Living Conditions
A Swedish study assessed how parenting arrangements can influence a child’s wellbeing & life experiences. These were measured in several categories including economic, social, health, working conditions & safety at school and leisure time activities.
Researchers found that in several areas, particularly in economic outcomes, children were slightly worse off living with one parent as opposed to children living with shared parenting or children living with both parents in the same household.
Children living with one parent as opposed to shared parenting or two parent families were also:
- More likely to report not getting on well with their parents
- Less likely to report their parents had time for them
- Reported worse peer relations including being less likely to claim having at least one close friend in class
- More likely to report less than good on a self-rated health scale and report smoking weekly far more frequently
- Assessed their school performance as being lower in relation to their peers
- Less likely to participate in organised sport activities on a weekly basis
Of course, many of the positive outcomes of shared parenting are also dependent on how parents execute these arrangements, not only the allocation of equal time. See our section on Quality Vs Quality for more information.
Watch Dr Malin Bergström talking about her research into the outcomes of shared parenting for children.