Parents often wonder what really matters most for a child’s growth. Two recent but separate studies from universities in Nigeria and Canada point in the same direction: the structure and stability of home life makes all the difference.

From Joseph Ayo Babalola University, researcher Kolawole Favour puts it plainly: “Family structure plays a pivotal role in the psychological health of children, influencing their emotional development, behavioural outcomes, and overall well-being.” And at the University of Ottawa, Xinyue Fang writes: “Family plays a pivotal role in shaping a child’s emotional, cognitive, and social development.”

That message carries through their findings. Fang observes: “As children grow, the structure and conditions of their family influence their behaviour, relationships, and academic success.” Favour adds that: “Research indicates that children raised in stable nuclear families often experience better psychological outcomes compared to those from other family structures.”

It is not about perfect parents but about present parents. According to Favour: “When both parents are actively involved in the child's life, children tend to exhibit higher levels of emotional security, self-esteem, and social competence.” Favour’s research also warns that: “children from single-parent families may experience higher levels of psychological distress compared to those from nuclear families.”

Yet love and resilience show up in many forms. Fang points out: “Research on children raised by same-sex parents indicates that these children are just as emotionally and socially well-adjusted as those raised by heterosexual parents.” According to Fang, blended families (families that include stepparents), too, can thrive when bonds are nurtured: “One of the primary benefits of blended families is the potential for additional emotional and financial resources.” And extended households (households which contain aunts, uncles and/or grandparents) can be a gift, since “children raised in extended families often benefit from the presence of multiple caregivers, which can enhance emotional support and stability.”