Two moms may be better than one

A study published in the US journal of Pediatrics shows results of researchers who followed a group of children born to lesbian moms via donor insemination for nearly 25 years to chart their psychological health and development. The children at 17 y.o. were rated significantly higher in social, school/academic, and total competence and significantly lower in social problems, rule-breaking, aggressive, and externalizing problem behavior than their age-matched counterparts. The author of the study, Nanette Gartrell, has theories on why this. “They are very involved in their children’s lives,” she says of the lesbian parents. “And that is a great recipe for healthy outcomes for children. Being present, having good communication, being there in their schools, finding out what is going on in their schools and various aspects of the children’s lives is very, very important.” Because their children are more likely to experience discrimination as a result of their family circumstances, these moms can be more likely to broach complicated topics, such as sexuality and diversity and tolerance, with their children early on. Having such a foundation may help to give these children more confidence and maturity in dealing with social differences and prejudices as they get older.

[via starobserver.com.au]