Family relations and emotional intelligence of children raised by lesbian or heterosexual parents

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between qualities of the parenting couple's relationship, parent-child interactions, division and satisfaction with childcare and household labor, and the emotional intelligence of children. Thirty-one lesbian parent families and 26 heterosexual parent families completed the California Inventory of Family Assessment, the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire, and the Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (EQ∼i:YV). Group comparisons were analyzed using two-group MANOVAs and the associations among variables were examined using Pearson correlations. The results of this study showed no significant differences in overall emotional intelligence between children raised by lesbian parents and those raised by heterosexual parents. In addition, no relationship was found between qualities of the couple relationship, the division of childcare and household labor, or satisfaction with these divisions and the overall emotional intelligence of children. However, for heterosexual mothers, a significant negative relationship was found between an authoritarian parenting style and emotional intelligence. In particular, mothers who used corporal punishment had children with lower overall emotional intelligence, and heterosexual mothers were much more likely to use corporal punishment than lesbian primary caregivers. Significant differences also were found between lesbian co-mothers' versus fathers' behaviors within the authoritative parenting style, with lesbian co-mothers showing more warmth and support and with fathers showing more emphasis on rules, consequence, and use of reasoning following children's misbehavior. The differences found in qualities of the couple relationship showed that lesbian primary caregivers reported receiving more nurturance and less physical intimacy from their partners than heterosexual mothers, and heterosexual fathers reported more intrusiveness from their wives than lesbian co-mothers. Furthermore, lesbian couples were more egalitarian regarding the division of household chores and childcare and more satisfied with these arrangements than heterosexual mothers. The findings in this study may help motivate parents and clinicians to find more helpful parenting styles for dealing with misbehavior and to identify ways they can foster stronger emotionally intelligent skills in their children. This study adds to the growing body of literature showing that the children of lesbian parents are functioning similarly to children of heterosexual parents on psychological variables of interest. Collectively, these findings may inform policy makers and family courts when called upon to decide what is in the best interest of children. The implication of these findings is that exclusion of lesbian parents from equal adoption or custody rights in some states and jurisdictions seems based solely on prejudice toward lesbians rather than based on the best interests of children.