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THE IMPACT OF FAMILY STRUCTURE AND THE PRESENCE OF BIOLOGICAL PARENTS ON THE
CHILDS AGING PROCESS
Children who grow outside marriage mostly perform poorly in academic activities. Some
who are raised in a broken family would hardly graduate from high school. Intact, supportive
family affects the childs motivation to attend college and graduate. The presence of biological
parents is very essential for a child to develop good academic performance and even to have a
good psychosocial relationship as they grow older. Married couples who stay intact with their
children would likely to rise from economic status than in cohabitating, blended family or
single-parent family.
In a lecture on July 24, 2012, to Gerontology class, Professor Kwan stated that married
couples who are mutually inlove are most likely to build a happy family with happy children.
Thereby, parents serve as role model of the children on how to love and build a happy life and
relationship. Considering the aging process from conception to getting old, the childs level of
happiness are built not only from birth but from the time he is conceived.
On the study of Milstead and Perkins, they presented common types of family
structures namely, traditional or nuclear family, single-parent family, extended family, blended
family and cohabitating. Children raise in a nuclear or traditional family is more conducive to
academic success. Milstead and Perkins added that these children have higher Grade Point
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expectations.
On the other hand, a single parent family is one in which the child lives with either his or
her biological mother or father (Milstead & Perkins, 2010). This type of family may result from a
death of one parent, a divorce, or a non-union pregnancy. Children of singleparent families are
more likely to be impoverished, break the law, have low academic performance, have teen-age
pregnancy, and to have emotional and behavioral problems. School-related problems that arise
together from grandparents to parents, siblings of parents, married children, their spouses and
grand children (Elliott & Gray, 2000). Werner-Wilson (n.d.), stated that families have a
fundamental influence on the academic achievement of children. He added that children who
parent with their biological child or children and the parents spouse. It also includes the
spouses children or the children born to the newly married couple. Batt (2010) stated that a
2008 study conducted by Kathryn Harker Tillman, an assistant professor of sociology from
Florida State University says that adolescents living with half-siblings or step-siblings tend to
In a cohabitating relationship, the child lives with either his or her biological mother or
father and that parents significant other outside marriage or without marriage (Milstead &
Perkins, 2010). The children who live in cohabiting households are less inclined to care about
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The family structure greatly affects the life and accomplishments of the child as he
grows older. The family, especially the pleasant and unpleasant acts of the parents influences
the behavior of the child. On the first trimester of pregnancy, the mother should be happy
because the embryo or fetus constructed during that time already takes the feelings of the
mother. The presence of the fathers emotional support is important to make the mother feel
loved. Surprises and gifts from the father are relevant to make the mother and baby happy.
On the second trimester of pregnancy, the child may develop feelings of frustrations,
jealousy and suicidal tendencies when the mother feels doubts and uncertainties on the
fathers behavior and love. Extra marital affair of the father during this stage may result to a
doubtful, violent child when it grows old. Thereby the mother should be showed love, praised
and kept hugged on this stage to have an obedient, kind, generous and loving child.
On the third trimester, the presence of the father is very crucial to ease the mothers
anxiety and worries on the delivery of the baby. From childs birth and infancy until
toddlerhood, the presence of the father and mother is important for the child to feel loved and
to be hugged. Father and son should hold hands once a day. The daughter should experience
carried on the fathers shoulder. This is important for a gender to gender transmission. It is also
stated by Erik Erikson on his developmental theory that in infancy stage, from birth to 18
months, the mother should show positive and loving care to the child with big emphasis on
visual contact and touch. If the child fail to experience trust and are constantly frustrated
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Harder (n.d.) affirmed that through touch and loving care during infancy, parents help
their children build a foundation of trust. Then as their children move through each stage of
growth, parents need to help them develop other skills they will need in order to become
The guidance of parents on the child during preschool should consider on emphasizing
to the child that he has a task to do. A child who is not trained to accomplish task will lead to
being irresponsible and may face failures in their studies or goals. The child should be praised
and recognized for every accomplishment he achieves. This will make the child a dependable
person and a good leader in the future. He develops confidence to do duties and
responsibilities.
According to Erik Eriksons Theory of Development, pre-school age is the period when
child take initiative in creating play situations and copy the adults around them. They also begin
to use the word why to explore the world. But when the child gets frustrated over natural
their studies is important to help them do better in school. The parents support to their childs
school and academic activities will give the child more motivation to strive harder and to
more formal skills in life. This stage is tagged as industry versus inferiority (Child Development,
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Homework is a necessity and the need for self-discipline increases yearly. The child who
because of his successive and successful resolutions of earlier psychosocial crisis, is trusting,
All these stages in childs aging process from first trimester until school-age is very
relevant on the childs development to have a happy and successful life. The presence of
biological parents and the fulfillment of love during every stage in life mold the child into a
Children from broken marriages or outside marriage usually find it more difficult to have
a happy aging as they have grown seeing hatred, frustrations, lack of love, support and
appreciation. They see confusions and doubts in life as they witnessed the hurts and failures
their mother have undergone. Some of them reach lesser accomplishments in life as they
poorly felt or seen the encouragement and love from their biological parents.
References:
Milstead, Kayla & Perkins, Gerra. 2010. Family Strucrure Characteristics and Academic Success:
Supporting the Work of School Counselors. Academic Leadership (15337812), Vol. 8
Issue 4, p 19. Retrieved from
http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/62969864/family-structure-characteristics-
academic-success-supporting-work-school-counselors
Elliot, Susan & Gray, Allison. 2000. Family Structures: A Report for the New Zealand Immigration
Service. Retrieved from
http://www.dol.govt.nz/research/migration/pdfs/FamilyStructures.pdf
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Batt, Elizabeth. 2010. Step and Half-Siblings Impact Grades and Behavior in Adolescents.
Retrieved from http://suite101.com/article/step-and-half-siblings-impact-grades--
behavior-in-adolescents-a280703
Harder, Arlene. (n.d.) The Developmental Stage of Erik Erikson. Retrieved from
http://www.support4change.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47
&Itemid=108
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