians do not fully close the biological parent’s gap, as most of them never really love the children like their biological parents would have, the same goes for treatment.