Parenting,What Really Counts

by Susan Golombok

What Really Counts? examines the scientific evidence on what really matters for children's healthy psychological development.
The first section considers whether it is necessary to have two parents, a father present, parents who have a genetic link with their child, or parents who are heterosexual. Section two explores the psychological processes that underlie optimal development for children, particularly the quality of the child's relationship with parents, other family members and the wider social world. Contrary to common assumptions, Susan Golombok concludes that family structure makes little difference to children's day-to-day experiences of life.
As well as for students, researchers and teachers, What really counts? will be of great interest to parents and those thinking of embarking on a non-traditional route to parenthood. It will also be welcomed by professionals working with families and those involved in the development of family policy.

Genres: Parenting, Psychology

144 pages, Paperback

First published August 10, 2000

Reviews

[Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book centres on the discussions of traditional and non-traditional families' influence on children's psychological well-being. By children, Golombok means those who are child and teens. Discussions include the number of parents, fathers' presence or not, biological relation, parents' sexual orientation in the first part, quality of relationships between parents and children, quality of parents' marriage and psychological state, and children's characteristics and their wider social world. This book is not for readers who want to have a look at parent- adult children relationships. I guess the current research on non-traditional families may not touch upon those aging LGB parents, single mothers, surrogate families with longitudinal research design in a sense the children in these families have grown up?