Does Parenting Matter

It is well known that throughout America there are several different family dynamics. Whether it is a stable two-parent home or a foster child bouncing from house to house, this essay dives into the conversation, does parenting matter? How are the children affected by their lives at home? Not only who they are brought up around but where and in what condition they are brought up in.

The dream scenario is, of course, two parents and a happy home. Children are less likely to be affected by, or have a negative impact from, a two-parent home. According to Dohoon Lee and Sara McLanahan, children who grow up in two-parent homes have a better overall well being. These types of homes provide more stability for the child, giving them a sense of comfort

In the same study done by Dohoon Lee and Sara McLanahan, it shows that children raised in this type of family are prone to loneliness and neglect. This is because with all their other children around, they may not feel as important. They end up having to fight for attention which is emotionally draining on the child. Fighting for attention and feeling abandoned will have an affect how the child acts later in life. "Children are often suspicious of their mothers' new partners and slow to open up to the benefits the new relationship might confer on them, while stepfathers are often uncertain about how to respond to the children of their new partner" (Mackay). This can cause problems with the biological mother or father since the children aren't accepting of the stepparent. This is why family structure and stability is

This family structures consists of a child who have separated parents or just one single parent with the other out of the picture. With only one parent or separated parents the child will be emotional and usually blame one of the parents for their role of how things turned out. With this structure children usually show problems with "capacity, schooling, physical health, mental and emotional health, social conduct and behaviour, peer relations, criminal offending, cigarette smoking, substance use, early departure from home, early-onset sexual behaviour and teenage pregnancy." (Mackay) This can not only affect a child's life as a teen but for the rest of their lives. This kind of structure is becoming more common nowadays and can affect a child in a negative way. This structure can provide destroys the well being for the child. This can be the cause if the child has parents who do not agree with the court ordered custody agreement and acts out or ruining their lives with drugs, early onset sexual activity, or other bad habits. They can commonly feel abandoned or that their parents aren't there for them in many aspects including physically, emotionally, or