Same-Sex Parents Create Happy Kids

According to a recent study conducted by the University of Melbourne in Australia, children of same-sex couples are happier and healthier then children from "traditional" families. The study was aimed to "describe the physical, mental and social well-being" of children with same-sex parents as well as "the impact that stigma has on them".

A research team surveyed 315 same-sex parents and a total of 500 children. The results show, on average, the children with two moms or two dads scored 6% higher on measures of general health and family cohesion. When it came to temperament, mood, behavior, mental health and self-esteem, the children scored the same as children with heterosexual parents.

Head researcher, Simon Crouch, believes an emphasis on skills rather then traditional gender roles is a major factor in the survey results. "So what this means is that people take on roles that are suited to their skill sets rather than falling into those gender stereotypes. What this leads to is a more harmonious family unit and therefore feeding on to better health and wellbeing." Crouch explained. 

I think this is a brilliant idea because it helps show children that their gender does not make them who they are. Society as a whole still as a stigma that if you are a certain gender you can only like certain things or do certain things. Such as only girls can enjoy baking, and only boys can be grow up to be mechanics. As a society we need to do away with the idea of traditional gender roles for the sake of future generations. 

In my opinion, the results of this survey make perfect sense. Unlike heterosexual couples, no same-sex couple has a child accidentally. Whether they are from fostering, adoption or surrogacy, having a child is a meticulous process that requires time and planning for any same-sex couple. Most importantly, every child raised by same-sex parents knows they are wanted. 

For the full results of this survey, visit http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/14/635/abstract