Family Stability, Not Structure, Helps Kids Succeed

Kids who grow up in stable one-parent homes, defined as always living only with the single parent, generally experience the same levels of academic and behavioral success as those in households with two married parents, according to new research. The study, published in the new book, Marriage and Family: Perspectives and Complexities (Columbia University Press), looked at nearly 5,000 mothers and more than 11,000 kids nationwide, focusing on kids of married moms and kids born to mothers who were always single. The results suggest that what’s key for many kids is life in a household where they don’t experience divorce or other changes in parenting, not whether it is a single-parent home or a married home. But there were some differences: Behavioral health and math and reading test scores for White and Hispanic kids from stable single-parent and stable married homes were quite similar, but Black kids living in single-parent homes had lower math and reading test scores than those in married homes, though they did not experience additional behavioral challenges. The takeaway? That family transitions may be more jarring to kids than living in single-parent homes.

Source: Health Insider