Blended Families
Courtesy of collider.com
In 2009, only 47% of children reached 17 with an intact married family.(Fagan and Churchill, 2012) For the past several decades psychologists have been interested in the cognitive, emotional, and social development of children with divorced parents, single parents, and blended families.
Historically and even today, some believe that children in blended families are irrevocably damaged in all aspects of their development. Most modern psychologists would agree that although blended families are not the ideal, children raised in these households can be developmental equals with their traditional family peers.
Studies have shown that several factors can positively affect the child’s well being in a divorced/blended family situation. They are:
· High income, highly educated mother
· Divorced parents living within a 1 hour radius of each other
· 2 mentally healthy parents, especially the mother
· Divorced parents have lots of visible positive interactions
· Mother has no history of delinquency
· Both parents are authoritative
· Genetically inclined to cope well
· (O’Connor 2009)
· (Murray, 2000)
However, many children with divorced parents do not have these positive factors in their life and so some develop more slowly than their peers with a traditional family structure. In fact, children with divorced/ remarried parents are 2 times more likely to struggle academically, behaviorally, and socially as compared to their traditional family peers. These problems tend to arise as the divorce is happening, for some time afterwards, and again when the child goes through puberty. (DeAngelis, 2005) These problems can also manifest in college students.
More specifically these problems are:
· More strained interpersonal relations
· Less financial support
· Perceive parents less favorably
· Think of themselves as less
§ Physically attractive
§ Happy
§ Emotionally stable
§ (Braver,2003)
Psychologists believe that even though the odds are in some ways stacked against children of blended families, if the child is taken care of and has continuous emotional support from parents, friends and teachers, the student can succeed. (DeAngelis,2005) If you would like to know more about how educators can support children of blended and non-traditional families in general, please click on the Resources tab on the navigation bar on the top of the screen or click here for classroom resources and click here for school wide resources!
Historically and even today, some believe that children in blended families are irrevocably damaged in all aspects of their development. Most modern psychologists would agree that although blended families are not the ideal, children raised in these households can be developmental equals with their traditional family peers.
Studies have shown that several factors can positively affect the child’s well being in a divorced/blended family situation. They are:
· High income, highly educated mother
· Divorced parents living within a 1 hour radius of each other
· 2 mentally healthy parents, especially the mother
· Divorced parents have lots of visible positive interactions
· Mother has no history of delinquency
· Both parents are authoritative
· Genetically inclined to cope well
· (O’Connor 2009)
· (Murray, 2000)
However, many children with divorced parents do not have these positive factors in their life and so some develop more slowly than their peers with a traditional family structure. In fact, children with divorced/ remarried parents are 2 times more likely to struggle academically, behaviorally, and socially as compared to their traditional family peers. These problems tend to arise as the divorce is happening, for some time afterwards, and again when the child goes through puberty. (DeAngelis, 2005) These problems can also manifest in college students.
More specifically these problems are:
· More strained interpersonal relations
· Less financial support
· Perceive parents less favorably
· Think of themselves as less
§ Physically attractive
§ Happy
§ Emotionally stable
§ (Braver,2003)
Psychologists believe that even though the odds are in some ways stacked against children of blended families, if the child is taken care of and has continuous emotional support from parents, friends and teachers, the student can succeed. (DeAngelis,2005) If you would like to know more about how educators can support children of blended and non-traditional families in general, please click on the Resources tab on the navigation bar on the top of the screen or click here for classroom resources and click here for school wide resources!